Caregiving consequences in cancer family caregivers: a narrative review of qualitative studies.

Background: Cancer is a significant public health issue, causing various challenges for individuals affected by it. As cancer progresses, patients often become dependent on others for support. Family caregivers and members play a crucial role in the recovery and rehabilitation of these patients. However, caregivers themselves face numerous challenges throughout the course of their family member's illness. Exploring the experiences of family caregivers can inform long-term planning and supportive interventions to address their caregiving difficulties. This study reviews previous literature on caregiving outcomes. Method: This study presents a narrative review of qualitative studies, analyzing a total of 23 articles. The results were extracted and organized into subcategories. After revision by the research team, main categories were identified. These categories encompass both positive and negative outcomes of caregiving. Results: The findings of this review demonstrate that caring for a family member with cancer has significant implications for caregivers. These implications include: (A) Positive outcomes of caregiving (such as achieving self-management and balance, promoting kinship intimacy, finding meaning and purpose, and experiencing spiritual growth) and (B) Negative outcomes of caregiving (including care-related physical exhaustion, disruption of personal life plans, psycho-emotional consequences, and socio-economic burden). Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the challenges faced by family caregivers and emphasize the importance of addressing their needs within the healthcare system. By providing support and attention to their well-being, caregivers can enhance their resilience and adaptability in managing caregiving difficulties.

Machine Learning Approaches to Identify Affected Brain Regions in Movement Disorders Using MRI Data: A Systematic Review and Diagnostic Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease are associated with structural and functional changes in specific brain regions. Advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques combined with machine learning (ML) are promising tools for identifying imaging biomarkers and patterns associated with these disorders. PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to systematically identify the brain regions most commonly affected in movement disorders using ML approaches applied to structural and functional MRI data. We searched the PubMed and Scopus databases using relevant keywords up to June 2023 for studies that used ML approaches to detect brain regions associated with movement disorders using MRI data. STUDY TYPE: A systematic review and diagnostic meta-analysis. POPULATION/SUBJECTS: Sixty-seven studies with 6,285 patients were included. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: Studies utilizing 1.5T or 3T MR scanners and the acquisition of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), structural MRI (sMRI), functional MRI (fMRI), or a combination of these were included. ASSESSMENT: The authors independently assessed the study quality using the CLAIM and QUADAS-2 criteria and extracted data on diagnostic accuracy measures. STATISTICAL TESTS: Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the curve were pooled using random-effects models. Q statistics and the I2 index were used to evaluate heterogeneity, and Begg's funnel plot was used to identify publication bias. RESULTS: sMRI showed the highest sensitivity (93%) and mixed modalities had the highest specificity (90%) for detecting regional abnormalities. sMRI had a 94% sensitivity for identifying subcortical changes. The support vector machine (93%) and logistic regression (91%) models exhibited high diagnostic accuracies. DATA CONCLUSION: The combination of advanced MR neuroimaging techniques and ML is a promising approach for identifying brain biomarkers and affected regions in movement disorders with subcortical structures frequently implicated. Structural MRI, in particular, showed strong performance. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Application of "Partnership Care Model" in chronically ill adults and children: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: "Partnership Care Model (PCM)", which is the first partnership conceptual framework founded on the Iranian culture to control chronic diseases, has been recently used in different fields of nursing research with no levels of valid evidence to support its application. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis sought to clarify the impacts of interventions developed based on PCM on quality of life (QoL), sleep quality, anxiety, and depression among adults and children with chronic diseases. METHODS: International data sources (e.g., PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus) and national databases (e.g., SID, MagIran, IranDoc, IRCT) were searched from 2001 to September 23, 2023, to find Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) on PCM-driven interventions for the experimental groups versus no intervention or standard care groups. The studies' methodological quality and evidence quality were rated utilizing the Cochrane risk of bias instruction and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Data were pooled by a random-effects approach employing STATA (vers. 11.2). RESULT: Eighteen RCTs, reported in 22 publications, were qualified. The PCM compared to the standard care significantly improved the QoL among both adults (10 effect sizes [ESs], mean difference [MD]: 3.17, P < 0.001) and children (4 ESs, MD: 4.45, P < 0.001). Likewise, the intervention enhanced adults' sleep quality (3 ESs, MD: 7.15, P < 0.001). The anxiety of adults and children was also significantly lower in the PCM group (4 ESs, MD: -4.52, P = 0.001; 2 ESs, MD: -4.04, P < 0.001, respectively). However, regarding depression, a significant effect of PCM was found only among children (3 ESs, MD: -7.99, P = 0.011). The methodological quality of the studies and the evidence quality were undesirable. CONCLUSION: The PCM had a promising influence on the caring of adults and children suffering from chronic diseases. However, additional high-quality RCTs are needed to generate a higher quality of evidence concerning the clinical benefits of the PCM. PROSPERO NO: CRD42021253790.

MRI findings in movement disorders and associated sleep disturbances.

BACKGROUND: One of the most useful tools for identifying sleep disturbances is neuroimaging, especially magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This review research was to look at the role of MRI findings in movement disorders and sleep disturbances. METHODS: This review collects all MRI data on movement disorders and sleep disruptions. Between 2000 and 2022, PubMed and Google Scholar were utilized to find original English publications and reviews. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, around 100 publications were included. We only looked at research that explored MRI modality together with movement problems, sleep disorders, and brain area involvement. Most of the information focuses on movement irregularities and sleep interruptions. RESULTS: Movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), neuromuscular diseases, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior movement disorder (RBD), cerebellar movement disorders, and brainstem movement disorders are assessed using MRI-based neuroimaging techniques. Some of the brain areas were associated with disorders in movement abnormalities and related sleep disturbances. This review found that many people with mobility disorders also have sleep problems. Some brain areas' malfunctions may cause motor and sleep issues. CONCLUSION: Neuroimaging helps us understand the sleep difficulties associated with movement disorders by examining the structural and functional implications of movement disorders and sleep disturbances.

Ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic extraction of sulfated polysaccharide from Skipjack tuna by-products.

The effect of ultrasound pretreatment on extraction efficiency of sulfate polysaccharides (SPs) using alcalase from different by-products of Skipjack tuna including head, bone and skin was evaluated. Structural, functional, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the recovered SPs using the ultrasound-enzyme and enzymatic method were also investigated. Ultrasound pretreatment significantly increased the extraction yield of SPs from all the three by-products compared with the conventional enzymatic method. All extracted SPs showed high antioxidant potential in terms of ABTS, DPPH and ferrous chelating activities where the ultrasound treatment enhanced antioxidant activities of the SPs. The SPs exerted strong inhibiting activity against various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The ultrasound treatment remarkably increased antibacterial activity of the SPs against L. monocytogenes but its effect on other bacteria was dependent on the source of the SPs. Altogether, the results suggest that ultrasound pretreatment during enzymatic extraction of SPs from tuna by-products can be a promising approach to improve extraction yield but also bioactivity of the extracted polysaccharides.

Effects of family-based dignity intervention and expressive writing on anticipatory grief in family caregivers of patients with cancer: a randomized controlled trial.

Family caregivers of dying cancer patients may suffer from grief experiences and bereavement complications. Previous studies have proposed some psycho-emotional interventions for the management of these complications. However, little attention has been given to family-based dignity intervention and expressive writing. This study was conducted to examine the effects of family-based dignity intervention and expressive writing, combined and alone, on anticipatory grief in family caregivers of dying cancer patients. This was a randomized controlled trial, in which 200 family caregivers of dying cancer patients were randomly assigned to four intervention groups: family-based dignity intervention (n = 50), expressive writing intervention (n = 50), combined family-based single dignity intervention and expressive writing (n = 50), and control group (n = 50). In three times (baseline, 1 week, and 2 weeks after the interventions), anticipatory grief was assessed by a 13-item anticipatory grief scale (AGS). Finally, we found a significant reducing effect of family-based dignity intervention on AGS (-8.12 ± 1.53 vs. -1.57 ± 1.52, P = 0.01) and its subscales including behavioral (-5.92 ± 0.97 vs. -2.17 ± 0.96, P = 0.04) and emotional (-2.38 ± 0.78 vs. 0.68 ± 0.77, P = 0.03) subscales compared to the control group. However, no significant effect was seen for expressive writing intervention and combined interventions of expressive writing and family-based dignity intervention. In conclusion, family-based dignity intervention may be a safe intervention for relieving anticipatory grief among family caregivers of dying cancer patients. Additional clinical trials are needed to confirm our findings. Registration number: IRCT20210111050010N1. Trial registration date:2021-02-06.

Fish Protein Hydrolysate from Sulfated Polysaccharides Extraction Residue of Tuna Processing By-Products with Bioactive and Functional Properties.

The ethanol-induced precipitation after enzymatic hydrolysis commonly used for sulfated polysaccharide extraction from marine resources wastes a large amount of proteins. Here, possible extraction of fish protein hydrolysates (FPH) from the ethanol residue of sulfated polysaccharide precipitation from head, bone, and skin of skipjack tuna is investigated. Antioxidant, antibacterial, angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities and functional properties of the recovered FPHs are also evaluated. A degree of hydrolysis of 40.93, 38.13, and 37.23 is achieved for FPH from head, bone, and skin, respectively. FPH from the head presents the highest antioxidant and ACE inhibitory activity as well as foam/emulsion capacity among all the FPHs. The FPHs are all able to inhibit three Gram-positive bacteria and three Gram-negative bacteria to varying degrees and have a water solubility >65%. Altogether, the results demonstrate great potential for recovery of bioactive/functional peptides from the residue of sulfated polysaccharide extraction process enabling efficient biorefining of aquatic resources.

Erectile dysfunction from mechanisms to medicines with a focus on the application of topical Minoxidil.

INTRODUCTION: Erectile dysfunction (ED), for multifactorial reasons, is one of the biggest current quandaries among men worldwide and results in other complications such as reduced quality of life of the patient and his sexual partner, impotence, and psychiatric problems. OBJECTIVES: Understanding of disease etiology, penile anatomy, erectile physiology, therapeutic mechanisms, and effective molecular pathways all play key roles in determining a therapeutic approach. This project is based on the study of topical minoxidil's effectiveness in treating ED. METHODS: To perform a comprehensive overview of the subject, we performed a triple-keyword combination search to assess recent studies of ED. RESULTS: The most common formulation used in these studies was 2% minoxidil solution. Except for cases studied in paralytic patients, topical treatment with minoxidil appears to elicit a mild erectile response; however, this finding is insufficient to confirm the effectiveness of this topical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Although evidence to confirm the therapeutic properties of minoxidil in ED is limited, combination therapy and the use of modern formulations of minoxidil are promising options for treating ED in the future.

Exploring family caregiver challenges in caring for patients with COVID-19 in intensive care units.

Background: Families of individuals hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU) with severe illnesses, such as COVID-19, are experiencing a range of physical and emotional stressors. Identifying the challenges faced by family members and providing support to loved ones battling life-threatening diseases can lead to improved treatment and care for the said family members in a healthcare setting. Aim: The current study was conducted to explore and understand the experiences of family caregivers caring for their loved ones battling COVID-19 in an ICU. Methods: This descriptive qualitative study was conducted from January 2021 to February 2022, based on the experiences of 12 family caregivers of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in the ICU. Data collection was conducted through purposeful sampling using semi-structured interviews. MAXQDA10 software was used for data management, and conventional content analysis was used for qualitative data analysis. Results: The present study conducted interviews with caregivers to understand their experiences while caring for a loved one in an ICU. Three main themes emerged from the analysis of these interviews: hardship of care trajectory, pre-loss mourning, and contributing factors in resolving family health crises. The first theme, the hardship of care trajectories, encompasses categories such as immersion in the unknown, lack of care facilities, negligence in care, neglect of families by healthcare providers, self-ignorance, and perceived stigma. The second these was pre-loss mourning that included some categories such as emotional and psychological turmoil, witnessing the exhaustion of loved ones, separation suffering, the fearing of loss, anticipatory grief, blame related to the disease causative agents, and perceived helplessness and despair. The third theme was contributing factors in resolving family health crises that included categories of the critical role of family caregivers in health engagement, the role of healthcare professionals in health engagement, and the role of interpersonal factors in health engagement. A total of 80 subcategories were also obtained based on the experiences of the family caregivers. Conclusion: This study's findings indicate that families can play an important role in resolving their loved ones' health problems in life-threatening situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, healthcare providers must recognize and prioritize family-based care and trust the families' ability to effectively manage health crises. Healthcare providers should also be attentive to the needs of both the patient and their family members.

A systematic review, meta-analysis, and network analysis of diagnostic microRNAs in glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a chronic neurodegenerative process of the optic nerve that is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, and early diagnosis of the disease could greatly affect patients' prognoses. The pathophysiology of glaucoma is complicated by a combination of genetic and epigenetic factors. Deciphering the early diagnostic biomarkers in glaucoma could attenuate the disease's global burden and help us understand the exact mechanisms involved in glaucoma. The microRNAs are members of a larger family of non-coding RNAs that play an essential role in the epigenetic basis of glaucoma. A systematic study and meta-analysis of diagnostic microRNAs in glaucoma, jointly with network analysis of target genes, were carried out on published papers assessing differentially expressed microRNAs in human subjects. In total, 321 articles were found, and, after screening, six studies were eligible for further analysis. 52 differentially expressed microRNAs were found, of which 28 and 24 were up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively. Only 12 microRNAs were qualified for meta-analysis, with overall sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 74%, respectively. Then, using network analysis, it became apparent that the VEGF-A, AKT1, CXCL12, and HRAS genes were the most important targets for the microRNAs. Perturbations in WNT signaling, protein transport, and extracellular matrix organization pathways were discovered to be important in the etiology of glaucoma using the community detection approach. This study tries to uncover the promising microRNAs and their target genes that govern the epigenetics of glaucoma.

Application of Orem's theory-based caring programs among chronically ill adults: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.

AIM: This study aimed to clarify the value of caring programs developed according to Orem's Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory regarding quality of life and self-care as the primary outcomes and self-efficacy, anxiety, depression, and stress as the secondary outcomes among individuals aged 18-70 years with chronic diseases. BACKGROUND: Chronically ill patients need to receive appropriate self-care training, counseling, and support. In this regard, the use of caring programs developed based on theories is highly suggested. Orem's Nursing Theory is the most well-known theory that provides a structure to involve patients in their self-care activities. INTRODUCTION: Orem's Nursing Theory has been increasingly applied to guide practice for patients with chronic health conditions. However, recent trials have reported conflicting findings on the value of its application. METHODS: Eight information sources (e.g., Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed, and Scopus) and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched up to 30 March 2022. RESULTS: A total of 46 studies and 11 study register entries were eligible. Orem's theory-based interventions significantly improved the quality of life, self-care, and self-efficacy as well as significantly reduced anxiety and depression. However, the value of the interventions on stress was uncertain, as performing the meta-analysis was not possible. DISCUSSION: Orem's Nursing Theory can help nurses in different fields to dynamically and carefully evaluate patients' self-care ability and implement appropriate nursing measures tailored to their needs, interests, and problems. Considering the inconsistent evidence to support the empirical adequacy of this theory, high-quality reviews are essential. CONCLUSION: Orem's theory-based programs had a favorable effect on taking care of adults with chronic diseases. IMPLICATIONS: This study augments the previous reviews related to the applicability of Orem's Nursing Theory. Considering the undesirable evidence quality and the high between-study heterogeneity, further well-designed trials are required to draw an evidence-based conclusion.

Prostaglandins as a Topical Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction: A Comprehensive Review.

INTRODUCTION: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a substantial cause of dissatisfaction among many men. This discontentment has led to the emergence of various drug treatment options for this problem. OBJECTIVES: Unfortunately, due to various interactions, contraindications, and side effects, systemic therapies such as phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (including sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, avanafil, etc.) are not welcomed in many patients. These problems have led researchers to look for other ways to reduce these complications. METHODS: This article holistically reviews the efficacy of topical prostaglandins and their role in treating ED. We sought to provide a comprehensive overview of recent findings on the current topic by using the extensive literature search to identify the latest scientific reports on the topic. RESULTS: In this regard, topical and transdermal treatments can be suitable alternatives. In diverse studies, prostaglandins, remarkably PGE1 (also known as alprostadil), have been suggested to be an acceptable candidate for topical treatment. CONCLUSION: Numerous formulations of PGE1 have been used to treat patients so far. Still, in general, with the evolution of classical formulation methods toward modern techniques (such as using nanocarriers and skin permeability enhancers), the probability of treatment success also increases. Hamzehnejadi M, Tavakoli MR, Homayoun F et al. Prostaglandins as a Topical Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction: A Comprehensive Review. Sex Med Rev 2022;10:764-781.

Effects of Topical Application and Oral Intake of Rosa damascena on Acute Pain in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objectives: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of available studies regarding the effects of the traditional herb Rosa damascena (as topical application and oral intake) on the severity of acute pain in adults. Methods: A systematic search was performed on the following databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Scientific Information Database, and Magiran from inception to 20 March 2021. We included parallel-group and cross-over randomized controlled trials that compared the effects of any products containing R damascena in oral and topical administration forms to placebo, non-treatment, or conventional treatment. Two researchers independently performed the document screening and selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. A random-effect model was used to pool the data. Results: From a total of 11 studies that met the inclusion criteria, four studies administered R damascena through topical application and seven by oral intake. Nine studies recruited only females. Ten studies had parallel-group design, while one adopted cross-over design. The oral intake of Rdamascena reduced pain severity non-significantly (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.55, 95% CI: -1.27-0.17; p =0.132). However, the topical application of this treatment had no pain-alleviating effect (SMD = 0.10, 95% CI: -0.75-0.96; p =0.814). One study reported mild allergic rhinitis as an adverse effect of the treatment. Risk of bias assessment revealed that three of the eleven studies had good methodological quality, six had fair quality, and two were of poor quality. Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that the oral intake of R damascena may have a non-significant alleviating effect on acute pain severity in adults. However, its topical application has not shown pain-alleviating effect. More robust randomized controlled trials are needed for accurate estimation of the effects of oral and topical use of R damascena on the severity of different types of acute pain in adults.

Classification of drug-naive children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder from typical development controls using resting-state fMRI and graph theoretical approach.

Background and objectives: The study of brain functional connectivity alterations in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been the subject of considerable investigation, but the biological mechanisms underlying these changes remain poorly understood. Here, we aim to investigate the brain alterations in patients with ADHD and Typical Development (TD) children and accurately classify ADHD children from TD controls using the graph-theoretical measures obtained from resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI). Materials and methods: We investigated the performances of rs-fMRI data for classifying drug-naive children with ADHD from TD controls. Fifty six drug-naive ADHD children (average age 11.86 ± 2.21 years; 49 male) and 56 age matched TD controls (average age 11.51 ± 1.77 years, 44 male) were included in this study. The graph measures extracted from rs-fMRI functional connectivity were used as features. Extracted network-based features were fed to the RFE feature selection algorithm to select the most discriminating subset of features. We trained and tested Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and Gradient Boosting (GB) using Peking center data from ADHD-200 database to classify ADHD and TD children using discriminative features. In addition to the machine learning approach, the statistical analysis was conducted on graph measures to discover the differences in the brain network of patients with ADHD. Results: An accuracy of 78.2% was achieved for classifying drug-naive children with ADHD from TD controls employing the optimal features and the GB classifier. We also performed a hub node analysis and found that the number of hubs in TD controls and ADHD children were 8 and 5, respectively, indicating that children with ADHD have disturbance of critical communication regions in their brain network. The findings of this study provide insight into the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying ADHD. Conclusion: Pattern recognition and graph measures of the brain networks, based on the rs-fMRI data, can efficiently assist in the classification of ADHD children from TD controls.

Impact of ultrasound on extractability of native collagen from tuna by-product and its ultrastructure and physicochemical attributes.

The effect of ultrasound treatment (300 W; 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 min) on the extractability of acid soluble collagen from yellowfin tuna skin and its structural, physicochemical and functional properties were investigated. Ultrasound treatments significantly increased collagen extraction yield from the tuna skin up to 2.7 times, compared to the conventional extraction with acetic acid. The level of proline, hydroxyproline and thermal stability of collagens increased by applying ultrasound while their native triple-stranded helical structure was well-preserved, as revealed by X-ray diffraction and FTIR spectroscopy. However, ultrasound treatment reduced the particle size of the collagens which increased their pH and salt induced solubility. The water holding capacity and the emulsifying properties of ultrasound treated collagens were also higher than those produced with the conventional method. Altogether, the results suggested that ultrasonication can be a promising assistant technology for improving native collagen extraction efficiency from tuna skin and its functionality but its duration should be carefully optimized.

Prediction of 6 months endoscopic third ventriculostomy success rate in patients with hydrocephalus using a multi-layer perceptron network.

OBJECTIVE: Discrimination between patients most likely to benefit from endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and those at higher risk of failure is challenging. Compared to other standard models, we have tried to develop a prognostic multi-layer perceptron model based on potentially high-impact new variables for predicting the ETV success score (ETVSS). METHODS: Clinical and radiological data of 128 patients have been collected, and ETV outcomes were evaluated. The success of ETV was defined as remission of symptoms and not requiring VPS for six months after surgery. Several clinical and radiological features have been used to construct the model. Then the Binary Gravitational Search algorithm was applied to extract the best set of features. Finally, two models were created based on these features, multi-layer perceptron, and logistic regression. RESULTS: Eight variables have been selected (age, callosal angle, bifrontal angle, bicaudate index, subdural hygroma, temporal horn width, third ventricle width, frontal horn width). The neural network model was constructed upon the selected features. The result was AUC:0.913 and accuracy:0.859. Then the BGSA algorithm removed half of the features, and the remaining (Age, Temporal horn width, Bifrontal angle, Frontal horn width) were applied to construct models. The ANN could reach an accuracy of 0.84, AUC:0.858 and Positive Predictive Value (PPV): 0.92, which was higher than the logistic regression model (accuracy:0.80, AUC: 0.819, PPV: 0.89). CONCLUSION: The research findings have shown that the MLP model is more effective than the classic logistic regression tools in predicting ETV success rate. In this model, two newly added features, the width of the lateral ventricle's temporal horn and the lateral ventricle's frontal horn, yield a relatively high inter-observer reliability.

Gene selection using pyramid gravitational search algorithm.

Genetics play a prominent role in the development and progression of malignant neoplasms. Identification of the relevant genes is a high-dimensional data processing problem. Pyramid gravitational search algorithm (PGSA), a hybrid method in which the number of genes is cyclically reduced is proposed to conquer the curse of dimensionality. PGSA consists of two elements, a filter and a wrapper method (inspired by the gravitational search algorithm) which iterates through cycles. The genes selected in each cycle are passed on to the subsequent cycles to further reduce the dimension. PGSA tries to maximize the classification accuracy using the most informative genes while reducing the number of genes. Results are reported on a multi-class microarray gene expression dataset for breast cancer. Several feature selection algorithms have been implemented to have a fair comparison. The PGSA ranked first in terms of accuracy (84.5%) with 73 genes. To check if the selected genes are meaningful in terms of patient's survival and response to therapy, protein-protein interaction network analysis has been applied on the genes. An interesting pattern was emerged when examining the genetic network. HSP90AA1, PTK2 and SRC genes were amongst the top-rated bottleneck genes, and DNA damage, cell adhesion and migration pathways are highly enriched in the network.

Bioactive functional ingredients from aquatic origin: a review of recent progress in marine-derived nutraceuticals.

There is increasing demand from consumers for healthier and more sustainable foods. The marine biosphere is a rich source of health-promoting substances like bioactive peptides, polysaccharides, polyunsaturated lipids, carotenoids, polyphenolic compounds, minerals, saponins, and phytosterols. These substances display a myriad of potentially beneficial biological functions including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-Alzheimer, anti-fibrotic, neuroprotective, sleep-enhancing, lipid-lowering, wound healing, and skin protection activities. This review provides an update on recent research on bioactive ingredients derived from aquatic sources and highlights their potential application in the food, supplement, and pharmaceutical industries. Key techno-functional and sensorial attributes of these substances are reviewed, as well as their gastrointestinal fate and potential toxicity. This review should provide academia and industry with new insights into the potential application of marine bioactives in products intended to improve human health and wellbeing.

Antioxidant properties of Klunzinger's mullet (Liza klunzingeri) protein hydrolysates prepared with enzymatic hydrolysis using a commercial protease and microbial hydrolysis with Bacillus licheniformis.

Antioxidant activity of Klunzinger's mullet (Liza klunzingeri) muscle hydrolysates obtained using Bacillus licheniformis fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis was determined. Hydrolysates obtained after 6 days of fermentation with B. licheniformis showed the highest free radical scavenging activity, metal chelating ability and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (P ≤ 0.05). Microbial fermentation led to a higher percentage of small peptides and higher solubility compared with Alcalase hydrolysis (P ≤ 0.05). Hydrolysates showing the highest antioxidant properties attenuated serum, liver, and kidney oxidative stress biomarkers in male Wister rats stressed by carbon tetrachloride (P ≤ 0.05). At 300 mg/kg oral administration, hydrolysates increased serum, renal, and hepatic total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (P ≤ 0.05) and reduced their elevated levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO•), and serum liver enzymes (AST, ALP, and ALT) (P ≤ 0.05). The hydrolysates were able to ameliorate hepatic damage by reducing necrosis, fatty changes, and inflammation. Results showed the antioxidant and hepato-toxic protective activities of Klunzinger's mullet muscle hydrolysates obtained using microbial fermentation, which may, therefore, potentially be considered as a functional food ingredient.