Sleep deprivation and quality of life among uterine cancer survivors: systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: While cancer survival might be a relief from a near-death health condition, the after-recovery period also predisposes the survivors to deteriorated quality of life as well as sleep deprivation. Patients with cancer may experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) throughout the diagnostic process and even after diagnosis is completed, especially when facing the possibility of tumor recurrence. Survivors, in particular, are frequently in a condition of uncertainty due to the 15 to 20% chance of recurrence within 3 years of the main treatment. Despite the high rate of cancer survival, which is believed to be around 83%, assessing quality of life after a cancer diagnosis can help to improve such results. PURPOSE: This article aimed to describe the sleep patterns among uterine cancer survivors and verify psychological and physical factors affecting their general qualities of life. According to the qualitative study, uterine cancer survivors who receive treatment, whether pharmaceutical or therapeutic, have a higher quality of life than those who do not. METHOD: PRISMA reporting was used for this systematic review. Electronic databases that were searched include PubMed, Cochrane Trial Register, and ScienceDirect for studies evaluating the sleep deprivation and quality of life among uterine cancer survivors. Ten publications were chosen based on inclusion criteria that included uterine cancer survivors who had finished their treatments and addressed sleep quality or overall quality of life. RESULTS: The main finding of the systematic review is that 61% of uterine cancer survivors had poor sleep quality, and 81% have a decreased quality of life. CONCLUSION: According to the most recent research, uterine cancer survivors suffer from sleep deprivation, which leads to a lower quality of life. However, the same study reveals that uterine cancer survivors suffering with sleep loss use a variety of cognitive behavioral therapy to improve their quality of life. Maintaining a healthy diet, incorporating physical activity into daily routines, receiving cognitive behavior therapy, participating in relevant training programs, and obtaining frequent depression and sexual health screenings are just a few of the CBT mechanisms mentioned.

Iron is a ligand of SecA-like metal-binding domains in vivo.

The ATPase SecA is an essential component of the bacterial Sec machinery, which transports proteins across the cytoplasmic membrane. Most SecA proteins contain a long C-terminal tail (CTT). In Escherichia coli, the CTT contains a structurally flexible linker domain and a small metal-binding domain (MBD). The MBD coordinates zinc via a conserved cysteine-containing motif and binds to SecB and ribosomes. In this study, we screened a high-density transposon library for mutants that affect the susceptibility of E. coli to sodium azide, which inhibits SecA-mediated translocation. Results from sequencing this library suggested that mutations removing the CTT make E. coli less susceptible to sodium azide at subinhibitory concentrations. Copurification experiments suggested that the MBD binds to iron and that azide disrupts iron binding. Azide also disrupted binding of SecA to membranes. Two other E. coli proteins that contain SecA-like MBDs, YecA and YchJ, also copurified with iron, and NMR spectroscopy experiments indicated that YecA binds iron via its MBD. Competition experiments and equilibrium binding measurements indicated that the SecA MBD binds preferentially to iron and that a conserved serine is required for this specificity. Finally, structural modeling suggested a plausible model for the octahedral coordination of iron. Taken together, our results suggest that SecA-like MBDs likely bind to iron in vivo.

Prognostic significance of hemoglobin level and autoimmune hemolytic anemia in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Higher levels of D-dimer, LDH, and ferritin, all have been associated with the poor prognosis of COVID-19. In a disease where there are acute inflammation and compromised oxygenation, we investigated the impact of initial hemoglobin (Hgb) levels at Emergency Department (ED) triage on the severity and the clinical course of COVID-19. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 601 COVID-19 patients in a COVID-19 national referral center between 13 and 27 June 2020. All adult patients presented at our hospital that required admission or hotel isolation were included in this study. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) had a lower initial Hgb than those admitted outside the ICU (12.84 g/dL vs. 13.31 g/dL, p = 0.026) and over the course of admission; the prevalence of anemia (Hgb < 12.5 g/dL) was 65% in patients admitted to ICU, whereas it was only 43% in non-ICU patients (odds ratio of 2.464, 95% CI 1.71-3.52). Anemic ICU patients had a higher mortality compared with non-anemic ICU patients (hazard ratio = 1.88, log-rank p = 0.0104). A direct agglutination test (DAT) for all anemic patients showed that 14.7% of ICU patients and 9% of non-ICU patients had autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). AIHA patients had significantly longer length of hospital stay compared with anemic patients without AIHA (17.1 days vs. 14.08 days, p = 0.034). Lower Hgb level at hospital presentation could be a potential surrogate for COVID-19 severity.

Synthesis, cytotoxic evaluation, and molecular docking studies of novel quinazoline derivatives with benzenesulfonamide and anilide tails: Dual inhibitors of EGFR/HER2.

We synthesized a new series of 2-[(3-(4-sulfamoylphenethyl)-4(3H)-quinazolinon-2-yl)thio]anilide derivatives (2-16) and evaluated their cytotoxic activity against breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29), and acute myeloid leukemia (HL-60 and K562) cells. To reveal their selectivity toward cancer cells, the compounds were also tested against the human fibroblast cell line, MRC-5. Compounds 1-5 exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against the tested cell lines with IC50 values of 0.65-3.86, 0.68-4.60, 0.41-1.45, 0.42-4.07, and 3.77-25.55 µM, respectively compared to sorafenib, the standard drug (IC50 2.50, 2.50, and 3.14 µM against MCF-7, HT-29, and HL60 cells, respectively). Interestingly, compounds 1-5 displayed selectivity toward the cancer cell lines over MRC-5 (IC50 3.77-25.55 µM). These compounds also displayed potent inhibitory activity against EGFR and HER2 kinases (IC50 0.09-0.43 and 0.15-0.33 µM, respectively) compared to the standard drug, sorafenib (IC50 0.11 and 0.13 µM, respectively). Likewise, compounds 1, 4, and 5 showed strong inhibitory activity against VEGFR2 (IC50 0.34, 0.28 and 0.39 µM, respectively) compared to sorafenib (IC50 0.17 µM). We also employed molecular docking to identify the structural features required for the EGFR/HER2 inhibitory activity of the new series. Ultimately, compounds 1, 4, and 5 were demonstrated to be candidates for further preclinical investigations.

Synthesis, anticancer, apoptosis-inducing activities and EGFR and VEGFR2 assay mechanistic studies of 5,5-diphenylimidazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives: Molecular docking studies.

A new series of 5,5-diphenylhydantoin derivatives containing benzylidene or isatin (4-19) was synthesized. Their anticancer activity against HeLa, a cervical cancer cell line, A549, a lung cancer cell line, and MDA-MB-231, a breast cancer cell line, was evaluated. Compounds 13, 16, 17 and 18 exhibited potent anticancer activity with average IC50 values against the tested cell lines of 109, 59, 81 and 113 µM, respectively. Compound 16 showed potent EGFR and VEGFR2 inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 6.17 and 0.09 µM, respectively. In addition, compound 16 induced caspase-dependent apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production at 5 and 10 µM. Moreover, a molecular docking simulation was performed for compound 16 and sunitinib to predict the protein-ligand interactions with the active site of VEGFR2.

Investigation of composed charged particles with suspension of ternary hybrid nanoparticles in 3D-power law model computed by Galerkin algorithm.

Transport of heat visualizes a vital role in many industrial developments. Current study is discussing the role of Joule heating, solar thermal radiation, heat generation/absorption, reactions (homogeneous and heterogeneous) with variable thermal conductivity on partially ionized power law material past over a three-dimensional heated stretched surface. The power law model is assumed to have the thermal characteristics of ethylene glycol material. The phenomenon of momentum and energy balance is derived in Cartesian coordinates and developed PD (partial differential)-equations. Swimming pools, solar collectors, food processing, electronic gadgets, cooling systems, magnetic field measurement, computer chips, thermal enhancement, semiconductor characterization, nuclear fusion research and other physical applications are examples of ongoing research. The principle of boundary layer simplified the governing problem. The complex coupled PD (partial differential)-equations have been converted into ordinary differential equations OD (ordinary differential)-equations by using appropriate similarity transformation. The converted boundary value problem is complex and highly nonlinear which does not have the exact solution. The approximate solution is computed numerically via finite element scheme (FES) which is coded in MAPLE 18.0 symbolic package. The convergence of the scheme is established through grid independent survey and the solution is plotted against numerous involved parameters. Thermal performance produced by [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]/EG is higher thermal performance produced by [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]/EG. Ion slip and Hall forces are responsible for generating Joule heating mechanism that is responsible for reduction of velocity curve and generating shear stresses. Hence, tangential stresses are declined against increasing [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].

Potentiometric planar platforms modified with a multiwalled carbon nanotube/polyaniline nanocomposite and based on imprinted polymers for erythromycin assessment.

A screen-printed potentiometric sensor for the erythromycin macrolide antibiotic (ERY) that is affordable, highly selective, and sensitive is made, described, and used for drug monitoring. Two circular carbon dots with a diameter of 4 mm make up the sensor. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes and polyaniline (f-MWCNTs/PANi) nanocomposites are used to change one carbon spot, which is then used as an ion-to-electron transfer material. Ag/AgCl is applied to the other spot, which is then used as a reference electrode. A solid-state polyvinyl butyral (PVB) is placed onto the second carbon spot to work as a reference electrode, and an ERY molecularly imprinted drug polymer (MIP) is coated onto the f-MWCNTs/PANi-containing strip to serve as a drug identification sensing material. Chronopotentiometry (CP) is used to analyze the integrated sensor's performance characteristics. It is confirmed that f-MWCNTs/PANi has an increased impact on the potential stability as well as the sensing membrane's interfacial double-layer capacitance. At a detection limit of 9.6 ± 0.4 × 10-7 M, the developed sensor exhibits a Nernstian slope of 54.0 ± 0.5 mV per decade (R2 = 0.9994) over the linear range of 4.6 × 10-6 to 1.0 × 10-3 M. When exposed to different related substances such azithromycin, clarithromycin, dirithromycin, paracetamol, and ascorbic acid, the sensor exhibits excellent selectivity. For the direct potentiometric determination of ERY in some pharmaceutical formulations and in samples of spiked human urine, the assay method has been validated and shown to be adequate. The obtained recovery ranges from 93.0 ± 0.5 to 104.3 ± 0.7 of the nominal or spiked concentration, with a mean relative standard deviation of ±0.6%. Due to the near closeness of the responsive membrane and the liquid junction, the use of all-solid-state electrodes coupled with a planar disposable platform enables applications with a minimum sample volume. The effectiveness of the suggested sensor in a complex urine matrix points to its use in hospitals for quick overdose patient detection as well as for quality control/quality assurance tests in the pharmaceutical sector.

Point-of-care paper-based analytical device for potentiometric detection of myoglobin as a cardiovascular disease biomarker.

One of the cardiac biomarkers, myoglobin (Mb), is important in the rapid identification of cardio-vascular disorders. Therefore, point-of-care monitoring is essential. Pursuing this goal, a robust, reliable, and affordable paper-based analytical apparatus for potentiometric sensing has been developed and characterized. The molecular imprint technique was used to create a customized biomimetic antibody for myoglobin (Mb) on the surface of carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-COOH). This was accomplished by attaching Mb to carboxylated MWCNTs' surfaces and then filling the empty spaces through the mild polymerization of acrylamide in N,N-methylenebisacrylamide and ammonium persulphate. The modification of the MWCNTs' surface was verified by SEM and FTIR analysis. A hydrophobic paper substrate coated with fluorinated alkyl silane (CF3(CF2)7CH2CH2SiCl3, CF10) has been coupled with a printed all-solid-state Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The presented sensors showed a linear range of 5.0 × 10-8 to 1.0 × 10-4 M with a potentiometric slope of -57.1 ± 0.3 mV decade-1 (R2 = 0.9998) and a detection limit of 28 nM at pH 4. Compared to creatinine, sucrose, fructose, galactose, sodium glutamate, thiamine, alanine, ammonium, uric acid, albumin, glutamine, guanine, troponine T, and glucose, the sensor showed good selectivity for Mb. It demonstrated a good recovery for the detection of Mb in several fake serum samples (93.0-103.3%), with an average relative standard deviation of 4.5%. The current approach might be viewed as a potentially fruitful analytical tool for obtaining disposable, cost-effective paper-based potentiometric sensing devices. These types of analytical devices can be potentially manufacturable at large scales in clinical analysis.

Paper-Based Analytical Device Based on Potentiometric Transduction for Sensitive Determination of Phenobarbital.

In medicine, barbiturates are a class of depressive medications used as hypnotics, anticonvulsants, and anxiolytics. For the treatment of specific forms of epilepsy and seizures in young children in underdeveloped countries, the World Health Organization recommends phenobarbital (PBAR), a barbiturate drug. This review describes the fabrication and characterization of a paper-based analytical apparatus for phenobarbital detection that is straightforward, affordable, portable, and disposable. All of the solid-state ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) for PBAR as well as a Ag/AgCl reference electrode were constructed and optimized on a nonconductive paper substrate. Using carbon nanotube ink, the sensors were made to function as an ion-to-electron transducer and to make the paper conductive. A suitable polymeric membrane is drop-cast onto the surface of the carbon ink orifice. The pyrido-tetrapeptide and pyrido-hexapeptide derivatives, which were recently synthesized, functioned as distinct ionophores in the PBAR-membrane sensor, enabling its detection. With a detection limit of 5.0 × 10-7 M, the manufactured analytical device demonstrated a Nernstian response to PBAR anions in 50 mM phosphate buffer, pH 8.5, over a linear range of 1.0 × 10-6 to 1.0 × 10-3 M. The PBAR-based sensors showed quick (less than 5 s) response times for PBAR ion detection. The modified separate solution method was utilized to evaluate the selectivity pattern of these novel ionophores with respect to PBAR ions in comparison to other common anions. The analytical instrument that was exhibited on paper had good precision both within and between days. The suggested technology assisted in the detection of trace amounts of PBAR in real pharmaceutical samples. A comparison was made between the data acquired using the HPLC reference method and the information obtained by the recommended potentiometric approach. The described paper-based analytical device may be a good choice for point-of-care PBAR determination because it is cheap and easy to find and can self-pump (especially when combined with potentiometric detection).

Evaluation of expelled droplets through traditional Islamic face coverings.

BACKGROUND: Expelled droplet count is an important factor when investigating the efficacy of face coverings since higher droplet counts indicate an increased possibility of disease transmission for airborne viruses such as COVID-19. While there is some published work relating facemask style to expelled droplet count during speech, there is no published data regarding the effectiveness of traditional Islamic face coverings such as the ghutra and niqab commonly worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula. OBJECTIVES: Measure the effectiveness of worn traditional Islamic face coverings in reducing expelled droplet count during speech. DESIGN: Experimental study SETTING: Biomedical engineering department at a university in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a previously described low-cost method for quantifying expelled droplets, this study compares droplet counts through commonly worn traditional Islamic face coverings and conventional three-ply surgical masks worn during speech. The device records scattered light from droplets (>5 µm diameter) as they pass through a laser light sheet (520 nm), and then video processing yields droplet counts. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Percent reduction in the number of expelled droplets passing through face coverings during speech compared to no face covering MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: 9-15 recorded samples per face covering (n=3) plus no face covering control (n=1) in three females. RESULTS: The average percent reduction for each mask type compared to no mask trial was 76% for the cotton ghutra, 93% for the niqab, and 95% for the surgical mask. The niqab and ghutra had relatively high variability in droplet reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Traditional Islamic face coverings block some expelled droplets, but at lower rates than surgical masks. High standard deviations within facemask groups with high variability in fit (i.e., the cotton ghutra) further denote the importance of fit in face covering effectiveness. Some protection from airborne viruses is likely with traditional Islamic face coverings compared to no mask, but the amount of protection depends on the fit of the face covering. LIMITATIONS: Detectable droplets limited to particles greater than 5 µm diameter with forward expulsion direction. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None.