Comprehensive biobanking to enhance precision medicine in head & neck cancer through systematic sample collection & data integration.

Background & objectives Head and neck carcinomas (HNCs), including oral cancers (OCs), represent a significant global health issue, especially in India, where they contribute to one-third of the global OC burden. Despite advances in treatment, survival rates remain poor, often due to limited treatment options and underlying research gaps. The Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre (RGCIRC) biorepository initiative undertook to address this gap by systematically collecting and storing biological specimens and their derivatives for HNC, fostering translational research and collaborations.

Prevalence and patterns of self-medication practices in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Self-medication is a growing concern globally, particularly in countries like India, due to its potential implications on public health. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the prevalence and patterns of self-medication practices in India. PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Embase were searched for studies reporting on the prevalence of self-medication in India and published between 2000 and October 2023.

Cutaneous silica-associated (cat litter) granulomas in the paws of 13 domestic cats.

Silica is a well-known stimulus of granulomatous inflammation in the lungs of humans and other animals. However, it has been poorly studied as a cause of cutaneous inflammation in domestic animals, despite the predominance of silica in traditional (clay-based) cat litter substrates. Here we characterize the clinical and pathologic findings of 13 surgical biopsies from the paws or paw pads of domestic cats submitted to 2 veterinary institutions between 2005 and 2023.

Radiographic Assessment of Bone Width Improvement in Narrow Ridge Patients Managed with Ridge Split Technique: A Prospective Study.

Background: Endosseous implant insertion is often hindered by narrow dentoalveolar ridges, necessitating various techniques like guided bone regeneration, bone block grafting, and ridge splitting for bone expansion. Ridge splitting offers a less invasive method, allowing predictable expansion and grafting using bone allografts. Piezosurgery, uses ultrasonic vibrations, enables precise and clean bone incisions during this procedure.

Comparative Evaluation of Flexural Strength of PMMA Reinforced with Graphene (G-CAM) and Monolithic Zirconia - An Study.

Background: Optimal flexural strength is a critical prerequisite for materials used in fabricating prosthetic frameworks. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the Flexural strength (FS) of two CAD/CAM materials used in dental prostheses, namely polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) reinforced with graphene (GCAM) and Monolithic Zirconia.

Materials And Methods: In this experimental study, 40 bar-shaped samples were manufactured by a milling machine and divided into two groups ( = 20/group): Group 1, GCAM; Group 2, Monolithic Zirconia.

Viral Threats to Australian Fish and Prawns: Economic Impacts and Biosecurity Solutions-A Systematic Review.

Viral diseases pose significant threats to aquaculture industries worldwide, including the Australian fish and prawn farming sectors, which contribute over AUD 1.6 billion annually to the national economy. The Australian aquaculture industry relies heavily on wild-caught broodstock for seedstock production, introducing substantial and unprecedented biosecurity risks.

Safety and efficacy of pemigatinib in patients with cholangiocarcinoma: a systematic review.

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive bile duct cancer with limited therapeutic options and poor prognosis. pemigatinib, a selective inhibitor, has emerged as a promising targeted therapy for CCA patients harboring fusions or rearrangements. This systematic review evaluated the safety and efficacy of pemigatinib in this patient population.

Secretome from prolonged high-density human Wharton's jelly stem cell culture accelerates wound healing in both in vitro and in vivo models.

The complex of biofactors secreted by mesenchymal stem cells, termed the secretome, can promote wound healing. Studies using this secretome often utilise material collected from short term and sub-confluent lab-scale cultures. Secretome was derived from prolonged culture of high-density industrial scale human Wharton's jelly stem cells and its effects on wound healing was assessed.

Serum Levels of Zinc and Copper in Patients with Endometrial Cancer: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the leading gynecologic cancer in developed nations. Recent studies suggest that trace elements like zinc and copper may be involved in cancer development due to their involvement in essential biological processes. However, there is inconsistency regarding their serum levels in EC patients.

Machine learning-assisted surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy for the rapid determination of the glutathione redox ratio.

Rapid and accurate detection of glutathione in its reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) forms is essential for monitoring oxidative stress in biological systems. Oxidative stress is a key indicator of various diseases, and glutathione plays a vital role in maintaining the balance between oxidative and anti-oxidative processes. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) offers a highly sensitive and selective analytical approach for detecting biomolecules.

The multifaceted therapeutic properties of camel milk: from neuroprotection to anti-cancer effects.

Camel milk (CM) from and camels is notable for its exceptional nutritional and therapeutic properties. Rich in essential nutrients, CM has been used for centuries in regions like the Middle East and Africa to address illnesses. CM composition makes it easily digestible.

Advanced Membrane Simulations in Probiotics and Gut Microbiome Interaction Research: The Current Trends and Insights.

The gut microbiome, a complex and diverse microbial ecosystem, plays a pivotal role in maintaining host health by regulating physiological balance and preventing disease. Probiotics, live beneficial microorganisms, have shown potential in modulating the gut microbiota through mechanisms such as competitive exclusion of pathogens, enhancement of mucosal immunity, and regulation of microbial metabolism. Recent advancements in membrane simulations offer a novel approach to studying these interactions at the molecular level.

Assessing second-hand smoke exposure among non-smoking youth in India: Insights from GATS I & II.

Background & objectives This study aimed to compare the prevalence and identify the patterns of second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure among non-smoking Indian youth (ages 15-24 and 25-29 yr) in various settings-homes, workplaces, public places, and a combination of these locations-based on sociodemographic factors and knowledge about the health implications of smoking. The purpose of the study was to identify the factors influencing SHS exposure in India between the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) I and II. Methods Secondary data analysis was conducted utilising GATS I and II data to analyse the prevalence and patterns of SHS exposure at home, workplace, public place and all the places combined among non-smoking youths aged 15-29 yr.

Acoustic features of and behavioral responses to emotionally intense mouse vocalizations.

Social vocalizations contain cues that reflect the motivational state of a vocalizing animal. Once perceived, these cues may in turn affect the internal state and behavioral responses of listening animals. Using the CBA/CAJ mouse model of acoustic communication, this study examined acoustic cues that signal intensity in male-female interactions, then compared behavioral responses to intense mating vocal sequences with those from another intense behavioral context, restraint.

Patterns of failure after salvage head and neck surgery.

Background: Advancements in immunotherapy for recurrent head and neck cancer have necessitated a better understanding of salvage surgical outcomes. This study aimed to determine patterns of failure following salvage head and neck surgery.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 280 patients who underwent salvage surgery for recurrent mucosal squamous cell carcinoma from 1997 to 2018.

Emotional vocalizations alter behaviors and neurochemical release into the amygdala.

The basolateral amygdala (BLA), a brain center of emotional expression, contributes to acoustic communication by first interpreting the meaning of social sounds in the context of the listener's internal state, then organizing the appropriate behavioral responses. We propose that modulatory neurochemicals such as acetylcholine (ACh) and dopamine (DA) provide internal-state signals to the BLA while an animal listens to social vocalizations. We tested this in a vocal playback experiment utilizing highly affective vocal sequences associated with either mating or restraint, then sampled and analyzed fluids within the BLA for a broad range of neurochemicals and observed behavioral responses of adult male and female mice.

The S1 subunits of SARS-CoV-2 variants differentially trigger the IL-6 signaling pathway in human brain endothelial cells and downstream impact on microglia activation.

Objectives: Cerebrovascular complications are prevalent in COVID-19 infection and post-COVID conditions; therefore, interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with cerebral microvascular cells became an emerging concern.

Methods: We examined the inflammatory responses of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC), the main structural element of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), following exposure to the S1 subunit of the spike protein of different SARS-CoV-2 variants. Specifically, we used the S1 subunit derived from the D614 variant of SARS-CoV-2, which started widely circulating in March of 2020, and from the Delta variant, which started widely circulating in early 2021.

Predicting Silicate Glass Geochemistry Using Raman Spectroscopy and Supervised Machine Learning: Partial Least Square Applications to Amorphous Raman Spectra.

Here, Raman spectroscopy is used to develop a univariate partial least squares (PLS) calibration capable of quantifying geochemistry in synthetic and natural silicate glass samples. The calibration yields eight oxide-specific models that allow predictions of silicon dioxide (SiO), sodium oxide (NaO), potassium oxide (KO), calcium oxide (CaO), titanium dioxide (TiO), aluminum oxide (AlO), ferrous oxide (FeO), and magnesium oxide (MgO) (wt%) in glasses spanning a wide range of compositions, while also providing correlation-coefficient matrices that highlight the importance of specific Raman channels in the regression of a particular oxide. The PLS suite is trained on 48 of the 69 total glasses, and tested against 21 validation samples (i.

Unveiling the relationship between gut microbiota and heart failure: Recent understandings and insights.

Gut microbiota, which comprises a broad range of bacteria inhabiting the human intestines, plays a crucial role in establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with the host body. Dysbiosis refers to the perturbations in the composition or functioning of the microbial community, which can result in a shift from a balanced microbiota to an impaired state. This alteration has the potential to contribute to the development of chronic systemic inflammation.

Province-Wide Ascertainment of Lynch Syndrome in Manitoba.

Background & Aims: We describe the experience of Lynch syndrome (LS) diagnosis in the province of Manitoba, Canada, over the past 20 years.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of charts from the provincial Genetics Clinic from January 1, 2000, to May 31, 2023. We extracted data on individuals identified to carry a germline pathogenic or likely pathogenic LS gene variant, the mode of ascertainment, family history, and cascade genetic testing (CGT).

Vascular dementia subtypes, pathophysiology, genetics, neuroimaging, biomarkers, and treatment updates along with its association with Alzheimer's dementia and diabetes mellitus.

Dementia is a chronic progressive cognitive decline illness that results in functional impairment. Vascular dementia (VaD), second only to Alzheimer's disease (AD), is one of the most prevalent forms of dementia in the elderly (aged over 65 years), with a varied presentation and unpredictable disease development caused by cerebrovascular or cardiovascular illness. To get a better understanding of the changes occurring in the brain and to drive therapy efforts, new biomarkers for early and precise diagnosis of AD and VaD are required.

Frontotemporal dementia: Addressing the scattered harbingers of genetics and its relationship with glucose metabolism, bipolar disorder, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Frontotemporal Dementia, also known by the name Pick's disease, is a rare form of dementia that can run for several generations. The two key characteristics are argyrophilic, spherical intraneuronal inclusions, which most frequently impact the frontal and temporal poles, and localized cortical atrophy (Pick bodies). Although personality decline and memory loss are frequently more severe than the visuospatial and apraxia disorders that are common in Alzheimer's disease, clinical overlap with other non-Alzheimer degenerative disorders is being increasingly recognized.

Emphysematous Cystitis: A Fatal Complication of Uncontrolled Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Emphysematous cystitis (EC) is a rare type of complicated urinary tract infection mostly seen in elderly females with diabetes, characterized by gas within the bladder lumen and wall. The presenting symptoms are variable, ranging from no symptoms to severe sepsis. The commonly isolated organisms in urine cultures are and .