Articles

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L) has garnered attention for its potential in diabetes management due to its rich bioactive compounds, including sesamin, sesamolin, and unsaturated fatty acids. This commentary explores recent advances in sesame research, emphasizing its role in improving glycemic control, lipid profiles, inflammation, and oxidative stress, as evidenced by a systematic review and meta-analysis. Mechanistic insights reveal sesame’s effects on PPARα activation, Nrf2 signaling, and NF-κB suppression, which underpin its metabolic benefits.

Background: Due mostly to the growth of multidrug resistant infections, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has limited the arsenal of medical professionals against infectious diseases on a global scale. Thus, the purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to present the pooled prevalence, bacterial profile, and current trend of antibiotic resistance in pregnant women who have significant bacteriuria in East Africa.

Inflammation is a key factor in retinal damage in response to diabetes. Sortilin represents a new regulator of retinal inflammation. Sortilin is involved in over 50 different signaling cascades. To investigate sortilin in the diabetic retina, we first measured protein levels in retinal lysates from diabetic humans and diabetic mice. We then inhibited sortilin using a small molecule inhibitor, AF38469, and evaluated retinal function using electroretinogram (ERG) and fluorescein angiography.

Individuals with type 1 diabetes are more vulnerable than the general population to morbidity and mortality from infectious disease, including COVID-19. Over the last 20 years, the >100-year-old tuberculosis vaccine, known as Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), has been observed in global populations to protect from viral, bacterial and parasitic infections, among others.

Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS) is a severe inflammatory complication often linked to autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We describe a 57-year-old woman who presented with persistent fever, polyarthralgia, pancytopenia, and markedly elevated ferritin levels (>40,000 ng/mL). Extensive evaluation ruled out infection and malignancy. A diagnosis of MAS was made, and she responded well to high-dose corticosteroids and anakinra.

This manuscript summarizes recent hypotheses to explain the distribution of regenerative abilities among animals. The hypothesis is based on evolutionary considerations pointing out that while organ or even body regeneration is present in marine animals, limited regeneration or no regeneration is manifested in terrestrial animals. This loss derives from the terrestrial conditions for life, primarily including shortage of water, high UV and ROS exposition. 

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by diverse symptoms including fever, joint pain, facial rash, blood in urine, and sores in the mouth. Neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE) refers to neurological and psychiatric manifestations in SLE patients after exclusion of other potential causes. A 21-year-old woman with established lupus nephritis presented with left-sided weakness, aphasia, confusion and focal neurological deficits. Imaging studies demonstrated multiple infarcts and central nervous system (CNS) vasculitis. 

The objective of this paper is to review what is known about intestinal mucus in neurologic health and disease states. To set the stage, we summarize the physiology of mucus within the gastrointestinal tract and its role in gastrointestinal homeostasis and disease states. There is documentation of barrier dysfunction as well as damage to epithelial or mucosal defense mechanisms in prototypical neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson disease.

CRABP1 is an evolutionarily conserved retinoic acid (RA) binding protein that was originally characterized to bind and sequester cytosolic RA. Classical RA signaling involves RA binding to nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RARs) to regulate gene transcription. However, recent studies have established that CRABP1 in fact forms protein complexes, with or without RA, in the cytoplasm to modulate (mostly suppress) specific signaling pathways in a cell context-dependent manner.

Background: Cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) is an incurable cancer characterized by elevated p38β and p38γ and downregulated tumor-suppressive p38α. Objectives: We aimed to identify selective p38β inhibitors and investigate their mechanisms and therapeutic implications in hematologic malignancies. Methods: A high-throughput screen of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compounds was conducted to identify p38β inhibitors. In vitro kinase assays, Western blots, scRNA-seq, synergy tests, and mass spectrometry were used. Clinical trial and public datasets were analyzed.

Introduction: End-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) poses a significant challenge to patients' mental health, frequently leading to anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. This study aimed to identify factors associated with psychiatric vulnerability among patients with end-stage renal disease at the Zou/Collines Departmental Hospital in Benin. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study from January to June 2024, including patients with end-stage renal disease managed in the internal medicine department.

The term “Achilles Heel” has often been used in relation to potentially vulnerable target molecules for anticancer drugs within cancer cells. Its generalized application to an increasing range of diverse possibilities, however, detracts from the uniquely valuable way it describes the wild-type aerobic glycolysis target which persists within the immortal cancer cell phenotype.

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between physical activity level and short video addiction in individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This study was planned as a descriptive relational study. The sample of the study consisted of 100 individuals over the age of 18 with bipolar disorder who were followed up in a family health center in Selçuklu district of Konya province. The data of the study was collected by face-to-face interview method.

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) that play key roles in immunosurveillance and immunoregulation. They constitute a heterogeneous population comprising three principal subpopulations: NK1 (cytotoxic), NK2 (regulatory), and NK3 (adaptive). In response to interleukin-2 (IL-2) stimulation, NK3 cells differentiate into adherent NK (A-NK) cells, which exhibit potent anti-tumor activity. Human A-NK cells are generated by priming and adherence-based selection of peripheral blood NK3 cells in nanomolar (nM) IL-2 concentrations, followed by prolonged restimulation and culture in the same IL-2 conditions.

High-grade gliomas are malignant brain tumors that are derived from glial progenitors, oligodendrocytes or astrocytes. The prognosis of malignant glioma is poor with an overall survival of 12-15 months for glioblastoma (GBM) and 2-5 years for anaplastic glioma. A hallmark of glioma is the diffuse infiltration of the neuropil, which regularly prevents complete surgical removal even in premalignant lesions. While gliomas are generally considered to be non-metastatic, they are able to activate transcriptional programs known to promote mesenchymal cell functions that are associated with increased tumor cell invasion, a high rate of proliferation and poor patient survival.

Traditional catalytic theory has predominantly centered on static chemical bond processes, specifically the weakening, breaking, strengthening, and formation of chemical bonds – representing relatively fixed patterns of transformation. Whereas the dynamic regulatory mechanisms of weak interactions have been relatively understudied. This paradigm shift emerges from recognizing how precisely engineered 3D spatial arrangements govern catalytic efficiency: directional hydrogen bonds, size-matched hydrophobic cavities, and π-π stacking at optimal distances collectively create confined microreactors that steer reaction pathways.

In this study, we systematically investigated the influence of various carbon allotropes on the photovoltaic performance of p-type dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using nickel oxide (NiO) nanotubes as the base semiconductor. The selected carbon nanostructures multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), reduced graphene oxide (RGO), graphene quantum dots (GQDs), and fullerenes (C₆₀) were integrated with NiO and evaluated based on their structural and electrochemical characteristics. 

In Nigeria, the total number of AIDS-related deaths among children and adolescents was 16,200 in 2020. The Integrated Child Health and Social Services Award 2 (ICHSSA-2) project supports Operation Triple Zero (OTZ) clubs in 13 health facilities in Lagos State with support from PEPFAR through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The initiative aimed at ensuring zero missed appointments, zero missed drugs, and zero viral load among adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV).

The pancreatic islets of Langerhans contain a minority of endocrine cells that contain more than one hormone: predominantly combinations of glucagon, insulin and somatostatin. A recent paper from our laboratory examined the ontogeny of such cells in the human pancreas and found that they persisted throughout the lifespan but altered in relative abundance with age. Glucagon/insulin bi-hormonal cell number significantly increased with age whilst insulin/somatostatin and glucagon/somatostatin cells significantly decreased.

Sparsely granulated corticotroph pituitary neuroendocrine tumors are rare tumors that may sometimes present without signs of hypercortisolemia, creating diagnostic challenges. We describe a case of a 29-year-old female who sought medical attention due to amenorrhea. Diagnostic evaluations revealed hyperprolactinemia, and an MRI showed a 1.2 x 1.5 x 1.6 cm pituitary macroadenoma, which caused a mass effect on the optic chiasm.