BioMed Research International

In different regions of the world, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is an important vegetable and an excellent source of protein. It lessens the malnutrition of the underprivileged in developing nations and has some positive effects on health, such as a reduction in the prevalence of cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, occasionally, certain biotic and abiotic stresses caused a sharp fall in cowpea yield. Major RNA interference (RNAi) genes like Dicer-like (DCL), Argonaute (AGO), and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RDR) are essential for the synthesis of their associated factors like domain, small RNAs (sRNAs), transcription factors, micro-RNAs, and cis- acting factors that shield plants from biotic and abiotic stresses...

Invasive duct carcinoma (IDC) is one of the most common types of breast cancer (BC) in women worldwide, with a high risk of malignancy, metastasis, recurrence, and death. So far, molecular patterns among IDC cases have not been fully defined. However, extensive evidence has shown that dysregulated Rho family small GTPases (Rho GTPases) including Rho GTPase activating proteins (RhoGAPs) have important roles in the invasive features of IDCs. In the current study, we analyzed the expression levels of two RhoGAP genes, ARHGAP11A and ARHGAP11B , in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer (BRCA) and also our 51 IDC tumors compared to their matched normal tissues using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)...

BACKGROUND: Drug use evaluation is a systematic approach to determining the appropriateness of drug use, identifying drug therapy problems, and proposing interventions. Ceftriaxone is one of the most widely used drugs in hospitals, requiring the performance of drug use evaluation. This study was aimed at evaluating the appropriateness of ceftriaxone use at Kahsay Abera and Mearg hospitals in the Western zone of Tigray, Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based retrospective cross-sectional study design was conducted in both hospitals from December 2015 to August 2016 using standardized and pretested data collection formats...

Glaucoma causes the degeneration of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons, inducing a tissue reshaping that affects both the retina and the optic nerve head. Glaucoma care especially focuses on reducing intraocular pressure, a significant risk factor for progressive damage to the optic nerve. The use of natural treatments, such as herbs, vitamins, and minerals, is becoming increasingly popular today. While plants are a rich source of novel biologically active compounds, only a small percentage of them have been phytochemically examined and evaluated for their medicinal potential...

According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide across nearly all ethnic groups. Inherited cardiac conditions comprise a wide spectrum of diseases that affect the heart, including abnormal structural features and functional impairments. In Latin America, CVDs are the leading cause of death within the region. Factors such as population aging, unhealthy diet, obesity, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle have increased the risk of CVD. The Latin American population is characterized by its diverse ethnic composition with varying percentages of each ancestral component (African, European, and Native American ancestry)...

Ginsenosides, the main active pharmacological ingredients of ginseng, have been widely used for the treatment of numerous carcinomas. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is 3rd leading malignant tumor in terms of mortality worldwide. Accumulating evidence indicates that ginsenosides play a vital role in the prevention and treatment of HCC. Ginsenosides can significantly improve the symptoms of HCC, and their anticancer activity is mainly involved in inhibiting proliferation and migration, inducing cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase, promoting caspase-3 and 8-mediated apoptosis, regulating autophagy related to Atg5, Atg7, Atg12, LC3-II, and PI3K/Akt pathways, and lowering invasion and metastasis associated with decreased nuclear translocation of NF- κ B p65 and MMP-2/9, increasing IL-2 and IFN- γ levels to enhance immune function, as well as regulating the gut-liver axis...

BACKGROUND: Typically, the idea of patient satisfaction is employed to evaluate quality. When patients enter hospitals, they have certain demands for treatment. However, patients may become dissatisfied if their requirements or expectations are not met. There is increasing agreement that evaluating hospital services should be based in part on patients' assessments of the quality of treatment they received overall. The aim of this study was to improve patient satisfaction at outpatient department...

PURPOSE: To investigate whether ADSC-derived miR-23-enriched exosomes could protect against calcium oxalate stone formation in a hyperoxaluria rat model. METHODS: An ethylene glycol- (EG-) induced hyperoxaluria rat model and an in vitro model of COM-induced HK-2 cells coculturing with RAW264.7 cells were established to explore the protective mechanisms of ADSC-derived miR-23-enriched exosomes. RESULTS: The results showed that treatment with miR-23-enriched exosomes from ADSCs protected EG-induced hyperoxaluria rats, and cell experiments confirmed that coculturing with miR-23-enriched exosomes alleviated COM-induced cell autophagy...

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common chronic, age-related neurodegenerative disease. This disease is characterized by a long prodromal period. In this context, it is important to search for the genes and mechanisms that are involved in the development of the pathological process in the earliest stages of the disease. Published data suggest that blood cells, particularly lymphocytes, may be a model for studying the processes that occur in the brain in PD. Thus, in the present work, we performed an analysis of changes in the expression of the genes ADORA2A , MTA1 , PTGDS , PTGS2 , NSF , and HNMT in the peripheral blood of patients with early stages of PD (stages 1 and 2 of the Hoehn-Yahr scale)...

BACKGROUND: It is well known that laboratory markers could help in identifying risk factors of severe illness and predicting outcomes of diseases. Here, we performed a retrospective modeling study of severity and mortality predictors of hematological and biochemical laboratory parameters in Iranian COVID-19 patients. METHODS: Data were obtained retrospectively from medical records of 564 confirmed Iranian COVID-19 cases. According to the disease severity, the patients were categorized into two groups (severe or nonsevere), and based on the outcome of the disease, patients were divided into two groups (recovered or deceased)...

BACKGROUND: Risky sexual behaviour raises serious public health concerns. The pooled prevalence of risky sexual behaviours among adults living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa was unknown. This systematic review determined the pooled prevalence of risky sexual behaviours and associated factors among HIV-infected adults in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: International databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and African Journals OnLine were systematically searched to identify articles...

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2019/9742765.].

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/3878359.].

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/4353340.].

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/5141568.].

Ultraviolet (UV) light is an effective disinfection technology, able to inactivate a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi. A safer UV wavelength of 222 nm, also known as far-UVC, has been proposed to minimize these harmful effects while retaining the light's disinfection capability. This study is aimed at exploring the antimicrobial activity of filtered far-UVC (222 nm) on a panel of pathogens commonly found in nosocomial installations. A panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and yeast pathogens was tested...

PURPOSE: ITP is the most prevalent autoimmune blood disorder. The lack of predictive biomarkers for therapeutic response is a major challenge for physicians caring of chronic ITP patients. This study is aimed at identifying predictive biomarkers for drug therapy responses. METHODS: 2D gel electrophoresis (2-DE) was performed to find differentially expressed proteins. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis was performed to identify protein spots...

The new Gentlefile (GF) system, made of stainless steel and developed by MedicNRG in Kibbutz Afikim, Israel, claims to have advantages over traditional nickel-titanium files. However, research has shown that nickel-titanium files are mechanically superior due to their increased flexibility, cutting efficiency, and ability to maintain canal anatomy with less risk of procedural errors. This study compared the amount of debris extrusion and the time required for root canal instrumentation using GF versus the nickel-titanium ProTaper Universal (PTU) system and a manual step-back (MSB) stainless steel technique...

Membrane-bound angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 ( ACE2 ) receptor acts as the entry point for the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Polymorphisms in the ACE2 gene may alter viral binding, regulate the expression of ACE2, and thus, affect disease severity. In this study, 68 COVID-19 patients with varying degrees of severity and 40 healthy controls were enrolled. The genetic landscape of the ACE2 gene was explored by whole exome sequencing of 29 individuals, and specific regions of ACE2 were analyzed for the rest of the participants via PCR, followed by barcode-tagged sequencing...

The stomach and upper part of the small intestine are where furosemide is primarily absorbed when treating edema brought on by congestive heart failure (CHF), hepatic cirrhosis, renal impairment, and nephrotic syndrome. This narrow absorption window is responsible for furosemide's limited oral bioavailability. So creating a gastroretentive floating tablet could be beneficial. Natural polymers are advised for use in medication delivery because they are readily available in nature, biodegradable, relatively inexpensive, biocompatible, and nontoxic...