Auditory processing abilities in children with chronic otitis media with effusion

Conclusion The study results indicate that children with a history of otitis media with effusion (OME) suffer from auditory processing disorder to some degree. The findings support the hypothesis that fluctuating hearing loss may affect central auditory processing during critical periods.

Objectives Evidence suggests that prolonged OME in children can result in an auditory processing disorder, presumably because hearing has been disrupted during an important developmental period. A lack of auditory stimulation leads to the abnormal development of the hearing pathways in the brain. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of OME on binaural auditory function and auditory temporal processing.

Method In the present study, the dichotic digit test (DDT) was used for binaural hearing, and the gap in noise (GIN) test was used to evaluate temporal hearing processing.

Results The average values of GIN differed significantly between children with a history of OME and normal controls (p?p?=?0.002).     

The Role of Peer Support Group in Subjective Well-Being of Wives of War Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

This study aimed to investigate the effect of peer support group on subjective well-being (SWB) of wives of war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Selected participants were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups (n?=?40 for each group). The intervention group was divided into four subgroups, with each participating in 8 weekly based 1.5?hr peer support group sessions. SWB and its dimensions in the intervention group increased significantly higher than those in the control group (p?<?0.001). Peer support group can be a useful tool to enhance SWB in spouses of war veterans with PTSD.     

Ligand-based pharmacophore detection, screening of potential pharmacophore and docking studies, to get effective glycogen synthase kinase inhibitors

Glycogen synthase kinase has been identified as an emerging target for various diseases, e.g., type-II diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, inflammation, cancer, and bipolar disorder. We have identified thirty-one advanced clinically effective GSK-3 ligands, which have been used to establish ligand-based three-dimensional pharmacophore to know the essential features of glycogen synthase kinase inhibitors. Pharmacophore model was built based on known glycogen synthase kinase inhibitors using web-based PharmaGist program. Four point’s pharmacophore with hydrogen-bond acceptors, hydrophobic groups, spatial features, and aromatic rings have been considered to develop pharmacophoric features by PharmaGist program. The pharmacophore model having score 28.169, were selected to screen on ZincPharmer database to derive the novel GSK-3 ligands. All identified Zinc ligands have been filtered, based on the Lipinski’s rule‐of‐five and were also subjected to molecular docking studies. In the present research work, we have covered the ligand-based pharmacophore identification and screening of potential pharmacophore on the ZincPharmer database to derive the fifty novel GSK-3 ligands, having potential to inhibit GSK-3 enzyme. Obtained GSK-3 ligands were docked on GSK-3 enzyme, to support enzyme-ligands interaction features. We have also reviewed the obtained GSK-3 ligands in the traditional Maximal Common Substructure approach.     

Aortiopulmonary Window: Detection with Multislice Computed Tomography

A young man presented to our center with dyspnea. Echocardiograpy showed a low ejection fraction and a connection between the ascending aorta and the pulmonary artery. Multislice computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis. He underwent successful repair of the connection.     

Thymol,thyme, and other plant sources: Health and potential uses

Thymol is a naturally occurring phenol monoterpene derivative of cymene and isomer of carvacrol. Thymol (10–64%) is one of the major constituent of essential oils of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L., Lamiaceae), a medicinal plant with several therapeutic properties. This plant, native to Mediterranean regions, is commonly used as a culinary herb and also with a long history of use for different medicinal purposes. Nowadays, thymol and thyme present a wide range of functional possibilities in pharmacy, food, and cosmetic industry. The interest in the formulation of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals based on thymol is due to several studies that have evaluated the potential therapeutic uses of this compound for the treatment of disorders affecting the respiratory, nervous, and cardiovascular systems. Moreover, this compound also exhibits antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticarcinogenesis, anti‐inflammatory, and antispasmodic activities, as well as a potential as a growth enhancer and immunomodulator. In the present review, these bioactivities have been covered because some of them can contribute to explain the ethnopharmacology of thymol and its main source, T. vulgaris. Other important aspects about thymol are discussed: its toxicity and bioavailability, metabolism, and distribution in animals and humans.     

Facile,rapid and efficient isolation of circulating tumor cells using aptamer-targeted magnetic nanoparticles integrated with a microfluidic device

Facile and sensitive detection and isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) was achieved using the aptamer-targeted magnetic nanoparticles (Apt-MNPs) in conjugation with a microfluidic device. Apt-MNPs were developed by the covalent attachment of anti-MUC1 aptamer to the silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles via the glutaraldehyde linkers. Apt-MNPs displayed high stability and functionality after 6 months of storage at 4 °C. The specific microfluidic device consisting of mixing, sorting and separation modules was fabricated through conventional photo- and soft-lithography by using polydimethylsiloxane. The capture efficiency of Apt-MNPs was first studied in vitro on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines in the bulk and microfluidic platforms. The cell capture yields of more than 91% were obtained at the optimum condition after 60 minutes of exposure to 50 μg mL⁻¹ Apt-MNPs with 10 to 10⁶ cancer cells in different media. CTCs were also isolated efficiently from the blood samples of breast cancer patients and successfully propagated in vitro. The isolated CTCs were further characterized using immunofluorescence staining. The overall results indicated the high potential of the present method for the detection and capture of CTCs.

Facile and sensitive detection and isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) was achieved using the aptamer-targeted magnetic nanoparticles (Apt-MNPs) in conjugation with a microfluidic device.     

Detection of anabolic androgenic steroids in serum samples

When testing for anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) outside sports communities, for example, in healthcare and forensic medicine, urine is the matrix of choice. However, there are drawbacks with urinary sampling, and serum might be useful as a complementary matrix. The aim was to develop an LC–MS/MS method for serum measuring AAS frequently used outside of sport, including testosterone (T), steroid esters, and eight other synthetic AAS. The sample pretreatment included sample precipitation and evaporation. Limit of quantification for the AAS was 0.05–0.5 ng/mL, and linearity was 0.05–20 ng/mL for most of the substances. Generally, the within- and between-day CV results, matrix effect, and process efficiency were <15%. The AAS were stable for at least 6 months at −20°C. Serum samples were obtained from previous studies. A novel finding from an administration study was that T enanthate was present in serum even after 5 years of storage at −20°C. Serum samples from self-reporting AAS individuals, where T esters were detected, were positive for testosterone using the urinary testosterone/epitestosterone criterion >10. Of those identified as positive in traditional urinary doping tests (n = 15), AAS in serum were found in 80% of the subjects. Our results show that serum may be a valid complementary matrix to urine samples for AAS testing.