Pharmacological and ADMET-based pharmacokinetic properties of Syzygium samarangense var. parviflorum leaf extract in in vitro, in vivo and in silico models

This research investigated pharmacological properties mainly the anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, thrombolytic and anxiolytic potential of methanol extract of Syzygium samarangense (MESS) var. parviflorum. Anti-inflammatory action by bovine serum albumin, egg albumin denaturation and membrane stabilization, anthelmintic by live parasites, thrombolytic by clot lysis and anxiolytic by elevated plus maze (EPM) and light and dark box (LDB) tests were measured. The four targeted pharmacological properties were further justified using the most prevalent compounds, isolated from this plant, to be undergone for their pharmacokinetic property’s analyses, sitemap analyses and lignad-receptor interactions by computational models through SwissADME and Schrödinger, 2018 softwares against PDB 6COX, 6D6T, 1JFF receptors. MESS was found to display statistically significant (P < 0.05) inhibition of Bovine Serum albumin and Egg albumin denaturation compared to reference drug diclofenac sodium. Remarkable vermicidal effect on the paralysis and death of anthelmintic parasites was observed at MESS concentration 200 mg/dL. A nondescript clot lysis of MESS compared to streptokinase was evident in in vitro thrombolytic assay. MESS increased the number of times the animal crossed from one compartment to the other and the time spent in the brightly-lit chamber of the LDB. Three-methylchalcone derivatives out of seven MESS compounds were undertaken, based on cut off value and sitemap prediction score, for further ligand-receptor binding efficiency. All these three compounds showed promising docking score, glide emodel and glide energy against PDB 6COX, 6D6T and 1DDJ, plasmin proteins demonstrating the prospects of MESS to be materialized for anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, and thrombolytic therapeutics with further clarification

Confronting chemobrain: an in-depth look at survivors’ reports of impact on work, social networks, and health care response

Mild cognitive impairment following chemotherapy is one of the most commonly reported post treatment symptoms by breast cancer survivors. This deterioration in cognitive function, commonly referred to as “chemobrain” or “chemofog,” was largely unacknowledged by the medical community until recent years. Although chemobrain has now become the subject of more vigorous exploration, little is known about this specific phenomenon’s psychosocial impact on breast cancer survivors. This research documents in-depth the effects that cognitive impairment has on women’s personal and professional lives, and our data suggest that greater attention needs to be focused on this arena of survivorship. The results are based on an in-depth qualitative study of 74 white and African American breast cancer survivors in California who experience post-treatment side effects. The data reported herein were obtained through the use of focus groups and in-depth interviews. Our data indicate that cognitive impairment can be problematic for survivors, with many asserting that it is their most troublesome post treatment symptom. Survivors report diminished quality of life and daily functioning as a result of chemobrain. Respondents detail a range of coping strategies that they are forced to employ in order to manage their social and professional lives. Chemobrain significantly impairs a proportion of cancer survivors, at great cost to them economically, emotionally, and interpersonally. This suggests that more research needs to be conducted on the psychosocial ramifications of post treatment symptoms in order to inform the efforts of the medical and mental health communities as well as the support networks of survivors. A better and broader understanding of the effects of cognitive impairment both in the medical community and among lay people could pave the way for improved social and psychological services for this population

Cytokines as mediators of chemotherapy-associated cognitive changes: Current evidence, limitations and directions for future research

10.1371/journal.pone.0081234PLoS ONE812-POLN

SME insolvency, bankruptcy, and survival: an examination of retrenchment strategies

A key assertion in the turnaround literature is that when survival is threatened, it is necessary to undertake asset and cost retrenchment strategies that stabilise the performance decline and provide a base for survival and recovery. Correcting for methodological weaknesses in the literature, this study of Spanish SMEs finds that retrenchment of inventory and employees is associated with liquidation. Furthermore, neither intangible asset nor tangible asset retrenchment is associated with survival. Only retrenchment of debt is associated with survival. These results challenge conventional wisdom on retrenchment in turnaround situations. Automatic, across-the-board retrenchment is not a universal panacea to achieve turnaround and should not be implemented as a reflex response to insolvency. Instead, managers of insolvent firms should focus on liquidity and operational improvements, which result in debt reduction. Great care should be taken with the need for, and the extent of, retrenchment in inventory and employees

The role of Big Data in explaining disaster resilience in supply chains for sustainability

The purpose of this paper is to propose and test a theoretical framework to explain resilience in supply chain networks for sustainability using unstructured Big Data, based upon 36,422 items gathered in the form of tweets, news, Facebook, WordPress, Instagram, Google+, and YouTube, and structured data, via responses from 205 managers involved in disaster relief activities in the aftermath of Nepal earthquake in 2015. The paper uses Big Data analysis, followed by a survey which was analyzed using content analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results of the analysis suggest that swift trust, information sharing and public-private partnership are critical enablers of resilience in supply chain networks. The current study used crosssectional data. However the hypotheses of the study can be tested using longitudinal data to attempt to establish causality. The article advances the literature on resilience in disaster supply chain networks for sustainability in that (i) it suggests the use of Big Data analysis to propose and test particular frameworks in the context of resilient supply chains that enable sustainability; (ii) it argues that swift trust, public private partnerships, and quality information sharing link to resilience in supply chain networks; and (iii) it uses the context of Nepal, at the moment of the disaster relief activities to provide contemporaneous perceptions of the phenomenon as it takes place. Vol 142 (2) pp.1108-111

Association of reduced glutathione levels with Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Reduced glutathione (GSH) is a crucial antioxidant with recognized roles in malaria pathogenesis and host response. Despite its importance, reports on the association of GSH with malaria are inconsistent. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the differences in GSH levels in relation to Plasmodium infection. A comprehensive literature search of six electronic databases (Embase, MEDLINE, Ovid, PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest) was conducted. Of the 2158 initially identified records, 18 met the eligibility criteria. The majority of studies reported a significant decrease in GSH levels in malaria patients compared with uninfected controls, and this was confirmed by meta-analysis (P < 0.01, Hedges g: − 1.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] − 2.48 to − 0.46, I 2 : 99.12%, 17 studies). Additionally, there was no significant difference in GSH levels between Plasmodium falciparum malaria and P. vivax malaria (P = 0.80, Hedges g:  0.11, 95% CI − 0.76 to 0.98, I 2 : 93.23%, three studies). Similarly, no significant variation was observed between symptomatic and asymptomatic malaria cases (P = 0.78, Hedges g: 0.06, 95% CI − 0.34 to 0.46, I 2 : 48.07%, two studies). In conclusion, although GSH levels appear to be generally lower in malaria patients, further detailed studies are necessary to fully elucidate this complex relationship

Curcumin Suppresses Lead-Induced Inflammation and Memory Loss in Mouse Model and In Silico Molecular Docking

This study examined the efficacy of curcumin (Cur) against lead (Pb)-induced oxidative damage, inflammation, and cholinergic dysfunction. Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) mice received Pb (II) acetate in drinking water (1%) with or without Cur via oral gavage. Blood and brain tissues were collected for investigation. Pb increased the inflammatory markers and oxidative parameters, which were ameliorated by Cur administration. Cur treatment also improved memory loss, learning deficit, and cholinergic dysfunction via elevating acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzymatic activity and protein expression. In silico molecular docking supported the results; Cur had a potent binding affinity for AChE receptors, tumor necrosis factor-&alpha; (TNF-&alpha;), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), phosphorylations of I&kappa;B kinase (IKK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38). According to the chemical absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) profile, Cur could serve as a potential candidate for Pb detoxication substance via exerting antioxidant activity. Taken together, our results suggest that Cur is a natural compound that could be used for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders via suppressing lead-induced neurotoxicity