Search

Background: Hypothyroidism is an endocrine disorder in which the thyroid gland does not produce an adequate amount of thyroid hormones. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of yoga asanas as an add-on therapy for the management of hypothyroidism. Materials and Methods: For this interventional clinical study, a total of 450 study participants were screened for eligibility. Out of this, 170 study participants were found fit for preliminary eligibility following stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria. Further, 58 participants were excluded before randomization. A total of 112 hypothyroidism patients (57 in the control group and 55 in the yoga group) participated in this study. The study participants were further followed up for 8 weeks in both the yoga practice (yoga+ standard care of treatment) and control group (standard care of treatment only). The markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and thyroid hormones were assessed at baseline and after 8 weeks of follow-up/intervention. Results: After 8 weeks, the study participants in yoga group showed a significant reduction in serum thyroid-stimulating hormone and malondialdehyde levels as compared to baseline (P < 0.05). There was also a positive trend of improvement in other oxidative markers (catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione), and a significant reduction in interleukin-6 levels (P < 0.05) was found in the yoga group as compared to the baseline. However, there was no significant change found in the control group of subjects. Conclusion: Frequent yoga practice can be an effective lifestyle intervention for hypothyroidism, reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and potentially improving overall well-being.

The lipid-based drug delivery system (LBDDS) is a well-established technique that is anticipated to bring about comprehensive transformations in the pharmaceutical field, impacting the management and administration of drugs, as well as treatment and diagnosis. Various LBDDSs verified to be an efficacious mechanism for monitoring hypertension systems are SEDDS (self-nano emulsifying drug delivery), nanoemulsion, microemulsions, vesicular systems (transferosomes and liposomes), and solid lipid nanoparticles. LBDDSs overcome the shortcomings that are associated with antihypertensive agents because around fifty percent of the antihypertensive agents experience a few drawbacks including short half-life because of hepatic first-pass metabolism, poor aqueous solubility, low permeation rate, and undesirable side effects. This review emphasizes antihypertensive agents that were encapsulated into the lipid carrier to improve their poor oral bioavailability. Incorporating cutting-edge technologies such as nanotechnology and targeted drug delivery, LBDDS holds promise in addressing the multifactorial nature of hypertension. By fine-tuning drug release profiles and enhancing drug uptake at specific sites, LBDDS can potentially target renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system components, sympathetic nervous system pathways, and endothelial dysfunction, all of which play crucial roles in hypertension pathophysiology. The future of hypertension management using LBDDS is promising, with ongoing reviews focusing on precision medicine approaches, improved biocompatibility, and reduced toxicity. As we delve deeper into understanding the intricate mechanisms underlying hypertension, LBDDS offers a pathway to develop next-generation antihypertensive therapies that are safer, more effective, and tailored to individual patient needs.

In the past few decades, the medicinal properties of plants and their effects on the human immune system are being studied extensively. Plants are an incredible source of traditional medicines that help cure various diseases, including altered immune mechanisms and are economical and benign compared to allopathic medicines. Reported data in written documents such as Traditional Chinese medicine, Indian Ayurvedic medicine support the supplementation of botanicals for immune defense reactions in the body and can lead to safe and effective immunity responses. Additionally, some botanicals are well-identified as magical herbal remedies because they act upon the pathogen directly and help boost the immunity of the host. Chemical compounds, also known as phytochemicals, obtained from these botanicals looked promising due to their effects on the human immune system by modulating the lymphocytes which subsequently reduce the chances of getting infected. This paper summarises most documented phytochemicals and how they act on the immune system, their properties and possible mechanisms, screening conventions, formulation guidelines, comparison with synthetic immunity-enhancers, marketed immunity-boosting products, and immune-booster role in the ongoing ghastly corona virus wave. However, it focuses mainly on plant metabolites as immunomodulators. In addition, it also sheds light on the current advancements and future possibilities in this field. From this thorough study, it can be stated that the plant-based secondary metabolites contribute significantly to immunity building and could prove to be valuable medicaments for the design and development of novel immunomodulators even for a pandemic like COVID-19.

This review aims to provide a thorough examination of the benefits, challenges, and advancements in utilizing lipids for more effective drug delivery, ultimately contributing to the development of innovative approaches in pharmaceutical science. Lipophilic drugs, characterized by low aqueous solubility, present a formidable challenge in achieving effective delivery and absorption within the human body. To address this issue, one promising approach involves harnessing the potential of lipids. Lipids, in their diverse forms, serve as carriers, leveraging their unique capacity to enhance solubility, stability, and absorption of these challenging drugs. By facilitating improved intestinal solubility and selective lymphatic absorption of porously permeable drugs, lipids offer an array of possibilities for drug delivery. This versatile characteristic not only bolsters the pharmacological efficacy of drugs with low bioavailability but also contributes to enhanced therapeutic performance, ultimately reducing the required dose size and associated costs. This comprehensive review delves into the strategic formulation approaches that employ lipids as carriers to ameliorate drug solubility and bioavailability. Emphasis is placed on the critical considerations of lipid type, composition, and processing techniques when designing lipid-based formulations. This review meticulously examines the multifaceted challenges that come hand in hand with lipid-based formulations for lipophilic drugs, offering an insightful perspective on future trends. Regulatory considerations and the broad spectrum of potential applications are also thoughtfully discussed. In summary, this review presents a valuable repository of insights into the effective utilization of lipids as carriers, all aimed at elevating the bioavailability of lipophilic drugs.

The pharmaceutical sector has made considerable strides recently, emphasizing improving drug delivery methods to increase the bioavailability of various drugs. When used as a medication delivery method, nanoemulsions have multiple benefits. Their small droplet size, which is generally between 20 and 200 nanometers, creates a significant interfacial area for drug dissolution, improving the solubility and bioavailability of drugs that are weakly water-soluble. Additionally, nanoemulsions are a flexible platform for drug administration across various therapeutic areas since they can encapsulate hydrophilic and hydrophobic medicines. Nanoemulsion can be formulated in multiple dosage forms, for example, gels, creams, foams, aerosols, and sprays by using low-cost standard operative processes and also be taken orally, topically, topically, intravenously, intrapulmonary, intranasally, and intraocularly. The article explores nanoemulsion formulation and production methods, emphasizing the role of surfactants and cosurfactants in creating stable formulations. In order to customize nanoemulsions to particular medication delivery requirements, the choice of components and production techniques is crucial in assuring the stability and efficacy of the finished product. Nanoemulsions are a cutting-edge technology with a lot of potential for improving medication bioavailability in a variety of therapeutic contexts. They are a useful tool in the creation of innovative pharmaceutical formulations due to their capacity to enhance drug solubility, stability, and delivery. Nanoemulsions are positioned to play a crucial role in boosting medication delivery and enhancing patient outcomes as this field of study continues to advance.

This study proposes BN as a new sintering aid for pressureless solid-state sintering of SiC ceramics. The full densification of SiC ceramics for 0.5–2.7 wt% BN addition showed the composition tolerance of the newly developed ceramics. The electrical resistivity decreased by an order of magnitude (107→106 Ω·cm) as BN content increased from ~0.5 to ~0.9 wt% because of the increased BN-derived B doping in the SiC lattice. A further increase in BN content had no significant effect on the electrical resistivity, which is attributed to the limited solubility of B in the SiC lattice. The thermal conductivity decreased with increasing BN content owing to increased phonon scattering at B-doped sites and the thermally insulating BN phase located at the grain boundaries. The fracture toughness increased with increasing BN content owing to interfacial debonding at the weak SiC-BN interfaces. However, intrinsically weak BN grains with low hardness were responsible for reduced flexural strength and hardness with increasing BN content.

Dementia is defined as a gradual cognitive impairment that interferes with everyday tasks, and is a leading cause of dependency, disability, and mortality. According to the current scenario, millions of individuals worldwide have dementia. This review provides with an overview of dementia before moving on to its subtypes (neurodegenerative and non-neurodegenerative) and pathophysiology. It also discusses the incidence and severity of dementia, focusing on Alzheimer's disease with its different hypotheses such as Aβ cascade hypothesis, Tau hypothesis, inflammatory hypothesis, cholinergic and oxidative stress hypothesis. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type and a progressive neurodegenerative illness distinct by neuronal loss and resulting cognitive impairment, leading to dementia. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is considered the most familiar neurodegenerative dementias that affect mostly older population. There are still no disease-modifying therapies available for any dementias at this time, but there are various methods for lowering the risk to dementia patients by using suitable diagnostic and evaluation methods. Thereafter, the management and treatment of primary risk elements of dementia are reviewed. Finally, the future perspectives of dementia (AD) focusing on the impact of the new treatment are discussed.

SiC-4 vol% BN composites were hot-pressed at 2050°C for 4 h at 40 MPa in a N2 atmosphere using micron-sized β-SiC and h-BN starting powders with 1 vol% sintering additives. Four batches were prepared using four different types of additive systems, i.e. Y2O3-Sc2O3, Yb2O3-CaO, Yb2O3-MgO, and Al2O3-AlN-Y2O3. The electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the SiC-4 vol% BN composites, which are primarily limited by the intrinsic weakness of h-BN and by the point defects (BC and AlSi) created by the dissolution of B and Al in the SiC lattice, were successfully tuned with the use of different additive systems. The electrical conductivity of SiC-4 vol% BN composites improved ~fivefold, i.e. from 2.6 (Ω·cm)−1 for the Al2O3-AlN-Y2O3-containing specimen to 13.9 (Ω·cm)−1 for the Y2O3-Sc2O3-containing specimen, owing to grain-growth-assisted N-doping and the elimination of Al-derived acceptors. Thermal conductivity was altered by 16% with the use of different additive systems. Fracture toughness dramatically increased from 4.3 MPa∙m1/2 in Yb2O3-CaO-containing specimens to 7.3 MPa∙m1/2 in Y2O3-Sc2O3-containing specimens. The electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, flexural strength, and fracture toughness of SiC-4 vol% BN composite sintered with 1 vol% Y2O3-Sc2O3 were 13.9 (Ω·cm)−1, 82.0 W·m−1 K−1, 505 MPa, and 7.3 MPa∙m1/2, respectively.

Pressureless liquid-phase sintered SiC (LPS-SiC) ceramics fabricated from β-SiC and 1 vol% α-SiC seeds with 3–15 vol% Al2O3-Y2O3-CaO additives were prepared to investigate the effects of additive content on the mechanical and thermal properties. All the specimens consisted primarily of elongated α-SiC grains that were predominantly formed via β to α phase transformation and via the growth of the initially added α-SiC seeds during the sintering. The grain growth and polytypic transformation exhibited diffusion-controlled kinetics. The highest value for fracture toughness (5.4 MPa·m1/2) was exhibited at an additive content level of 7 vol%; this was attributable to the optimal interfacial strength and well-interlocked elongated grains with active crack–microstructure interaction. The specimen with 7 vol% additive content exhibited the highest flexural strength (686 MPa) among the reported pressureless LPS-SiC ceramics, and this was attributable to its high density and the optimal content of soft intergranular phase (IGP). The hardness and thermal conductivity decreased gradually with the increase in additive content, owing to the increased volume fraction of the soft IGP with low thermal conductivity.

Studies on the efficacy of small molecule inhibitors in Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) have been limited and largely inconclusive. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of a potent BET degrader, BETd-246, in the treatment of MCC. We found that MCC cell lines were significantly more sensitive to BETd-246 than to BET inhibitor treatment. Therapeutic targeting of BET proteins resulted in a loss of “MCC signature” genes but not MYC expression as previously described irrespective of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) status. In MCPyV+ MCC cells, BETd-246 alone suppressed downstream targets in the MCPyV-LT Ag axis. We also found enrichment of HOX and cell cycle genes in MCPyV− MCC cell lines that were intrinsically resistant to BETd-246. Our findings uncover a requirement for BET proteins in maintaining MCC lineage identity and point to the potential utility of BET degraders for treating MCC.

LncRNAs have been associated with cancer. Here, the authors carry out a systematic review of lncRNAs in breast cancer and show that DSCAM-AS1is highly expressed in oestrogen receptor positive tumours and enhances cancer through an interaction with hnRNPL; and is also associated with tamoxifen resistance.

Rapid advances in the discovery of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have identified lineage- and cancer-specific biomarkers that may be relevant in the clinical management of prostate cancer (PCa). Here we assembled and analyzed a large RNA-seq dataset, from 585 patient samples, including benign prostate tissue and both localized and metastatic PCa to discover and validate differentially expressed genes associated with disease aggressiveness. We performed Sample Set Enrichment Analysis (SSEA) and identified genes associated with low versus high Gleason score in the RNA-seq database. Comparing Gleason 6 versus 9+ PCa samples, we identified 99 differentially expressed genes with variable association to Gleason grade as well as robust expression in prostate cancer. The top-ranked novel lncRNA PCAT14, exhibits both cancer and lineage specificity. On multivariate analysis, low PCAT14 expression independently predicts for BPFS (P = .00126), PSS (P = .0385), and MFS (P = .000609), with trends for OS as well (P = .056). An RNA in-situ hybridization (ISH) assay for PCAT14 distinguished benign vs malignant cases, as well as high vs low Gleason disease. PCAT14 is transcriptionally regulated by AR, and endogenous PCAT14 overexpression suppresses cell invasion. Thus, Using RNA-sequencing data we identify PCAT14, a novel prostate cancer and lineage-specific lncRNA. PCAT14 is highly expressed in low grade disease and loss of PCAT14 predicts for disease aggressiveness and recurrence.

Oncogenic mutations in RAS provide a compelling yet intractable therapeutic target. Using co-immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry, we uncovered an interaction between RAS and Argonaute 2 (AGO2). Endogenously, RAS and AGO2 co-sediment and co-localize in the endoplasmic reticulum. The AGO2 N-terminal domain directly binds the Switch II region of KRAS, agnostic of nucleotide (GDP/GTP) binding. Functionally, AGO2 knockdown attenuates cell proliferation in mutant KRAS-dependent cells and AGO2 overexpression enhances KRASG12V-mediated transformation. Using AGO2−/− cells, we demonstrate that the RAS-AGO2 interaction is required for maximal mutant KRAS expression and cellular transformation. Mechanistically, oncogenic KRAS attenuates AGO2-mediated gene silencing. Overall, the functional interaction with AGO2 extends KRAS function beyond its canonical role in signaling.

The nasopalatine duct cyst (NPDC) is the most common of all the developmental, epithelial, and non-odontogenic cysts of the maxilla, believed to originate from the epithelial remnants of the nasopalatine duct. Typically, the lesion is asymptomatic and is detected accidentally on a radiograph. The definite diagnosis must be based on the clinical, radiological, and histopathological findings. Frequently misdiagnosed, the NPDC is not rare. The motive of reporting an entity that is not very rare is that the lesion is mostly misdiagnosed, and to emphasize the importance of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the diagnosis and optimized treatment planning of NPDCs.

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an advanced imaging modality, with its application in all branches of dentistry. Of all the imaging modalities available, CBCT, with minimum required exposure, provides the best image quality and helps in arriving at a correct diagnosis and in treatment planning. An odontogenic keratocyst, reclassified as a keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT), has an aggressive behavior, is prone to recur, and thus, has been classified as a tumor. Here, we discuss a rare case of a keratocystic odontogenic tumor occurring in the maxilla, with an ectopic tooth position mimicking a dentigerous cyst.

Segmental odontomaxillary dysplasia (SOD) is an uncommon, nonhereditary, rare developmental disorder primarily involving the posterior part of the maxilla and related dental components. It is a rare condition of uncertain etiology that results in painless unilateral expansion of the posterior dentoalveolar complex, gingival hyperplasia, lack of one or both premolars in the affected area, delayed eruption of adjacent teeth and malformations of the primary molars. Radiographically, the affected bone is thickened and irregular in outline, with a coarse trabecular pattern that is vertically oriented resulting in a relatively radioopaque granular appearance. The treatment is focused on extraction of the involved teeth, while in some milder cases the teeth may be retained for a long period. The treatment plan should be based on the degree of involvement as well as the functional and esthetic needs in each case. Considering the rarity of the condition, we report three cases of SOD with variable presentations in a 45-year-old, 24-year-old and 23-year-old individual.

Background: Normal salivary function is considered to be critical for the maintenance of healthy oral mucosa. Oral fluids provide an easily available, non-invasive medium for the diagnosis of wide range of diseases and clinical situations. The objective of this study was to estimate and compare salivary nitric oxide levels in patients with oral lichen planus and healthy individuals. Methods: Saliva was collected by spitting method. Unstimulated whole saliva thus collected was refrigerated at 4°C, and processed within 24 h for the estimation of nitric oxide levels which was done using Griess reaction. The results were analyzed using Student′s " t" test. Results: There was statistically significant difference in the levels of salivary nitric oxide between the study and control groups. Conclusions: The present study clearly indicates a significant increase in salivary nitric oxide levels in oral lichen planus patients as compared to controls.

Nager syndrome, also called preaxial acrofacial dysostosis, comprises two groups of defects involving the limbs and craniofacial region, respectively. This syndrome is rare and only 70 cases have been reported in the literature. The exact cause of this syndrome is unknown, but there is indication that it is genetically based. Ocular manifestations of this syndrome include widely separated downward slanting eyes, absence of eyelashes, ptosis of upper eyelids and colobomas on the inner aspect of lower eyelids. We report limbal dermoid in a patient with Nager syndrome. We did not find such an association of "Limbal dermoid in Nager acrofacial dysostosis syndrome" on PubMed using Nager acrofacial dysostosis, limbal dermoid and ocular manifestations as the keywords.

Background: Cheiloscopy, the study of lip prints, is an upcoming tool for the identification of persons. The lip print of every person is unique and can be used to fix personal identity. Aim: The prime objective of the present study was to ascertain whether the lip prints behold the potential for determination of sex of the individual from the configuration. Methods: The lip prints were recorded by applying lipstick on the lips, then cellophane tape was applied on the lips and the prints were taken. These prints were studied and classified according to Tsuchihashi′s classification. Results: No two lip prints matched with each other, thus establishing the uniqueness of lip prints, Type I and I′ were most common in females: type IV and V were seen most commonly in males- Around 48 females and 45 males were correctly recognized on the basis of their lip prints. Conclusion: The present study is able to convey that lip prints behold the potential of determination of the sex.

Oral myiasis is a rare pathology and is associated with poor oral hygiene, alcoholism, senility, suppurating lesions, and severe halitosis. It arises from invasion of body tissues or cavities of living animals by maggots or larvae of certain dipterian flies. It is mostly reported in developing countries and in the tropics. We hereby report a rare case of oral myiasis in a 70-year-old female with extensive necrotic oral lesion burrowing into the hard palate through which numerous live maggots (larvae) and seen emerging out and discuss the definition, etiology, predisposing factors, classification, and management of the same. Furthermore, the life cycle of the causative organism in the present case, that is, Chrysomya bezziana, has also been discussed.