A Silver Compound with Potential Applications as an Anticancer, Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Anti-Alzheimer's Agent.

This study investigated the biological activity of the silver coordination compound K-22. The IC50 values of K-22 on cancer cell lines range from 0.797 µg/mL to 3.426 µg/mL, indicating that K-22 might preferably inhibit A549, Saos-2, MCF-7, and HT-29 cell proliferation and thus have better therapeutic activity. Furthermore, K-22 stimulated apoptosis via up-regulation of the mRNA and protein expression level of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in A549, Saos-2, MCF-7, and HT-29. K-22 exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, E. faecalis, K. pneumonia, P. aeruginosa, C. utilis, and C. albicans. Experimental results show that the compound has inhibitory potential with an IC50 value of 178.10 µM for the BChE (butyrylcholinesterase) enzyme, which has a vital role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. As a result, compound K-22 exhibits a strong potential for medical use due to its anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-Alzheimer properties.

Potassium Ion Channel Protein (KCNH) Levels in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome.

Although there is not yet full clarity of the pathogenesis of fibromyalgia syndrome (FM), central sensitization is considered to be responsible. The purpose of this study was to measure the plasma levels of potassium ion channel proteins (human KCNH2, KCNH6 and KCNH7) in FM patients and healthy control subjects. The study sample includes 76 newly diagnosed FM patients and 79 healthy individuals. Venous blood samples were taken to measure the plasma levels of KCNH2, KCNH6 and KCNH7. Pain severity in FM patients was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS). Bioinformatics analysis was performed using the STRING v 11 Protein interaction tool. Age, gender and body mass index were seen to be similar in both groups. In comparisons between FM and control groups, KCNH2 plasma levels was found to be significantly lower in the FM group. No significant correlation was found between plasma levels of KCNH2, KCNH6 and KCNH7 protein levels and VAS score of patients with FM. The KCNH2 protein had a high homology score with 9 proteins. The plasma levels of KCNH2 FM patients were found to be lower than those of the healthy control subjects, no difference was determined in respect of the plasma levels of KCNH6 and KCNH7. These results may be of use in guiding future studies on the pathogenesis of FM.

Novel amino acid Schiff base Zn(II) complexes as new therapeutic approaches in diabetes and Alzheimer's disease: Synthesis, characterization, biological evaluation, and molecular docking studies.

Schiff bases are compounds that have gained importance in the paint industry due to their colorful nature and in the field of chemistry and biochemistry due to their biological activities. Various biological applications of Schiff bases, such as antitumor, antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, antituberculosis, and anthelmintic, have been widely studied. Within the scope of the study, 5-bromo-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde and amino acid methyl esters (isoleucine, phenylalanine, and methionine) and amino acid Schiff bases were synthesized first. The synthesis of the new Zn(II) complexes of these Schiff bases was carried out by the reaction of synthesized Schiff bases and Zn(OAc)2 ·2H2 O. The structures of the synthesized complexes were elucidated using elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, UV-visible, and thermal analysis spectroscopy techniques. These synthesized salts were found to be effective inhibitor compounds for the α-glycosidase, and acetylcholinesterase enzyme with Ki values in the range of 30.50 ± 3.82-38.17 ± 6.26 µM for α-glycosidase, 3.68 ± 0.54-10.27 ± 1.68 µM for butyrylcholinesterase, and 6.26 ± 0.83-15.73 ± 4.73 µM for acetylcholinesterase, respectively.

Micro-Raman Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction Analyses of the Core and Shell Compartments of an Iron-Rich Fulgurite.

Fulgurites are naturally occurring structures that are formed when lightning discharges reach the ground. In this investigation, the mineralogical compositions of core and shell compartments of a rare, iron-rich fulgurite from the Mongolian Gobi Desert were investigated by X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The interpretation of the Raman data was helped by chemometric analysis, using both multivariate curve resolution (MCR) and principal component analysis (PCA), which allowed for the fast identification of the minerals present in each region of the fulgurite. In the core of the fulgurite, quartz, microcline, albite, hematite, and barite were first identified based on the Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics analyses. In contrast, in the shell compartment of the fulgurite, the detected minerals were quartz, a mixture of the K-feldspars orthoclase and microcline, albite, hematite, and goethite. The Raman spectroscopy results were confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis of powdered samples of the two fulgurite regions, and are consistent with infrared spectroscopy data, being also in agreement with the petrographic analysis of the fulgurite, including scanning electron microscopy with backscattering electrons (SEM-BSE) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) data. The observed differences in the mineralogical composition of the core and shell regions of the studied fulgurite can be explained by taking into account the effects of both the diffusion of the melted material to the periphery of the fulgurite following the lightning and the faster cooling at the external shell region, together with the differential properties of the various minerals. The heavier materials diffused slower, leading to the concentration in the core of the fulgurite of the iron and barium containing minerals, hematite, and barite. They first underwent subsequent partial transformation into goethite due to meteoric water within the shell of the fulgurite. The faster cooling of the shell region kinetically trapped orthoclase, while the slower cooling in the core area allowed for the extensive formation of microcline, a lower temperature polymorph of orthoclase, thus justifying the prevalence of microcline in the core and a mixture of the two polymorphs in the shell. The total amount of the K-feldspars decreases only slightly in the shell, while quartz and albite appeared in somewhat larger amounts in this compartment of the fulgurite. On the other hand, at the surface of the fulgurite, barite could not be stabilized due to sulfate lost (in the form of SO2 plus O2 gaseous products). The conjugation of the performed Raman spectroscopy experiments with the chemometrics analysis (PCA and, in particular, MCR analyses) was shown to allow for the fast identification of the minerals present in the two compartments (shell and core) of the sample. This way, the XRD experiments could be done while knowing in advance the minerals that were present in the samples, strongly facilitating the data analysis, which for compositionally complex samples, such as that studied in the present investigation, would have been very much challenging, if possible.

PLS-DA Model for the Evaluation of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents through Blood Serum FTIR Spectra.

Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It affects ~10% of the world's population of children, and about 30-50% of those diagnosed in childhood continue to show ADHD symptoms later, with 2-5% of adults having the condition. Current diagnosis of ADHD is based on the clinical evaluation of the patient, and on interviews performed by clinicians with parents and teachers of the children, which, together with the fact that it shares common symptoms and frequent comorbidities with other neurodevelopmental disorders, makes the accurate and timely diagnosis of the disorder a difficult task. Despite the large effort to identify reliable biomarkers that can be used in a clinical environment to support clinical diagnosis, this goal has never been achieved hitherto. In the present study, infrared spectroscopy was used together with multivariate statistical methods (hierarchical clustering and partial least-squares discriminant analysis) to develop a model based on the spectra of blood serum samples that is able to distinguish ADHD patients from healthy individuals. The developed model used an approach where the whole infrared spectrum (in the 3700-900 cm-1 range) was taken as a holistic imprint of the biochemical blood serum environment (spectroscopic biomarker), overcoming the need for the search of any particular chemical substance associated with the disorder (molecular biomarker). The developed model is based on a sensitive and reliable technique, which is cheap and fast, thus appearing promising to use as a complementary diagnostic tool in the clinical environment.

Validity, reliability, and factor structure of the Istanbul Low Back Pain Disability Index in axial spondyloarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the validation and reliability of Istanbul Low Back Pain Disability Index (ILBPDI) in axial spondyloarthritis (Ax-SpA). METHODS: Patients with Ax-SpA according to The Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society criteria were recruited. The validation was assessed by face, content, and construct (convergent and divergent) validities, whereas the reliability was assessed by internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Factor analysis was performed. Convergent validity was assessed by correlations of ILBPDI with functional parameters (The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, The Dougados Functional Index, and The Health Assessment Questionnaire). Divergent validity was assessed by correlations of ILBPDI with non-functional parameters. RESULTS: Two hundred forty patients were recruited. Cognitive debriefing showed ILBPDI to be clear, relevant, and comprehensive. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.953. The test-retest reliability was good with the intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.870. ILBPDI was represented by three-factor groups of activity: axial bending, sitting/rest, and standing activities. ILBPDI had good correlations with the functional parameters (rho changes between 0.809 and 0.580), and it had poor or non-significant correlations with the non-functional parameters (absolute rho changes between 0.669 and 0.001). CONCLUSION: ILBPDI is a practical, accurate, and non-time-consuming scale which is valid and reliable to evaluate the functional disability in patients with Ax-SpA.

Bioactivity and molecular docking studies of some nickel complexes: New analogues for the treatment of Alzheimer, glaucoma and epileptic diseases.

The interaction of the coordination compounds with biological molecules resulted in the investigation of the drug potential of these molecules. In this study, enzyme inhibition of DSA (1-3) coordination compounds that were previously investigated for their anticancer and antibacterial properties was investigated. Also, DSA (1-3) had Ki values of 635.30 + 152.62, 184.01 + 90.05, and 163.03 ± 60.01 µM against human carbonic anhydrase I, 352.23 ± 143.09, 46.2 ± 15.47, and 54.117 ± 18.80 µM against AChE, 310.64 ± 97.35, 35.54 ± 7.01, and 101.51 ± 15.314 µM against BChE, respectively. The biological activity values of these compounds against enzymes whose name are AChE, BChE, and hCAI were compared. Ellman and Verporte methods were used for the study of these enzymes. Cholinesterase inhibitors, also known as anti-cholinesterase and cholinesterase blocking drugs, are chemicals that prevent the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine or butyrylcholine. They may be used as drugs for Alzheimer's and myasthenia gravis. It is a common method for comparing biological activity values of nickel complexes with molecular docking calculations. Nickel complexes were studied against enzymes that are human carbonic anhydrase isozyme I for ID 2CAB (hCA I), butyrylcholinesterase for ID 1P0I (BChE), and acetylcholinesterase for ID 1EEA (AChE), respectively.

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Based Complementary Diagnosis Tool for Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children and Adolescents.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that begins early in life and continues lifelong with strong personal and societal implications. It affects about 1%-2% of the children population in the world. The absence of auxiliary methods that can complement the clinical evaluation of ASD increases the probability of false identification of the disorder, especially in the case of very young children. In this study, analytical models for auxiliary diagnosis of ASD in children and adolescents, based on the analysis of patients' blood serum ATR-FTIR (Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared) spectra, were developed. The models use chemometrics (either Principal Component Analysis (PCA) or Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA)) methods, with the infrared spectra being the X-predictor variables. The two developed models exhibit excellent classification performance for samples of ASD individuals vs. healthy controls. Interestingly, the simplest, unsupervised PCA-based model results to have a global performance identical to the more demanding, supervised (PLS-DA)-based model. The developed PCA-based model thus appears as the more economical alternative one for use in the clinical environment. Hierarchical clustering analysis performed on the full set of samples was also successful in discriminating the two groups.

Evaluation of hearing loss and tinnitus in Behcet's disease.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate sensorineuralhearing loss (SHNL) and tinnitus in patients with Behcet's disease (BD), while also determining the association between the clinical symptoms of BD and the disease duration with the development of hearing loss. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 44 patients with BD and 42 healthy volunteers as the control group. The level of tinnitus-induced annoyance and the effects of tinnitus on daily life were evaluated with Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ). The hearing levels of all participants were measured with high-frequency audiometry and transient auto-acoustic emission tests. RESULTS: The patients with BD were significantly more affected by SNHL and tinnitus than the controls (p < 0.05). The correlation between disease duration and age among those with SNHL was statistically significant (p < 0.05). No association was found between the clinical findings and SNHL and tinnitus (p > 0.05) in the BD patients. CONCLUSION: In the present study, high-frequency SNHL was found to be common in among the patients with BD. SNHL in BD is positively correlated with the patients' age of the and the disease duration.

Common Mistakes in the Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) in Turkey. A Retrospective Descriptive Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a widespread metabolic bone disease representing a global public health problem currently affecting more than two hundred million people worldwide. The World Health Organization states that dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the best densitometric technique for assessing bone mineral density (BMD). DXA provides an accurate diagnosis of osteoporosis, a good estimation of fracture risk, and is a useful tool for monitoring patients undergoing treatment. Common mistakes in BMD testing can be divided into four principal categories: 1) indication errors, 2) lack of quality control and calibration, 3) analysis and interpretation errors, and 4) inappropriate acquisition techniques. The aim of this retrospective multicenter descriptive study is to identify the common errors in the application of the DXA technique in Turkey. METHODS: All DXA scans performed during the observation period were included in the study if the measurements of both, the lumbar spine and proximal femur were recorded. Forearm measurement, total body measurements, and measurements performed on children were excluded. Each examination was surveyed by 30 consultants from 20 different centers each informed and trained in the principles of and the standards for DXA scanning before the study. RESULTS: A total of 3,212 DXA scan results from 20 different centers in 15 different Turkish cities were collected. The percentage of the discovered erroneous measurements varied from 10.5% to 65.5% in the lumbar spine and from 21.3% to 74.2% in the proximal femur. The overall error rate was found to be 31.8% (n = 1021) for the lumbar spine and 49.0% (n = 1576) for the proximal femur. CONCLUSION: In Turkey, DXA measurements of BMD have been in use for over 20 years, and examination processes continue to improve. There is no educational standard for operator training, and a lack of knowledge can lead to significant errors in the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation.

The Platelet Parameters as Inflammatory Markers in Preschool Children with Atopic Eczema.

BACKGROUND: Mean platelet volume has been frequently used as an inflammatory marker in various diseases associated with inflammation. In this study, we compared platelet parameter levels between preschool children with and without atopic eczema (AE). METHODS: Preschool children with AE and age-matched healthy children were included in the study. Complete blood count was assessed in children with AE while platelet parameters were compared between children with and without AE. RESULTS: One hundred twenty eight pediatric patients (78 boys, mean age: 14 months) diagnosed with AE and 128 healthy patients (71 boys, mean age: 12 months ) were included in the study. There were no statistically significant differences between the genders (p = 0.375) and ages (p = 0.273) of both groups. WBC (p = 0.952), Hb (p = 0.370), MCV (p = 0.314) and RDW values (p = 0.124), and platelet counts (p = 0.198) of both groups were similar. In the AE group, while the MPV value was found to be higher (p = 0.003), mean PDW value (p = 0.025) and PLT/MPV ratio were found to be lower (p = 0.021). In addition, there was no correlation between the severity of AE and MPV (rho; 0.1, p = 0.257), PDW (rho; -0.1, p = 0.269) and PLT/MPV (rho; 0.07, p = 0.432) ratio. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with AE, as a sign of inflammation, PDW value and PLT/MPV ratio decrease while MPV value increases. This study has also shown that there is no association between the severity of AE and platelet parameters.

Human milk banking and milk kinship: Perspectives of mothers in a Muslim country.

AIM: The present study aims to determine the knowledge, attitudes and views of mothers regarding infant feeding, breast milk, wet-nursing, milk kinship and human milk banks. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was composed of 1042 mothers who delivered at two different hospitals in Turkey. RESULTS: Almost half of the participating mothers, 49.9%, agreed with the establishment of alternative HMBs in Turkey. Only 7.7% of the mothers in this study expressed views in favour of the establishment of Western-style HMBs. Approximately half of the mothers (42.4%) indicated that they were against the establishment of any kind of HMBs in Turkey. Only 9.2% of the mothers in this study stated that they would volunteer to donate their breast milk to the Western-style HMBs, and only 6.9% of the mothers approved obtaining milk from this type of HMB. Finally, 44.2% of the mothers stated that they would donate their breast milk to the alternative HMBs, and 31.9% of the mothers approved obtaining milk from this type of HMB. CONCLUSION: This is the first study conducted among mothers in a Muslim community about issues such as infant feeding, breast milk, wet-nursing, milk kinship and HMBs. The majority of the mothers in this study are against the establishment of Western-style HMBs, whereas they have a more positive response to an alternative HMB when their religious concerns are relieved.

Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin as an early biomarker for prediction of acute kidney injury in preterm infants.

BACKGROUND: Our aims are to determine whether the urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) can predict acute kidney injury (AKI) development in nonseptic and nonasphyxiated but critically ill preterm infants. METHODS: Fifty preterm infants, gestational age (GA) between 28 and 34 weeks, were included in this case control study. Blood and urine samples were taken for blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and uNGAL on postnatal (PN) days 1 and 7. uNGAL levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Clinical and laboratory characteristics of the AKI group were compared with the non-AKI group. RESULTS: AKI was diagnosed in six infants during the first week. The median uNGAL levels were significantly higher in the preterm infants with AKI than those of the controls on PN days 1 and 7 (p = 0.006 and p = 0.023, respectively). Backward stepwise logistic regression analysis identified that 5-minute Apgar score and uNGAL levels were significantly associated with the development of AKI, even after controlling for GA, birth weight, gender, and 1-minute Apgar score in nonseptic and nonasphyxiated but critically ill preterm infants. CONCLUSIONS: uNGAL can be useful as a predictive marker of AKI in nonseptic and nonasphyxiated but critically ill preterm infants.

Tissue Doppler, strain, and strain rate measurements assessed by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in healthy newborns and infants.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate cardiac maturational and haemodynamic alteration in healthy newborns and infants and determine reference values in this period using tissue Doppler, strain, and strain rate echocardiography. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 149 healthy subjects. Babies from 1 day to 3 months were selected from the well-baby nursery department, and infants were selected from paediatric clinics during routine visits for health maintenance. Subjects were allocated to four groups: preterm (36-37 weeks, n = 32), term (≥ 38 weeks, n = 32), 1 month of age (n = 47), and 3 months of age (n = 38). Standard echocardiographic evaluations, pulsed wave Doppler, tissue Doppler echocardiography, strain, and strain rate studies were applied by the same person using a MyLab50 echo machine. Longitudinal and circumferential systolic strain and strain rate measurements were assessed by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in all subjects. RESULTS: The longitudinal systolic velocity, strain, and strain rate values derived from left ventricle apical four-, three-, and two-chamber images, and circumferential systolic velocity, strain, and strain rate values derived from left ventricle short-axis images decreased from the base to the apex in all subjects (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Significant cardiac haemodynamic alterations occurred during the newborn and early infancy periods and were detected by tissue Doppler, strain, and strain rate echocardiography. Although two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography is useful and can produce improved, reliable results in clinical practice, it has some limitations. Therefore, more studies on this issue are required.

Surgical management of immature teratoma involving the oral cavity and orbit in a neonate.

Teratomas are congenital germ cell tumors composed of elements from 1 or more of the embryonic germ layers and contain tissues usually foreign to the anatomic site of origin. In the head and neck region, these lesions are rare, and 90% of head and neck teratomas present during the neonatal and infantile periods. Besides, in neonates, it carries serious risk for respiratory distress as well as feeding problems due to oral cavity and airway obstruction.Here, an unusual case of intraoral teratoma involving the orbit in a newborn who underwent immediate surgical excision successfully is described.

Investigation of Early Growth Response Protein (EGR) Levels in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a soft tissue rheumatism characterized by chronic and widespread musculoskeletal pain at specific points in the body. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between Early Growth Response (EGR1, EGR2, and EGR3) protein levels in patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) and healthy controls. METHODS: In our studies, 76 FMS patient group and 78 healthy control group who were newly diagnosed with primary FMS according to the 2010 American College of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia in Sivas Cumhuriyet University Hospital, Physical Therapy, and Rehabilitation were used. Venous blood samples were taken from both groups for the measurement of EGR1, EGR2, and EGR3 protein plasma levels, and protein levels were determined using ELISA methods. Statistical parametric test assumptions were compared using the Independent Student's t-test. In addition, specificity, sensitivity, and AUC values were calculated with the ROC curve. RESULTS: The relationship between plasma EGR1 protein levels of FMS patients and control groups was statistically significant (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: EGR1 protein levels were found to be lower in the patient group diagnosed with FMS compared to the control group. It has been suggested that EGR1 protein levels can be important in the diagnosis of FMS disease.

Eco-friendly Synthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles using Juglans regia Extract and their Anti-Trichomonas vaginalis, Anticancer, and Antimicrobial Effects.

BACKGROUND: Green synthesis is an efficient and eco-friendly method that has been used frequently in silver nanoparticle production in recent years. This method facilitates the production of nanoparticles using various organisms, such as plants, and is also cheaper and easier to apply than the other techniques. AIMS: This study aims to find possible mechanisms and pharmacological effects of cubic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). OBJECTIVES: This study characterizes cubic AgNPs and describes in detail their anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti- Trichomonas vaginalis abilities. METHODS: Silver nanoparticles were produced by green synthesis using Juglans regia (walnut) leaf aqueous extract. We validated the formation of AgNPs by UV-vis spectroscopy, FTIR analysis, and SEM micrographs. To determine the pharmacological effects of the AgNPs, we conducted anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and anti-parasitic activity experiments. RESULTS: Cytotoxicity data revealed that AgNPs have cellular inhibitory properties on cancerous MCF7 (breast), HeLa (cervix), C6 (glioma), and HT29 (colorectal) cell lines. Similar results are also obtained with anti-bacterial and anti- Trichomonas vaginalis activity experiments. At certain concentrations, AgNPs displayed stronger anti-bacterial activities than the sulbactam/cefoperazone antibiotic combination in five bacteria species. Furthermore, the 12-h AgNPs treatment exhibited satisfactory anti-Trichomonas vaginalis activity similar to the FDA-approved metronidazole. CONCLUSION: Consequently, AgNPs produced by the green synthesis method by Juglans regia leaves showed remarkable anti-carcinogenic, anti-bacterial, and anti-trichomonas vaginalis activities. We propose the potential usefulness of green synthesized AgNPs as therapeutics.

Evaluation of the correlation between the Istanbul Low Back Pain Disability Index, Back Pain Functional Scale and other back pain disability scales in Turkish patients with low back pain.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is an important health problem that may cause functional loss. Several back pain disability scales have been developed in different languages. OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluates the correlation between the Istanbul Low Back Pain Disability Index (ILBPDI) the Back Pain Functional Scale (BPFS) and other back pain disability scales in patients with mechanical low back pain. METHODS: Included in the study were 105 patients who presented to our outpatient clinics and who were diagnosed with mechanical low back pain. The ILBPDI, BPFS, Quebec back pain disability scale (QBPDS) and Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire (ODI) were administered to all participants, and Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were recorded. RESULTS: A strongly negative correlation was identified between ILBPDI and BPFS (p< 0.05), and a strongly positive correlation was noted between ILBPDI and QBPDS, ODI and VAS. CONCLUSION: A strong correlation exists between ILBPDI and BPFS, and a further strong correlation between ILBPDI ODI and QBPDS. These questionnaires can be used interchangeably to evaluate disability associated with chronic mechanical low back pain.

Metabolomic profiling in ankylosing spondylitis using time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory disease associated with destructive changes in the skeleton and joints. The exact molecular mechanism of the disease has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to determine metabolic differences between active AS patients and healthy controls to understand the molecular mechanism of AS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 38 subjects, comprising 18 patients with active AS and 20 healthy controls. Metabolic profiling of the plasma was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC Q-TOF/MS). Data acquisition, classification, and identification were achieved with the METLIN (https://metlin.scripps.edu/) database and XCMS (https://xcmsonline.scripps.edu). RESULTS: Significant alterations were identified in the unsaturated fatty acids (FA), linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, FA degradation, and FA biosynthesis pathways. Down -regulations were observed in phosphatidylcholine (PC) (16:0/0:0), beta-d-Fructose, stearic acid, trimipramine N-Oxide and muconic acid, and up-regulation were detected in PC (18:2/0:0), 3-Methylindole, palmitic acid (PA), alpha-Tocotrienol, and beta-d-glucopyranoside in active AS patients compared to the healthy control subjects. CONCLUSION: Pathway analysis revealed that dysregulation in FA metabolism is associated with AS, and therefore, modulation of diet according to PA and PC may be potential therapeutic targets.

Biogenic Nanocopper: Eco-Friendly Synthesis, Characterization, and Their Anti-Trichomonas vaginalis, Anticancer, and Antimicrobial Effects.

Biogenic nanocopper (BNC) agents exhibit strong anticancer, antimicrobial, and antiparasitic effects. Their fewer side effects to normal cells cause them to be preferred to treat various diseases. Metal nanoparticles, particularly copper nanoparticles, are attracting more significant interest as therapeutic agents with the improvement of green synthesis methods. Studies to reduce the side effects of copper nanoparticles to exhibit strong pharmacological properties are progressing intensively. Here, BNCs with reduced side effects were synthesized using L-ascorbic acid as the reducing agent and various concentrations of copper (II) chloride. BNCs exhibited significant pharmacological activity on cancer, bacteria, and Trichomonas vaginalis cells. The newly synthesized BNCs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscope, and Differential/Thermal Gravimetric Analysis. The pharmacological activity of BNCs was evaluated by obtaining their inhibitor concentration and minimum inhibitory concentrations against some cancer, bacteria, and T. vaginalis cells. Newly synthesized BNCs have various shapes such as cubic, spherical, or rod and particle size distribution between 70 and 100 nm. According to experiment results, the newly synthesized BNCs were a significantly antiproliferative, antibacterial, and anti-T. vaginalis effect on cells compared to the control drugs. These findings confirm newly synthesized BNCs and their in vitro pharmacological potential. Further research should be targeted on the preclinical study of absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion/toxicity (ADME/Tox) and in vivo effects on cancer and microbial pathogens.