Mimicking the effect of prolactin on STAT3/STAT5 activity in breast cancer

Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) 3 and 5 are commonly constitutively activated in breast cancer. STAT5 can outcompete STAT3 and reduce cell proliferation and metastasis. STAT5 activation is stimulated by prolactin, a natural hormone that can be harmful at high levels. The aim of this study is to identify some possible previously developed drugs that mimic the effect of prolactin and STAT5 without the added risk in MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells. Using the CLUE database query app and STAT5 up- and downregulation signatures, three drugs (X, K, and M) were chosen based on their similarity in signatures to those of STAT5. These drugs were then analyzed for cell viability to determine dosage. qPCR was used to compare the expression of STAT5 target genes after drug treatment and the expression after STAT5 activation with prolactin. The drug K was found to show a similar impact on target gene expression to prolactin. Further research is required, but from this study K seems to be a promising option for stimulating STAT5 and improving breast cancer prognosis

Male Grooming: An Ethnographic Research on Perception and Choice of Male Cosmetics

The purpose of this study is to explore male perceptions toward cosmetics and their product choice. Applying an ethnographic framework to this study, three males between the ages of 24-30 were interviewed through a series of 141 questions pertaining to their demographics, lifestyle, attitudes toward masculinity, skin care, grooming and cleaning behaviors. The results showed five overarching themes: (1) all of the participants had early experiences with personal care products, (2) the term masculinity was defined with terms such as calm and practical , (3) all participants looked up to their fathers as their key role models, (4) all participants valued loyal friendships, and (5) location convenience drives shopping for cosmetics - participants tend to only shop for cosmetics at a location where they are based at any given point in time, thereby implying an unwillingness to travel to a specialty store for purchasing grooming items. Managerial implications utilizing the results of this research are also discussed

Programming Protocol-Independent Packet Processors

P4 is a high-level language for programming protocol-independent packet processors. P4 works in conjunction with SDN control protocols like OpenFlow. In its current form, OpenFlow explicitly specifies protocol headers on which it operates. This set has grown from 12 to 41 fields in a few years, increasing the complexity of the specification while still not providing the flexibility to add new headers. In this paper we propose P4 as a strawman proposal for how OpenFlow should evolve in the future. We have three goals: (1) Reconfigurability in the field: Programmers should be able to change the way switches process packets once they are deployed. (2) Protocol independence: Switches should not be tied to any specific network protocols. (3) Target independence: Programmers should be able to describe packet-processing functionality independently of the specifics of the underlying hardware. As an example, we describe how to use P4 to configure a switch to add a new hierarchical label

Anatomska rekonstrukcija prednjeg križnog ligamenta

Tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are one of the most common injuries to active individuals. The history of reconstructing a ruptured ACL has undergone many advances from open, extra-articular reconstructions, to modern day advanced arthroscopic techniques. Some of these new arthroscopic techniques use small incisions and standardized instruments reducing the surgical time, however, they fail to restore the native ACL anatomy. Recent studies have shown that non-anatomical reconstruction might result in suboptimal clinical outcomes. As a result, anatomic ACL reconstruction has gained popularity. The cornerstone of anatomic ACL reconstruction is the functional restoration of the ACL to its native dimensions, collagen orientation, and insertion sites. This article is meant to provide the most up-to-date literature review regarding anatomic ACL reconstruction.Ozljede prednjeg križnog ligament (PKL) spadaju među najčešće sportske ozljede koljena. Povijest rekonstrukcije PKL-a prešla je dug put od otvorenih metoda do današnji modernih artroskopskih tehnika. Pri nekim artroskopskim tehnikama koriste se male incizije uz upotrebu standardiziranih instrumenata, čime se značajno skraćuje vrijeme operacije, ali se ne uspijeva u cijelosti rekonstruirati anatomsko hvatište PKL-a. Novije studije pokazale su da se takvim rekonstrukcijama ne uspijevaju postići zadovoljavajući klinički rezultati. Cilj anatomske rekonstrukcije jest rekonstukcija prirodne duljine i promjera PKL-a, orijetnacije kolagenih vlakana i anatomskih hvatišta. U ovom radu dajemo pregled najnovije literature koja se bavi anatomskom rekonstrukcijom PKL-a

Semi-quantitative assay to measure urease activity by urinary catheter-associated uropathogens

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are one of the most common healthcare-associated infections in the US, accounting for over 1 million cases annually and totaling 450 million USD. CAUTIs have high morbidity and mortality rates and can be caused by a wide range of pathogens, making empiric treatment difficult. Furthermore, when urease-producing uropathogens cause symptomatic CAUTI or asymptomatic catheter colonization, the risk of catheter failure due to blockage increases. The enzyme urease promotes catheter blockage by hydrolyzing urea in urine into ammonia and carbon dioxide, which results in the formation of crystals that coat the catheter surface. If CAUTI is left untreated, the crystals can grow until they block the urinary catheter. Catheter blockage and subsequent failure reduces the quality of life for the chronically catheterized, as it requires frequent catheter exchanges and can promote more severe disease, including dissemination of the infection to the kidneys or bloodstream. Thus, understanding how urease contributes to catheter blockages and/or more severe disease among the broad range of urease-producing microbes may provide insights into better prevention or treatment strategies. However, clinical assays that detect urease production among clinical isolates are qualitative and prioritize the detection of urease fro

Staphylococcus aureus breast implant infection isolates display recalcitrance to antibiotic pocket irrigants

Breast implant-associated infections (BIAIs) are the primary complication following placement of breast prostheses in breast cancer reconstruction. Given the prevalence of breast cancer, reconstructive failure due to infection results in significant patient distress and health care expenditures. Thus, effective BIAI prevention strategies are urgently needed. This study tests the efficacy of one infection prevention strategy: the use of a triple antibiotic pocket irrigant (TAPI) against Staphylococcus aureus, the most common cause of BIAIs. TAPI, which consists of 50,000 U bacitracin, 1 g cefazolin, and 80 mg gentamicin diluted in 500 mL of saline, is used to irrigate the breast implant pocket during surgery. We use

Trend of Outcome Metrics in Recent Out-of-Hospital-Cardiac-Arrest Research: A Narrative Review of Clinical Trials

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) research traditionally focuses on survival. In 2018, the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) proposed more patient-centered outcomes. Our narrative review assessed clinical trials after 2018 to identify the trends of outcome metrics in the field OHCA research. We performed a search of the PubMed database from 1 January 2019 to 22 September 2023. Prospective clinical trials involving adult humans were eligible. Studies that did not report any patient-related outcomes or were not available in full-text or English language were excluded. The articles were assessed for demographic information and primary and secondary outcomes. We included 89 studies for analysis. For the primary outcome, 31 (35%) studies assessed neurocognitive functions, and 27 (30%) used survival. For secondary outcomes, neurocognitive function was present in 20 (22%) studies, and survival was present in 10 (11%) studies. Twenty-six (29%) studies used both survival and neurocognitive function. Since the publication of the COSCA guidelines in 2018, there has been an increased focus on neurologic outcomes. Although survival outcomes are used frequently, we observed a trend toward fewer studies with ROSC as a primary outcome. There were no quality-of-life assessments, suggesting a need for more studies with patient-centered outcomes that can inform the guidelines for cardiac-arrest management

'The difference in determinants of Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium in a sample of young Australian women.'

BACKGROUND Differences in the determinants of Chlamydia trachomatis ('chlamydia') and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) genital infection in women are not well understood. METHODS A cohort study of 16 to 25 year old Australian women recruited from primary health care clinics, aimed to determine chlamydia and MG prevalence and incidence. Vaginal swabs collected at recruitment were used to measure chlamydia and MG prevalence, organism-load and chlamydia-serovar a cross-sectional analysis undertaken on the baseline results is presented here. RESULTS Of 1116 participants, chlamydia prevalence was 4.9% (95% CI: 2.9, 7.0) (n = 55) and MG prevalence was 2.4% (95% CI: 1.5, 3.3) (n = 27). Differences in the determinants were found - chlamydia not MG, was associated with younger age [AOR:0.9 (95% CI: 0.8, 1.0)] and recent antibiotic use [AOR:0.4 (95% CI: 0.2, 1.0)], and MG not chlamydia was associated with symptoms [AOR:2.1 (95% CI: 1.1, 4.0)]. Having two or more partners in last 12 months was more strongly associated with chlamydia [AOR:6.4 (95% CI: 3.6, 11.3)] than MG [AOR:2.2 (95% CI: 1.0, 4.6)] but unprotected sex with three or more partners was less strongly associated with chlamydia [AOR:3.1 (95%CI: 1.0, 9.5)] than MG [AOR:16.6 (95%CI: 2.0, 138.0)]. Median organism load for MG was 100 times lower (5.7 × 104/swab) than chlamydia (5.6 × 10⁶/swab) (p < 0.01) and not associated with age or symptoms for chlamydia or MG. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate significant chlamydia and MG prevalence in Australian women, and suggest that the differences in strengths of association between numbers of sexual partners and unprotected sex and chlamydia and MG might be due to differences in the transmission dynamics between these infections.This project was funded by the Commonwealth of Australia, as part of a National Chlamydia Pilot program that is currently running to test the effectiveness of a number of models for chlamydia testing in Australia. This project will assist in developing possible recommendations for a National Chlamydia Program. The analysis of MG was funded by the National Health and Research Council (research grant number 509144)