AIMS Medical Science最新文献

{"title":"Human Fas ligand extracellular domain: current status of biochemical characterization, engineered-derivatives production, and medical applications","authors":"M. Muraki","doi":"10.3934/medsci.2022025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/medsci.2022025","url":null,"abstract":"Human Fas ligand extracellular domain (hFasLECD) is a soluble protein agent with significant relevance to medicine because of the immunologically essential functions of parental membrane-bound Fas ligand (CD95L, CD178) in the human body. This paper aimed to overview the current status of the studies focused on hFasLECD, ranging from its fundamental molecular properties and biological activity to its potential as a novel, practical cell death-inducing therapeutics or a diseases biomarker. The main part of this review was divided into four sections, the background of biological functions of human Fas ligand, the fundamental biochemical characteristics of hFasLECD, the production of engineered hFasLECD derivatives, and the potential of hFasLECD for medical applications. The translation of hFasLECD into an established agent in medicine is in progress, based on the clinical use-oriented research works in the relevant fields of basic science and engineering.","PeriodicalId":43011,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Medical Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77412943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Series introduction: HIV/AIDS and mental health","authors":"Mariam Abdurrahman","doi":"10.3934/medsci.2022023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/medsci.2022023","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:p xml:lang=\"fr\" />","PeriodicalId":43011,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Medical Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81682961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Incidence of first-time stroke in Taif, Saudi Arabia","authors":"O. Shawky, M. Alkhaldi, Deema Yousef, A. Alhindi, Teef Alosaimi, Amjad M. Jawhari, A. Aladwani","doi":"10.3934/medsci.2022012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/medsci.2022012","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction The majority of stroke survivors suffer from physical and mental disabilities. This causes social and economic burdens, and it is regarded as a major source of morbidity and the second leading cause of death worldwide. This study aims to quantify the incidence of cerebrovascular stroke in the Taif region, identify risk factors for CVA, and raise awareness about modifiable risk factors. Methods Over 17 months period (February 2020 to June 2021), all first-stroke patients admitted to Alhada military hospital and King Faisal hospital in Taif region were included. Stroke patients from outside the Taif region were excluded from participating in the study. Age, gender, domicile, employment, history of hypertension, diabetes, cardiac diseases, smoking, previous history of stroke or transient ischemic episodes were all obtained from the patient's files. Also, a history of medications, particularly anticoagulants and contraceptive tablets if a female in childbearing age. Results Overall, the study included 404 patients, 40.6% of whom were females and 59.4% of whom were males, with a mean age of 64.0 ± 14.9 years. The most common type of CVA was ischemic stroke (78.5%), followed by TIA (11.9%), and hemorrhagic stroke (7.2%). Slurred speech was the most commonly reported chief symptom among stroke survivors (23%), followed by dizziness (13.6%), left-sided weakness (10.9%), and right-sided weakness (10.9%). The incidence of stroke is increasing in patients who had chronic diseases like hypertension which is 62.6% survival had, and the second most common lead to stroke and decreased elasticity of vessels is diabetes mellitus 60.4% followed by ischemic heart disease 9.4% and smoking 5.4%. Conclusions Finally, using a prospective clinical study, the incidence of first time CVA in Taif was higher in males (about 59.4%) than in females (40.6%). That indicates a strong relation between Diabetes which represents 60.4%, Hypertension was 62.6% and age 18–55. We suggest running campaigns that target people with these risk factors to reduce the possibility of CVA occurrence.","PeriodicalId":43011,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Medical Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72856589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unraveling the Gordian knot of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus","authors":"R. Weijers","doi":"10.3934/medsci.2022021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/medsci.2022021","url":null,"abstract":"β-cells play an important role in unraveling the Gordian knot of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. Firstly, a key feature of the etiology of type 2 diabetes, which appears in the prediabetic phase, is a reduction in the unsaturation index (number of cis carbon-carbon double bonds per 100 acyl chains of membrane phospholipids) compared to healthy controls, which leads to a lower rate of transmembrane glucose transport, and consequently causes reduced glucose effectiveness. Thus, the amount of glucose entering the β-cell via glucose transporter-2 reduces insulin production, leading to reduced insulin sensitivity. Secondly, after synthesis of monomer insulin, six monomer insulin molecules can join together in the presence of zinc ions. The mature hexamers are packed inside mature intracellular vesicles that are transported to the β-cell plasma membrane. Fusion of the intracellular vesicle membrane with the β-cell plasma membrane creates a fusion pore that allows expulsion of monomer insulin molecules into the blood circulation. The large dimensions of the monomer insulin molecule (30 Å wide and 35 Å high) require substantial flexibility of the vesicle membrane and the β-cell plasma membrane. Reduction in the unsaturation indexes leads to a lower rate of insulin transport into the blood circulation, which results in a further decrease in insulin sensitivity. That brings us to a crucial point. The conceit behind the term “insulin resistance” is wrong. It suggests that cells do not respond well to insulin, but the fact is that this term ignores the essential reduction, compared to the plasma glucose concentration, in the amount of glucose entering the β-cell via glucose transporter-2, resulting in reduced insulin production. We now know that an increase in glucose effectiveness, powered by an increased unsaturation index, reframes fundamentally the mechanisms that participate in the glucose homeostasis during type 2 diabetes mellitus.","PeriodicalId":43011,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Medical Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89077049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The comparison stature estimation from forearm, hand length and foot length between Iranian and Pakistani medical students","authors":"Ali Fathi Jouzdani, Soheila Madadi, Mohammad Azhar Abbas, Hania Razavi, Tahereh Alizamir","doi":"10.3934/medsci.2022027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/medsci.2022027","url":null,"abstract":"Objectives An important task of the forensic anthropologist in unidentified human remains cases is establishing the identity of the deceased. A forensic anthropologist typically examines the remains in such a case to determine the biological characteristics of the deceased, such as their age, sex, height, and ethnicity, to narrow down the search for the missing. The purpose of this study was the comparison stature estimation from foot, forearm and hand length between Iranian and Pakistani students. Methods Our measurement procedure involved measuring the foot, forearm and hand lengths of 160 Iranian and 200 Pakistani students. A random sampling of 18 to 22-year-olds was used to carry out the survey. Cluster sampling was used to select the subjects for the present descriptive and analytic study. In order to measure the anthropometrics, we used metal and plastic tape, a goniometer, a caliper, and a scale. Foot forearm and hand measurements were taken separately. Results The mean ± SD of the stature were 178.228 ± 6.319 cm and 167.610 ± 7.580 cm in Pakistani males and females, respectively, and in Iranian males and females were 180.446 ± 5.569 cm and 164.435 ± 5.072 cm, respectively. In both Pakistani and Iranian populations, the regression model is meaningful (P = 0.000), except for Pakistani male students' foot length (P = 0.107) and Iranian female students' hand length (P = 0.102). Conclusion We found that the foot, forearms, and hand length are correlated with height. Therefore, they can be used for estimating stature.","PeriodicalId":43011,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Medical Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86172718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reduction of blood cofilin-1 in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy","authors":"Meng Wu, J. Leu, Yi-Jang Lee","doi":"10.3934/medsci.2022002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/medsci.2022002","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:p xml:lang=\"fr\" />","PeriodicalId":43011,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Medical Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79553693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Telehealth during COVID-19: why Sub-Saharan Africa is yet to log-in to virtual healthcare?","authors":"Dolapo Babalola, Michael Anayo, David Ayomide Itoya","doi":"10.3934/MEDSCI.2021006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/MEDSCI.2021006","url":null,"abstract":"Telehealth is the use of technology to achieve remote care. This technology can be synchronous or asynchronous. The use of Telehealth increased during the pandemic in the developed countries. On the contrary, telehealth is not fully utilized in public healthcare in many Sub-Saharan African states. This editorial explores the benefits of the adoption of virtual care in public healthcare during COVID-19 pandemic. Benefits of telehealth include efficient stretching of healthcare resources, forward triaging, prevention of medical personnel infection, aiding medical students' clinical observation and participation, and assurance of social support for patients. The absence of policy and political will, inadequate funding, cost of sustenance of telehealth services, patient and healthcare personnel bias on telehealth, willingness to pay and the peculiar challenges in each country are identified limiting factors to the use of Telehealth in Sub-Saharan Africa. We affirm that the foundation to full implementation of Telehealth services in Sub-Saharan African states lies within government political will. Further, the creation of policy framework for telehealth, removal of telecommunication company monopoly, utilization of cloud-based processing telehealth systems, development of telehealth software with broadband efficiency that fits Sub-Saharan clime, the introduction of telehealth training into medical school curriculums, and research and development of user-interface that fits the peculiarities of Sub-Saharan Africa are the solutions we propose to change the current narrative of virtual care in Sub-Saharan Africa.","PeriodicalId":43011,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Medical Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81766379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CCL21-DC tumor antigen vaccine augments anti-PD-1 therapy in lung cancer","authors":"Sherven P Sharma, Pournima A. Kadam, Ram P. Singh, Michael Davoodi, M. S. St John, Jay M. Lee","doi":"10.3934/medsci.2021022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/medsci.2021022","url":null,"abstract":"Targeting inhibitory immune checkpoint molecules has highlighted the need to find approaches enabling the induction and activation of an immune response against cancer. Therapeutic vaccination, which can induce a specific immune response against tumor antigens, is an important approach to consider. Although this approach has shown low clinical efficacy when combined with other treatment modalities, therapeutic cancer vaccines will have a better outcome when combined with immune checkpoint blockade therapy with potential for cancer free survival. In this review, we will discuss the results of our two recent publications in preclinical lung cancer models. Our studies reveal that anti-PD-1 administered in combination with CCL21-DC tumor antigen therapeutic vaccines eradicate lung cancer. The results of these studies highlight the importance of combination therapy of immune checkpoint blockade and therapeutic cancer vaccines for lung cancer patients.","PeriodicalId":43011,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Medical Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83748849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between food insecurity and obesity in an agricultural community of women from El Jadida, Morocco","authors":"Sanaa El-Jamal, M. Mziwira, Houda Elfane, Khadija Sahel, Imane Barakat, Adil Kalili, Kaoutar Naciri, N. Mahri, R. Moustakim, Rachida El Ouafi, L. Idrissi, R. Belahsen","doi":"10.3934/medsci.2021016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/medsci.2021016","url":null,"abstract":"Background Food insecurity (FI) has received much attention in the last decades due to its strong association with obesity. Indeed, it has begun to be a serious concern, especially in developing countries undergoing a nutritional transition. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the association between FI, food intake and the risk of obesity in an agricultural community of women from El Jadida Province in Morocco. Materials and methods The survey included a sample of 214 women. Weight and height were measured, and the body mass index was calculated. FI was measured using a household FI access scale. Food intake was evaluated using two 24-hour dietary recalls. Variance tests and Chi-square tests are applied for means ± standard deviations comparisons and proportions with percentages of continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Results The female population surveyed had an average age of 44 ± 13 years, 42% were obese, 36% were overweight, and 86% were centrally obese (CO). FI was observed in 78% of the sample, and it is found to be associated with both overweight, general obesity (GO) and CO (P ≤ 0.001). The risk of GO was extremely high in women with mild FI (unadjusted OR = 31.33, 95% CI: 7.01, 140.06). This association remained high after adjustment for socio-demographic variables (adjusted OR = 24.98, 95% CI: 5.36, 116.35). Compared with food secure women, the risk of CO was significantly higher in women with moderate FI (unadjusted OR = 16.44, 95% CI: 3.56, 75.91). This association remained significant after adjustment for socio-demographic variables (OR adjusted = 36.51, 95% CI: 4.81, 276.7). FI was associated with high daily energy (P Conclusion There is a high prevalence of FI associated with overweight, GO and CO and with high energy intake among the rural female population. Hence, intervention programs must consider food security in the fight against obesity and its associated problems, by ensuring women's access to a variety of high quality foods and the achievement of a balanced diet at the local and national levels.","PeriodicalId":43011,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Medical Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74750237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human neural progenitor cells ameliorate NMDA-induced hippocampal degeneration and related functional deficits","authors":"Sabrina K Uppal, Toni L. Uhlendorf, Ruslan L. Nuryyev, Jacqueline Saenz, Menaga Shanmugam, Jessica Ochoa, William Van Trigt, C. Malone, Andrew P St. Julian, O. Kopyov, A. Kopyov, R. Cohen, Oxnard Ca Usa Celavie Biosciences Llc","doi":"10.3934/medsci.2021021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/medsci.2021021","url":null,"abstract":"It has been established that the CA3 region of the hippocampus is involved in consolidating short-term memory to long-term memory and aids in spatial navigation retention. Seizures and many neurologic diseases induce damage to that region of the hippocampus, resulting in deficits in memory consolidation and spatial navigation. Drug treatments have been proven to have limited effectiveness, but cell replacement therapy has demonstrated to be more promising. Celavie Biosciences have developed a multipotent, nontumorigenic human neural progenitor cell (hNPC) line shown to have the ability to migrate in situ, reducing structural and functional deficits in neurodegenerative animal models. Here, we examined whether transplanted hNPCs would reestablish the memories of Han-Wistar rats subjected to hippocampal excitotoxic lesioning. The rats were lesioned in the CA3c regions at 50 days bilaterally with the neurotoxin NMDA (1 µl containing 7.5 mg/ml; −3.5 mm AP; ±2.0 L and −2.5 V). At 54 days of age, live hNPCs (500000 cells in 5 µl cell suspension media), frozen-killed hNPCs (500000 cells/5 µl), HEK293T cells (500000 cells/5 µl) or vehicle (cell suspension media; 5 µl) were bilaterally implanted directly into the NMDA damaged area. The rats were tested two weeks later with three different memory tests: novel and place-object assays and the water-maze task. Results showed that rats receiving live hNPC implantation performed significantly better in the water maze task than control groups; yet, novel and place-object test results showed no significant differences among treatments. Histology confirmed the survival of implanted hNPCs after 28 days post-implantation as well as showing neuroprotective effects. This study showed that Celavie's hNPCs were able to survive and improve some but not all hippocampal functionality, emphasizing the promise for cell replacement therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders.","PeriodicalId":43011,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Medical Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85211815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}