Plantar pressure distribution and altered postural control in multibacillary leprosy patients.

BACKGROUND: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, predominantly affecting the peripheral nerves, resulting in sensory and motor deficits in the feet. Foot ulcers and imbalances are frequent manifestations in leprosy, often correlating with diminished sensitivity. While clinical scales and monofilament esthesiometers are conventionally utilized to evaluate foot sensitivity and balance in these patients, their discriminatory power is limited and their effectiveness is greatly dependent on the examiner's proficiency. In contrast, baropodometry and posturography offer a more comprehensive evaluation, aiming to preempt potential damage events. This study aimed was to assess the correlation between baropodometry and force plate measurements in leprosy patients and control participants, to improve the prevention and treatment of foot ulcers and complications associated with leprosy. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study was conducted during 2022 and enrolled 39 participants (22 patients with multibacillary leprosy and 17 non-leprosy controls). Demographic data were collected, and a monofilament esthesiometer was used to assess sensory deficits. In addition, physical examinations and balance and plantar pressure tests were conducted. The Student's t-test was used to compare mean and maximum plantar pressures between groups. For most COP variables, a Mann-Whitney Wilcoxon test was used, except for AP amplitude which was analyzed with the Student's t-test due to its normal distribution. The relationship between foot pressure and balance control was assessed using Spearman's correlation, focusing on areas with significant pressure differences between groups. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Leprosy patients showed increased pressure in forefoot areas (T1, M1, T2-T5, and M2) and decreased pressure in hindfoot regions (MH and LH) compared to controls. These patients also displayed higher AP and ML amplitudes, suggesting poorer COP control. Correlation analyses between the two groups revealed that foot plantar pressures significantly impact balance control. Specifically, increased T1 region pressures correlated with greater sway in balance tasks, while decreased MH region pressures were linked to reduced COP control. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The findings suggest a joint disturbance of plantar pressure distribution and static balance control in leprosy patients. These alterations may increase the risk of tissue injuries, including calluses and deformities, as well as falls.

Intra and Inter-Device Reliabilities of the Instrumented Timed-Up and Go Test Using Smartphones in Young Adult Population.

The Timed-Up and Go (TUG) test is widely utilized by healthcare professionals for assessing fall risk and mobility due to its practicality. Currently, test results are based solely on execution time, but integrating technological devices into the test can provide additional information to enhance result accuracy. This study aimed to assess the reliability of smartphone-based instrumented TUG (iTUG) parameters. We conducted evaluations of intra- and inter-device reliabilities, hypothesizing that iTUG parameters would be replicable across all experiments. A total of 30 individuals participated in Experiment A to assess intra-device reliability, while Experiment B involved 15 individuals to evaluate inter-device reliability. The smartphone was securely attached to participants' bodies at the lumbar spine level between the L3 and L5 vertebrae. In Experiment A, subjects performed the TUG test three times using the same device, with a 5 min interval between each trial. Experiment B required participants to perform three trials using different devices, with the same time interval between trials. Comparing stopwatch and smartphone measurements in Experiment A, no significant differences in test duration were found between the two devices. A perfect correlation and Bland-Altman analysis indicated good agreement between devices. Intra-device reliability analysis in Experiment A revealed significant reliability in nine out of eleven variables, with four variables showing excellent reliability and five showing moderate to high reliability. In Experiment B, inter-device reliability was observed among different smartphone devices, with nine out of eleven variables demonstrating significant reliability. Notable differences were found in angular velocity peak at the first and second turns between specific devices, emphasizing the importance of considering device variations in inertial measurements. Hence, smartphone inertial sensors present a valid, applicable, and feasible alternative for TUG assessment.

Gallic acid markedly stimulates GLUT1-mediated glucose uptake by the AsPC-1 pancreatic cancer cell line.

Phenolic acids are recognized as chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents. Altered glucose and glutamine metabolism are recognized hallmarks of cancer cells. We aimed to test the influence of phenolic acids on glucose and glutamine cellular uptake by a breast (MCF-7) and a pancreatic (AsPC-1) cancer cell line. Several phenolic acids (caffeic, ferrulic, proctocatechuic, coumaric and gallic acid) affected 3H-glutamine and/or 3H-deoxy-d-glucose (3H-DG) uptake. Gallic acid (100 µM) caused a 3-fold increase in 3H-DG uptake by AsPC-1 cells, associated with a 3.7-fold increase in lactic acid production. Gallic acid stimulated GLUT1-mediated 3H-DG uptake and increased the affinity of this transporter for 3H-DG. We further verified that gallic acid does not change GLUT1 transcription rates and cellular redox state and that its effect does not involve PI3K, mTOR and MAP kinases and is not associated with a proproliferative effect. Gallic acid also increased 3H-DG uptake by MCF-7 cells, although less potently. Further investigation is necessary to elucidate the cellular pathways involved in this effect of gallic acid.

Unveiling the Assembly of Neutral Marine Polysaccharides into Electrostatic-Driven Layer-by-Layer Bioassemblies by Chemical Functionalization.

Marine-origin polysaccharides, in particular cationic and anionic ones, have been widely explored as building blocks in fully natural or hybrid electrostatic-driven Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assemblies for bioapplications. However, the low chemical versatility imparted by neutral polysaccharides has been limiting their assembly into LbL biodevices, despite their wide availability in sources such as the marine environment, easy functionality, and very appealing features for addressing multiple biomedical and biotechnological applications. In this work, we report the chemical functionalization of laminarin (LAM) and pullulan (PUL) marine polysaccharides with peptides bearing either six lysine (K6) or aspartic acid (D6) amino acids via Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition to synthesize positively and negatively charged polysaccharide-peptide conjugates. The successful conjugation of the peptides into the polysaccharide's backbone was confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and the positive and negative charges of the LAM-K6/PUL-K6 and LAM-D6/PUL-D6 conjugates, respectively, were assessed by zeta-potential measurements. The electrostatic-driven LbL build-up of either the LAM-D6/LAM-K6 or PUL-D6/PUL-K6 multilayered thin film was monitored in situ by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, revealing the successful multilayered film growth and the enhanced stability of the PUL-based film. The construction of the PUL-peptide multilayered thin film was also assessed by scanning electron microscopy and its biocompatibility was demonstrated in vitro towards L929 mouse fibroblasts. The herein proposed approach could enable the inclusion of virtually any kind of small molecules in the multilayered assemblies, including bioactive moieties, and be translated into more convoluted structures of any size and geometry, thus extending the usefulness of neutral polysaccharides and opening new avenues in the biomedical field, including in controlled drug/therapeutics delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine strategies.

Oral potentially malignant disorders - An assessment of knowledge and attitude to future education in undergraduate dental students.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and clinical experience of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) in undergraduate dental students in six European countries (Croatia, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom) and assess student's attitude and preference to future education on the topic. A secondary aim was to identify gaps in student's knowledge and clinical practice. The study was a part of the Erasmus+ project "Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders: Healthcare Professionals Training" (Grant No: 2020-1-UK01-KA202-078917). MATERIALS AND METHODS: An online questionnaire was distributed to all final-year students in six partner universities. This consisted of four parts assessing: (1) knowledge on OPMDs, (2) clinical experience with this group of patients, (3) self-rated competence in the management of OPMDs and (4) preferences with regard to future education. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty final-year dental students from six partner universities responded to the questionnaire. Response rates varied from 12% to 92% between partner universities. Significant differences in clinical experience and knowledge were found between students. Students with more clinical exposure to OPMDs rated their knowledge and competence in the management of OPMDs higher than students with less clinical experience. The majority of students were interested in future education on OPMDs, preferably via short educational videos. CONCLUSION: The majority of students have received theoretical knowledge of OPMDs during their undergraduate studies, however, not all had clinical exposure to this group of patients. Students were open to further education on OPMDs. Important deficiencies in knowledge were identified that need to be addressed and it is anticipated that the e-learning platform and e-book that are in development by partner institutions will help to improve overall knowledge of OPMDs.

Secondhand smoke exposure and oral cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Inhalation of secondhand smoke (SHS) causes several diseases, including lung cancer. Tobacco smoking is a known cause of oral cancer; however, it has not been established whether SHS also causes oral cancer . The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential association between SHS exposure and the risk of oral cancer. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis study (following the PRISMA guidelines) was developed to examine the studies reporting on the associations of SHS and the risk of oral cancer, employing a search strategy on electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Open Grey, and ProQuest databases for dissertations) until 10 May 2020. Meta-analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed using random-effect models. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020189970). RESULTS: Following the application of eligibility criteria, five studies were included, comprising a total of 1179 cases and 5798 controls, with 3452 individuals exposed and 3525 individuals not exposed to SHS. An overall OR of 1.51 (95% CI 1.2o to 1.91, p=0.0004) for oral cancer was observed, without significant heterogeneity (I2=0%, p=0.41). The duration of exposure of more than 10 or 15 years increased the risk of oral cancer (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.54 to 2.79, p<0.00001), compared with non-exposed individuals, without significant heterogeneity (I2=0%, p=0.76). CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis supports a causal association between SHS exposure and oral cancer. Our results could provide guidance to public health professionals, researchers, and policymakers to further support effective SHS exposure prevention programs worldwide.

Podoplanin could be a predictive biomarker of the risk of patients with oral leukoplakia to develop oral cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to identify and analyze the existing literature on the utility of podoplanin to predict the risk of malignancy development (MD) in patients previously diagnosed with oral leukoplakia (OL). METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis (SRMA) was performed though a search strategy using several electronic databases and a combination of keywords related to podoplanin and MD of OL, until 15 May, 2022 (PROSPERO CRD42022329326). Evaluation of the risk of bias (ROB) was performed using the Quality in Prognosis Studies Tool. The meta-analyses were estimated using fixed-effect models. RESULTS: From 421 articles, 6 studies were finally included, that enrolled 546 patients with OL, of whom 125 presented with an oral cancer during follow-up (32 to 90 months). Some limitations regarding the ROB were identified mostly related to small sample sizes, short follow-up times, lack of information on covariables in the included studies and lack of accuracy (including sensitivity and specificity). Meta-analysis of 6 studies reveal that high expression of podoplanin carries a pooled hazard ratio (HR) of 3.72 (95% CI, 2.40-5.76; p < 0.00001) for MD without statistical heterogeneity (I2  = 0%, p = 0.53). CONCLUSION: The results of this SRMA support the role of podoplanin immunohistochemical expression as a potential predictive biomarker to assess the risk of malignancy development in oral leukoplakia.

NSAID-Based Coordination Compounds for Biomedical Applications: Recent Advances and Developments.

After the serendipitous discovery of cisplatin, a platinum-based drug with chemotherapeutic effects, an incredible amount of research in the area of coordination chemistry has been produced. Other transition metal compounds were studied, and several new relevant metallodrugs have been synthetized in the past few years. This review is focused on coordination compounds with first-row transition metals, namely, copper, cobalt, nickel or manganese, or with zinc, which have potential or effective pharmacological properties. It is known that metal complexes, once bound to organic drugs, can enhance the drugs' biological activities, such as anticancer, antimicrobial or anti-inflammatory ones. NSAIDs are a class of compounds with anti-inflammatory properties used to treat pain or fever. NSAIDs' properties can be strongly improved when included in complexes using their compositional N and O donor atoms, which facilitate their coordination to metal ions. This review focuses on the research on this topic and on the promising or effective results that complexes of first-row transition metals and NSAIDs can exhibit.

Prognostic and clinicopathological significance of podoplanin immunoexpression in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Podoplanin (PDPN) is a glycoprotein associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion, and metastasis in several types of malignancies, including oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The aim of this systematic review (SR) was to summarize and critically appraise the available evidence about the association between PDPN immunoexpression and clinicopathological features and its utility as a prognostic marker in OSCC. METHODS: Five electronic databases and three gray literature databases were searched for immunohistochemical studies, which were selected in a two-phase process. RESULTS: From 721 records identified, 22 cohort and seven analytical cross-sectional studies were included. Few studies reported that PDPN expression was associated with poorer survival rates in OSCC: overall survival = 4/12, disease-free survival = 4/7, and cancer-specific survival = 2/4 studies. Positive associations were most frequently reported on lymph node involvement, higher histopathological grade, and advanced clinical stages. CONCLUSION: Within limitations of this SR, PDPN may be associated with lymph node involvement, histopathological grade, and clinical stage of OSCC. Current evidence suggests that PDPN could be a useful prognostic marker for OSCC that needs further exploration.

Tissue biomarkers for predicting the risk of oral cancer in patients diagnosed with oral leukoplakia: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: We performed a systematic review to evaluate the published biomarkers related to oral leukoplakia (OL), aiming to identify the biomarkers that indicate any future risk of cancer in patients with oral leukoplakia. METHODS: A search strategy was developed for three main electronic databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EBSCO, and also for Google Scholar, until February 28, 2020. The study selection was performed in a two-phase process aiming at studies assessing tissue biomarkers for "malignant transformation of OL." Risk of bias analysis of included studies was performed using the Quality in Prognosis Studies Tool. RESULTS: From 3,130 articles initially identified by searching databases, a total of 46 studies were included in this systematic review, with a combined sample of 3,783 patients, of whom 1,047 presented with malignant transformation of a previously diagnosed OL as reported by the authors. The cancer incidence in the whole group was 27.6% (range: 5.4% to 54.1%). The studies were derived from different geographic areas, including Asia (n = 21), Europe (n = 15), North America (n = 9), and Oceania (n = 1). There were 49 different molecular biomarkers evaluated in the 46 included studies: p53 and podoplanin proteins were the most frequently reported, followed by abnormalities at particular chromosomal loci (e.g., LOH). Risk of bias analysis revealed concerns associated with "measurement of prognostic factor," "study confounding" and "statistical analysis and reporting." CONCLUSIONS: Substantial heterogeneity and lack of standardized reporting of data among the studies were identified. The most promising biomarkers reported to have a significant association with the malignant transformation in OL included podoplanin and chromosomal loci abnormalities. A critical examination of the follow-up studies on OL published so far indicated that tissue biomarkers that could predict the risk of oral cancer in patients with OL are still in a discovery phase.

Oral potentially malignant disorders: A consensus report from an international seminar on nomenclature and classification, convened by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Oral Cancer.

Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are associated with an increased risk of occurrence of cancers of the lip or oral cavity. This paper presents an updated report on the nomenclature and the classification of OPMDs, based predominantly on their clinical features, following discussions by an expert group at a workshop held by the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Oral Cancer in the UK. The first workshop held in London in 2005 considered a wide spectrum of disorders under the term "potentially malignant disorders of the oral mucosa" (PMD) (now referred to as oral potentially malignant disorders: OPMD) including leukoplakia, erythroplakia, proliferative verrucous leukoplakia, oral lichen planus, oral submucous fibrosis, palatal lesions in reverse smokers, lupus erythematosus, epidermolysis bullosa, and dyskeratosis congenita. Any new evidence published in the intervening period was considered to make essential changes to the 2007 classification. In the current update, most entities were retained with minor changes to their definition. There is sufficient evidence for an increased risk of oral cancer among patients diagnosed with "oral lichenoid lesions" and among those diagnosed with oral manifestations of 'chronic graft-versus-host disease'. These have now been added to the list of OPMDs. There is, to date, insufficient evidence concerning the malignant potential of chronic hyperplastic candidosis and of oral exophytic verrucous hyperplasia to consider these conditions as OPMDs. Furthermore, due to lack of clear evidence of an OPMD in epidermolysis bullosa this was moved to the category with limited evidence. We recommend the establishment of a global research consortium to further study the natural history of OPMDs based on the classification and nomenclature proposed here. This will require multi-center longitudinal studies with uniform diagnostic criteria to improve the identification and cancer risk stratification of patients with OPMDs, link them to evidence-based interventions, with a goal to facilitate the prevention and management of lip and oral cavity cancer.

The International Continence Society (ICS) report on the terminology for male lower urinary tract surgery.

INTRODUCTION: In the development of terminology of the lower urinary tract (LUT), due to its increasing complexity, the terminology for male LUT surgery needs to be updated using a male-specific approach and via a clinically-based consensus report. METHODS: This report combines the input of members of the Standardization Committee of the International Continence Society in a Working Group with recognized experts in the field, assisted by many external referees. Appropriate core clinical categories and a subclassification were developed to give a numeric coding to each definition. An extensive process of 14 rounds of internal and external review was developed to exhaustively examine each definition, with decision-making by collective opinion (consensus). RESULTS: A Terminology Report for male LUT and pelvic floor surgery, encompassing 149 separate definitions/descriptors, has been developed. It is clinically-based with the most common diagnoses defined. Clarity and user-friendliness have been key aims to make it interpretable by practitioners and trainees in male LUT surgery. Figures have not been included to avoid any preference or bias towards a specific procedure. CONCLUSIONS: A consensus-based Terminology Report for male LUT surgery has been produced aimed at being a significant aid to clinical practice and a stimulus for research.

The International Continence Society (ICS) report on the terminology for adult male lower urinary tract and pelvic floor symptoms and dysfunction.

INTRODUCTION: In the development of terminology of the lower urinary tract, due to its increasing complexity, the terminology for male lower urinary tract and pelvic floor symptoms and dysfunction needs to be updated using a male-specific approach and via a clinically-based consensus report. METHODS: This report combines the input of members of the Standardisation Committee of the International Continence Society (ICS) in a Working Group with recognized experts in the field, assisted by many external referees. Appropriate core clinical categories and a subclassification were developed to give a numeric coding to each definition. An extensive process of 22 rounds of internal and external review was developed to exhaustively examine each definition, with decision-making by collective opinion (consensus). RESULTS: A Terminology Report for male lower urinary tract and pelvic floor symptoms and dysfunction, encompassing around 390 separate definitions/descriptors, has been developed. It is clinically-based with the most common diagnoses defined. Clarity and user-friendliness have been key aims to make it interpretable by practitioners and trainees in all the different specialty groups involved in male lower urinary tract and pelvic floor dysfunction. Male-specific imaging (ultrasound, radiology, CT, and MRI) has been a major addition whilst appropriate figures have been included to supplement and help clarify the text. CONCLUSIONS: A consensus-based Terminology Report for male lower urinary tract and pelvic floor symptoms and dysfunction has been produced aimed at being a significant aid to clinical practice and a stimulus for research.

An efficient one-pot synthesis of polyphenolic amino acids and evaluation of their radical-scavenging activity.

A simple and efficient procedure for the synthesis of N-acyl 4-hydroxy, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy and 3,4-dihydroxy phenylglycine amides by a strategy based on the multicomponent Ugi reaction is proposed. Hydroxybenzaldehyde derivatives were reacted with 4-methoxybenzylamine, cyclohexyl isocyanide and benzoic acid or 2-naphthylacetic acid to give Ugi adducts that were treated with trifluoroacetic acid yielding N-acyl hydroxyphenylglycine amides in good yields. The same procedure using as acid component protocatechuic acid or hydrocaffeic acid gave N-catechoyl 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycine amides. The use of N-benzyloxycarbonylglycine as acid component allowed the preparation of a 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycyl dipeptide derivative. Radical-scavenging activity studies of the polyphenolic amino acid derivatives showed a sharp increase in activity with the increase in number of hydroxyl or catechol groups present. Cyclic voltammetry experiments established a correlation between oxidation peak potentials and the radical-scavenging activity.

Spindly and Bub3 expression in oral cancer: Prognostic and therapeutic implications.

OBJECTIVES: Bub3 and Spindly are essential proteins required for the activation and inactivation of the spindle assembly checkpoint, respectively. Here, we explored the clinicopathological significance and the therapeutic potential of the opposing roles of the two proteins in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bub3 and Spindly expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 62 tissue microarrays from OSCC and by real-time PCR in OSCC cell lines and in normal human oral keratinocytes. The results were analyzed as to their clinicopathological significance. RNA interference-mediated Spindly or Bub3 inhibition was combined with cisplatin treatment, and the effect on the viability of OSCC cells was assessed. RESULTS: Overexpression of Bub3 and Spindly was detected in OSCC patients. High expression of Spindly, Bub3, or both was an independent prognostic indicator for cancer-specific survival and was associated with increased cellular proliferation. Accordingly, Bub3 and Spindly were upregulated in OSCC cells comparatively to their normal counterpart. Inhibition of Bub3 or Spindly was cytotoxic to OSCC cells and enhanced their chemosensitivity to cisplatin. CONCLUSIONS: The data point out Bub3 and Spindly as potential markers of proliferation and prognosis, and highlight the potential therapeutic benefit of combining their inhibition with cisplatin.

Reducing Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions for Older Patients Using Computerized Decision Support Tools: Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Older adults are more vulnerable to polypharmacy and prescriptions of potentially inappropriate medications. There are several ways to address polypharmacy to prevent its occurrence. We focused on computerized decision support tools. OBJECTIVE: The available literature was reviewed to understand whether computerized decision support tools reduce potentially inappropriate prescriptions or potentially inappropriate medications in older adult patients and affect health outcomes. METHODS: Our systematic review was conducted by searching the literature in the MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases for interventional studies published through February 2018 to assess the impact of computerized decision support tools on potentially inappropriate medications and potentially inappropriate prescriptions in people aged 65 years and older. RESULTS: A total of 3756 articles were identified, and 16 were included. More than half (n=10) of the studies were randomized controlled trials, one was a crossover study, and five were pre-post intervention studies. A total of 266,562 participants were included; of those, 233,144 participants were included and assessed in randomized controlled trials. Intervention designs had several different features. Computerized decision support tools consistently reduced the number of potentially inappropriate prescriptions started and mean number of potentially inappropriate prescriptions per patient. Computerized decision support tools also increased potentially inappropriate prescriptions discontinuation and drug appropriateness. However, in several studies, statistical significance was not achieved. A meta-analysis was not possible due to the significant heterogeneity among the systems used and the definitions of outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Computerized decision support tools may reduce potentially inappropriate prescriptions and potentially inappropriate medications. More randomized controlled trials assessing the impact of computerized decision support tools that could be used both in primary and secondary health care are needed to evaluate the use of medication targets defined by the Beers or STOPP (Screening Tool of Older People's Prescriptions) criteria, adverse drug reactions, quality of life measurements, patient satisfaction, and professional satisfaction with a reasonable follow-up, which could clarify the clinical usefulness of these tools. TRIAL REGISTRATION: International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) CRD42017067021; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42017067021.

Control of antioxidant efficiency of chlorogenates in emulsions: modulation of antioxidant interfacial concentrations.

BACKGROUND: Controlling the interfacial concentrations of antioxidants (AOs) in oil-in-water emulsions can be regarded as a unique approach for increasing the efficiency of AOs in inhibiting the oxidation of lipids. Classical methods to determine the AO distribution in binary systems cannot be employed and their distribution needs to be assessed in the intact emulsion. RESULTS: We have employed a well-established kinetic method to determine the distribution of a homologous series of AOs derived of chlorogenic acid in olive oil-in-water emulsions and analyse the effects of AO hydrophobicity on their distributions and their efficiencies. Results indicate that variations in the efficiency of chlorogenates in emulsions are due to differences in their interfacial concentrations. Their interfacial concentrations AOI were much higher (20- to 150-fold) than their stoichiometric concentrations. On the other hand, their concentrations in the oil region were 1.5- to 0.1-fold. Results also show the complex effect of the oil-to-water ratio employed in the preparation of the emulsions on the (AOI ) values. CONCLUSION: Results highlight the key role of the interfacial region and of its composition (interfacial AO molarity, emulsifier concentration, oil-to-water ratio) in interpreting the efficiency of AOs in inhibiting lipid oxidation in emulsions. Thus, a careful modulation of these parameters is necessary to ensure optimum AO efficiency. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Age-related influence on physical fitness and individual on-duty task performance of Portuguese male non-elite police officers.

(a) to analyse the effect of age on physical fitness (PF) and on-duty task (ODT) performance of male police officers (PO); (b) to analyse the relationship between PF and ODT performance of male PO; and (c) to identify the set of PF attributes which better predicts the ODT performance of male PO. A total of 97 Portuguese male non-elite PO (Public Security Police) took part in this cross-sectional study. Participants were allocated to four age categories (20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and >49 years old), and performed fourteen PF evaluations and one on-duty task simulation test (ODT-ST). MANOVA, partial correlations and multiple linear regression analysis were used. We observed (a) a significant decrease of performance with aging (PF attributes, partial eta-squared=0.763; total time on ODT-ST, partial eta-squared=0.498); (b) significant positive associations between body mass index and fat mass with total time on ODT-ST; (c) a significant negative association between standing broad jump (SBJ), sit-up, push-up, bench-press ratio and aerobic capacity with total time on ODT-ST; and (d) that SBJ, abdominal muscular endurance and aerobic capacity were significant predictors of total time on ODT-ST (R2=0.983). PF attributes and ODT performance of Portuguese male non-elite PO decrease significantly with aging. To prevent the observed decrease of performance it seems advisable to implement regular strength and conditioning programmes, which should include muscular power, core strength and aerobic fitness development, to maintain physical capacity and occupational duties.

The 100 most cited articles on oral cancer.

BACKGROUND: Citations analysis is one of the most widely used bibliometric tools to evaluate the academic importance of a study in a specific area of knowledge. The objective of this study was to identify the 100 most cited articles on oral cancer and to analyse their principal characteristics. METHODS: We performed a literature search in the Web of Science database using the Science Citation Index Expanded tool to determine the number of citations of all articles on oral cancer identified up to 10 August 2017. The 100 most referenced articles were then selected, and the following information was gathered: ranking based on the number of citations; citation density; citations in Scopus; number and names of the authors; language and year of publication; country and institution of origin; financial support; journal of publication, with its impact factor, category and quartile; type of research; evidence level; and area of study. RESULTS: The number of citations of the 100 articles varied from 1959 to 165, and the number of authors varied from a single author to 23. The oldest article was from 1948, and the most recent was from 2013. All the studies were published in English, the majority (56%) was from the United States, and 80% were published in journals in the first quartile. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of articles were of studies that had received financial support, were published in journals with a high impact factor and were focussed on the aetiology and pathogenesis of oral cancer.

An immunohistochemical score to predict the outcome for oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Oral cancer is a major public health problem worldwide, with a poor survival. Our aim was to evaluate several protein markers in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) and analyse their prognostic value on patient's survival. METHODS: We analysed the expression of EGFR, p53, p27, p16, cyclin D1, cyclin A2, COX-2, Ki-67, Bcl-2, VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2, by immunohistochemistry on 67 primary OSCC. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) analysis was evaluated by the Cox regression model. RESULTS: Markers showed variable expression between 27.9% and 95.2%. In univariate analysis for CSS, we found that four of the tested markers, namely high expression of p53 (P = .001), EGFR (P = .003), cyclin A2 (P = .005) and low expression of p16 (P = .019), along with clinical stage (P < .001), tumour size (P < .001), presence of nodal metastasis (P < .001) and perineural permeation (P = .039) were related to decreased survival. On the basis of these results, we constructed an immunohistochemical score hinging on the possibility that any tumour could express none of these four markers (score 0), one or two markers (score 1) and three or more markers (score 2). In multivariable analysis, this immunohistochemical score revealed an independent prognostic value on cancer-specific survival (P = .001; HR: 3.7: 95%CI 1.7-7.9). Moreover, we confirmed that in early-stage tumours (stage I or II) this score maintained its independent prognostic value (P = .025; HR: 7.9, 95%CI 1.3-49.1) on CSS. CONCLUSION: The expression of the markers p53, p16, EGFR and cyclin A in OSCC, combined to give an immunohistochemical score, may identify high-risk subgroups for decreased survival and to further guide therapeutic decisions.