Effect of transdermal nitroglycerin patch on severe preeclamptic women with abnormal Doppler indices

Background: The aim is to evaluate the effect of maternal transdermal nitro-glycerine patch administration on blood flow resistance on maternal uterine artery, fetal umbilical and middle cerebral arteries in patients with severe pre-eclampsia in early gestational age (24 weeks to 33 weeks) associated with abnormal Doppler indices (placental insufficiency) and also its effect on maternal mean arterial blood pressure.Methods: This is a prospective interventional clinical trial conducted on (50) pregnant women with singleton pregnancy diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia admitted in high-risk pregnancy unit at the Department of Obstetrics  in Tanta University Hospitals, A 50-mg transdermal GTN patch (Novartis Pharma) was applied to the abdominal skin, releasing nitroglycerin at a rate of 0.4 mg/h. Doppler ultrasonography and measurement of maternal blood pressure were performed before application of transdermal GTN patch, after 4 hours of application, after 24 hours and after 48 hours.Results: the application of a 50-mg transdermal GTN patch to the maternal abdomen was associated with a significant decline in the PI of the uteroplacental and fetoplacental blood flow. No change was observed in the PI of the cerebral circulation. And also, there was a significant decrease in maternal blood pressure (MAP).Conclusions: Nitroderm patch (nitric oxide donors) may be used as initial therapy in cases of severe preeclampsia complicated by placental insufficiency in the form of abnormal Doppler indices

The dual face of microglia (M1/M2) as a potential target in the protective effect of nutraceuticals against neurodegenerative diseases

The pathophysiology of different neurodegenerative illnesses is significantly influenced by the polarization regulation of microglia and macrophages. Traditional classifications of macrophage phenotypes include the pro-inflammatory M1 and the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotypes. Numerous studies demonstrated dynamic non-coding RNA modifications, which are catalyzed by microglia-induced neuroinflammation. Different nutraceuticals focus on the polarization of M1/M2 phenotypes of microglia and macrophages, offering a potent defense against neurodegeneration. Caeminaxin A, curcumin, aromatic-turmerone, myricetin, aurantiamide, 3,6′-disinapoylsucrose, and resveratrol reduced M1 microglial inflammatory markers while increased M2 indicators in Alzheimer’s disease. Amyloid beta-induced microglial M1 activation was suppressed by andrographolide, sulforaphane, triptolide, xanthoceraside, piperlongumine, and novel plant extracts which also prevented microglia-mediated necroptosis and apoptosis. Asarone, galangin, baicalein, and a-mangostin reduced oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in M1-activated microglia in Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, myrcene, icariin, and tenuigenin prevented the nod-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 inflammasome and microglial neurotoxicity, while a-cyperone, citronellol, nobiletin, and taurine prevented NADPH oxidase 2 and nuclear factor kappa B activation. Furthermore, other nutraceuticals like plantamajoside, swertiamarin, urolithin A, kurarinone, Daphne genkwa flower, and Boswellia serrata extracts showed promising neuroprotection in treating Parkinson’s disease. In Huntington’s disease, elderberry, curcumin, iresine celosia, Schisandra chinensis, gintonin, and pomiferin showed promising results against microglial activation and improved patient symptoms. Meanwhile, linolenic acid, resveratrol, Huperzia serrata, icariin, and baicalein protected against activated macrophages and microglia in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis. Additionally, emodin, esters of gallic and rosmarinic acids, Agathisflavone, and sinomenine offered promising multiple sclerosis treatments. This review highlights the therapeutic potential of using nutraceuticals to treat neurodegenerative diseases involving microglial-related pathways

Integrating entrepreneurship into chemistry education - Cairo University post-graduate students' case study

Chemistry entrepreneurship is the technique of spreading knowledge about discoveries and chemical ideas to a larger audience outside of the classroom and evaluation. Graduates' ability to become job innovators with the potential to reduce unemployment and strengthen the economy is demonstrated by innovative ideas that are implemented with a social value. As a result, while attending college, chemistry students have the chance to apply what they learn in the classroom to a sustainable way of life. In this study, we have covered the breadth of classroom innovations, the "From Theory to Practice" gap, and different aspects that affect students' decisions to start and develop chemistry entrepreneurial ventures. a survey was conducted to find out more about post-graduate students' exposure to and opinions on using entrepreneurship to apply chemistry to the real world. After compiling data from an online survey consisting of 20 statements from 176 post-graduate chemistry students (Ph. D., M. Sc., and diploma) with their replies recorded on a Likert scale describing their experiences with assignments, it was possible to pinpoint areas where chemistry classes could be improved. In order to better understand how students, view the use of entrepreneurship to apply chemistry to the real world, a study was conducted to look at the breadth of creativity, the gap between thinking and doing, and the factors encouraging students to select and build a chemical pilot project

Letter: The Impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic on Neurosurgeons Worldwide

This article is made available for unrestricted research re-use and secondary analysis in any form or be any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for the duration of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.The aim of our study was to explore the impact of this pandemic on neurosurgeons with the hope of improving preparedness for future crisis. We created a 20-question survey designed to explore demographics (nation, duration and scope of practice, and case-burden), knowledge (source of information), clinical impact (elective clinic/surgery cancellations), hospital preparedness (availability of personal protective equipment [PPE] and cost of the supplies), and personal factors (financial burden, workload, scientific and research activities). The survey was first piloted with 10 neurosurgeons and then revised. Surveys were distributed electronically in 7 languages (Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish) between March 20 and April 3, 2020 using Google Forms, WeChat used to obtain responses, and Excel (Microsoft) and SPSS (IBM) used to analyze results. All responses were cross-verified by 2 members of our team. After obtaining results, we analyzed our data with histograms and standard statistical methods (Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests and logistic regression). Participants were first informed about the objectives of our survey and assured confidentiality after they agreed to participate (Helsinki declaration). We received 187 responses from 308 invitations (60.7%), and 474 additional responses were obtained from social media-based neurosurgery groups (total responses = 661). The respondents were from 96 countries representing 6 continents (Figure ​(Figure11A-​A-11C)

International longitudinal registry of patients with atrial fibrillation and treated with rivaroxaban: RIVaroxaban Evaluation in Real life setting (RIVER)

Background Real-world data on non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are essential in determining whether evidence from randomised controlled clinical trials translate into meaningful clinical benefits for patients in everyday practice. RIVER (RIVaroxaban Evaluation in Real life setting) is an ongoing international, prospective registry of patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and at least one investigator-determined risk factor for stroke who received rivaroxaban as an initial treatment for the prevention of thromboembolic stroke. The aim of this paper is to describe the design of the RIVER registry and baseline characteristics of patients with newly diagnosed NVAF who received rivaroxaban as an initial treatment. Methods and results Between January 2014 and June 2017, RIVER investigators recruited 5072 patients at 309 centres in 17 countries. The aim was to enroll consecutive patients at sites where rivaroxaban was already routinely prescribed for stroke prevention. Each patient is being followed up prospectively for a minimum of 2-years. The registry will capture data on the rate and nature of all thromboembolic events (stroke / systemic embolism), bleeding complications, all-cause mortality and other major cardiovascular events as they occur. Data quality is assured through a combination of remote electronic monitoring and onsite monitoring (including source data verification in 10% of cases). Patients were mostly enrolled by cardiologists (n = 3776, 74.6%), by internal medicine specialists 14.2% (n = 718) and by primary care/general practice physicians 8.2% (n = 417). The mean (SD) age of the population was 69.5 (11.0) years, 44.3% were women. Mean (SD) CHADS2 score was 1.9 (1.2) and CHA2DS2-VASc scores was 3.2 (1.6). Almost all patients (98.5%) were prescribed with once daily dose of rivaroxaban, most commonly 20 mg (76.5%) and 15 mg (20.0%) as their initial treatment; 17.9% of patients received concomitant antiplatelet therapy. Most patients enrolled in RIVER met the recommended threshold for AC therapy (86.6% for 2012 ESC Guidelines, and 79.8% of patients according to 2016 ESC Guidelines). Conclusions The RIVER prospective registry will expand our knowledge of how rivaroxaban is prescribed in everyday practice and whether evidence from clinical trials can be translated to the broader cross-section of patients in the real world

Bacteria-inducing legume nodules involved in the improvement of plant growth, health and nutrition

Bacteria-inducing legume nodules are known as rhizobia and belong to the class Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria. They promote the growth and nutrition of their respective legume hosts through atmospheric nitrogen fixation which takes place in the nodules induced in their roots or stems. In addition, rhizobia have other plant growth-promoting mechanisms, mainly solubilization of phosphate and production of indoleacetic acid, ACC deaminase and siderophores. Some of these mechanisms have been reported for strains of rhizobia which are also able to promote the growth of several nonlegumes, such as cereals, oilseeds and vegetables. Less studied are the mechanisms that have the rhizobia to promote the plant health; however, these bacteria are able to exert biocontrol of some phytopathogens and to induce the plant resistance. In this chapter, we revised the available data about the ability of the legume nodule-inducing bacteria for improving the plant growth, health and nutrition of both legumes and nonlegumes. These data showed that rhizobia meet all the requirements of sustainable agriculture to be used as bio-inoculants allowing the total or partial replacement of chemicals used for fertilization or protection of crops

A novel algorithm for the non-invasive detection of bladder outlet obstruction in men with lower urinary tract symptoms

Contains fulltext : 181594.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)OBJECTIVE: To determine the ability of bladder wall thickness (BWT) in combination with non-invasive variables to distinguish patients with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients completed the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire and prostate size was measured by transrectal ultrasonography (US). Pressure-flow studies were performed to determine the urodynamic diagnosis. BWT was measured at 250-mL bladder filling using transabdominal US. Recursive partition analysis (RPA) recursively partitions data for relating independent variable(s) to a dependent variable creating a tree of partitions. It finds a set of cuts of the dependent variable(s) that best predict the independent variable, by searching all possible cuts until the desired fit is reached. RPA was used to test the ability of the combined data of BWT, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), post-void residual urine volume (PVR), IPSS, and prostate size to predict BOO. RESULTS: In all, 72 patients were included in the final analysis. The median BWT, voided volumes, PVR, mean Qmax, and IPSS were significantly higher in patients who had an Abrams/Griffiths (A/G) number of >40 (55 patients) compared to those with an A/G number of </=40 (17 patients). RPA revealed that the combination of BWT and Qmax gave a correct classification in 61 of the 72 patients (85%), with 92% sensitivity and 65% specificity, 87% positive predictive value, and 76% negative predictive value (NPV) for BOO (area under the curve 0.85). The positive diagnostic likelihood ratio of this reclassification fit was 2.6. CONCLUSIONS: It was possible to combine BWT with Qmax to create a new algorithm that could be used as a screening tool for BOO in men with lower urinary tract symptoms