Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including coronary artery disease and stroke, is the leading cause of death worldwide. Advances in primary and secondary prevention of CVD have improved patient prognoses and outcomes, however, it is imperative that the clinician and patient engage in early risk factor screening and preventive management of modifiable risk factors for CVD. In addition to blood lipid and blood pressure lowering medications, aspirin has been a long-standing therapy targeted to the prevention of CVD based on its antiplatelet and anti-inflammatory activity. However, recent articles and reports on updates to clinical guidelines for the primary prevention of CVD have resulted in confusion about aspirin recommendations. This review aims to assess the latest guidance on aspirin in CVD prevention and how to identify appropriately at-risk patients who may benefit from low-dose aspirin therapy as part of their CVD preventive healthcare choices. Additionally, this review will provide practical application guidance about clinician-patient conversations to clearly explain the benefits and risks of aspirin use and ensure a patient-centric decision to initiate aspirin therapy.
Mirko Avesani*, Graziella Beghini, Francesco Agnoliucilla Franchi, Camilla Vianello, Assunta Zamparelli, Cristiana Trevisan, Cinzia Scarpa, Nicola Siliprandi, Manuela Camiciaaura Adamiaura Rossiicia Mazzocchi, Maria Antonietta Conforto and L
Published on: 11th January, 2024
Introduction: We strongly believe that rs-fMRI using independent component analysis (ICA) must be considered as a technique to be systematically used in the near future, as positron emission tomography (PET TC) is today. Unfortunately, this technique is not yet used in Italy because, despite the studies just summarized, it is considered “experimental” and not routine without reasonable justification!Aim of the Study: We present two cases studied with these techniques, after the informed consent obtained by the patients1) A young woman from Sicily, in whom an rs-fMRI revealed her severe personality disorder, was found capable of insight and strong-willed and was therefore found guilty by the criminal court of the murder of her young son, with a strange motive: rs-fMRI cannot be considered part of the assessment because it is so far considered experimental. PET-TAC was also classified as routine in Italy after a long legal discussion. We hope that all these studies, which are now summarized in this review, will be considered useful, at least in Europe, when a judge has to decide whether to sentence a person with psychological or psychiatric problems or to consider them as a person to be treated in a specific residential home (called REMS in Italy).2) Another woman from Bergamo, after having killed a neighbor of hers, was, instead, considered not guilty because of her inability to want to kill him, and so admitted to a particular structure (REMS: residence to execution of security measures) to treat her problem, front temporal dementia, with a severe neuropsychiatric disorder (NPS), diagnosed after the crimen was fulfilled.Conclusions: These two interesting cases demonstrate that in Italy nowadays, we do not have a homogeneous methodology to investigate the ability to understand and want, limiting the study only to personality tests. Here we describe new techniques that may help in this objective.
With the increase in incidence and prevalence of myeloid neoplasms in India, it has become a necessity to understand its molecular mechanisms, acquisition of genomic alterations, and understand its primary and secondary resistance pathways which ultimately impact the decision of therapeutics. The objective of this review is to investigate the molecular aspects of this disease type and identify the biomarkers that help with diagnosis, risk assessment, prognosis, and selecting the best line of treatment for a specific myeloid neoplasm. Advancements and innovations in molecular technologies from simplest Real-Time PCR to high throughput next-generation sequencing have played a vital role in screening the most common mutations and fusions to the novel and rare. Molecular technologies have helped to enumerate the genomic landscape of myeloid malignancies. The understanding of both- the mechanisms and the technology is a strong combination as it has helped revolutionize precision oncology and helped in giving better therapeutic choices with better clinical outcomes. The importance of cellular morphology, clinical symptoms, and molecular pathology in assessing the risk of myeloid malignancies is emphasized and summarized in the review. The review concludes that understanding molecular pathogenesis can be improved by using clinical-pathological-molecular strategies for diagnosis and therapy decision-making.
One of the most important emerging pollutants is pharmaceutical active compounds, which may be responsible, for example, for ecotoxicological changes and microbiological resistance. Wastewater treatment plants are not adequately equipped to remove all of the emerging pollutants contained in the wastewater. The ultrafiltration process has been proven to be effective in traditional wastewater treatment, so it is important to assess the performance of such a technique in the partial elimination of pharmaceutical compounds to avoid contamination. In this work, an assessment of ultrafiltration process operating conditions for eliminating six pharmaceutical compounds: Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Naproxen, Diclofenac, Caffeine, and trimethoprim, present in different types of water is performed. Experimental design is a systematic and structured approach to conducting experiments, and its application can significantly improve the study of membrane technology, reducing the number of assays necessary to obtain meaningful results. The statistical principles application ensures that the results obtained are reliable and representative of the true effects of the variables being studied. Its application helps to obtain valid conclusions from the data and provides a solid basis for making decisions or recommendations regarding the tests and variables to take into account. Membrane processes can involve complex interactions between several factors. Experimental design helps to identify and understand these interactions, allowing researchers to discern the combined effects of different variables. This is crucial to accurately predict and optimize membrane performance.In this work, ANOVA analysis has been carried out in order to determine the influence of membrane cut-off, solution pH, and feed concentration, as well as their interactions, in permeate flux and the rejection index. The results obtained show similar behavior for Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Diclofenac, and Trimethoprim, being the pH the most important factor. However, no significant factors were found for the acetaminophen and the Caffeine.
Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a symmetrical length-dependent sensorimotor polyneuropathy due to chronic hyperglycemia. The World Health Organization (WHO) identified diabetes as a major global health concern. Diabetic neuropathy is characterized by motor dysfunctions (weakness and atrophy) especially at the distal muscles of lower limbs, and impaired dynamic muscular control in type 2 diabetes patients. Symptoms start in a distal-to proximal pattern in the feet, and ankle and proximally in the hip and knee for both flexors and extensors. Proximal muscle weakness affects postural stability. Dorsiflexor weakness causes increased hip, knee flexion and metatarsophalangeal extension in the initial swing whereas weakness in plantar flexors causes a greater amount of hip and knee flexion during the stance phase.Methodology: 34 subjects with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy who fulfilled all the inclusion criteria were recruited for the study. Ethical standards have been maintained and informed consent was taken. Subjects were randomly assigned by lottery method into two groups, intervention, and control with 17 in each. Since it is a single blinded study subjects were blinded about the interventions provided. Pre and post-test scores were taken before and after 4 weeks using Surface Electromyography (sEMG), Kinovea Software, Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) and Short Form -36 (SF-36).Results: The pre and post-score values of the kinematics of gait, Functional Gait Assessment, and Short Form - 36 were analyzed using a Paired t-test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank test within the group analysis, Mann- Whitney U test and Independent t-test for between the group analysis. Both groups displayed notable variations, whereas the intervention group exhibited more significant differences (p < 0.05). Thus, it can be inferred that lower extremity training significantly improves gait kinematics and quality of life in diabetic neuropathy.Conclusion: Lower extremity training is effective in improving the kinematics of gait and quality of life in diabetic neuropathy.
Karabinta Y*, Konaté M, Karambé T, Keita ACF, Dicko A, Traoré C, Sylla O, Coulibaly S, Gassama M, Koné C, Dissa L and Pr Kéita S
Published on: 7th February, 2024
Introduction: Corticosteroid therapy is widely used in dermatology for treating various conditions. In France, the cost of corticosteroid treatment varies, and in Mali, a significant prevalence of corticosteroid-treated diseases has been reported. Given the prolonged treatment duration often required, understanding the cost implications in resource-limited settings is crucial.Patients and methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study took place at the dermatology department of the University Hospital Center of Dermatology in Bamako. Data were prospectively collected from patients undergoing corticosteroid therapy over one year. Variables included sociodemographic data, clinical information, and medication costs.Results: During the study period, 24 cases of dermatoses treated with corticosteroids were identified among 125 hospitalized patients, representing a prevalence of 19.2%. Most patients were women (58.3%), with an average age of 37.5 years. Lichen planus (54.2%) and pemphigus (37.5%) were the most common pathologies. Many patients had extensive lesions before treatment, but the majority responded well to corticosteroids.Discussion: Despite study limitations, such as its descriptive nature, it provided valuable insights into the economic evaluation of long-term corticosteroid therapy. The predominance of women, the age distribution, and the prevalence of specific dermatoses were highlighted. The study also revealed the substantial financial burden of corticosteroid treatment, primarily driven by direct costs.Conclusion: The study underscores the financial challenges associated with long-term corticosteroid therapy in dermatology in Mali. The high costs adversely affect patients and their families, especially considering the socioeconomic status of many patients. Moreover, the findings emphasize the importance of comprehensive care strategies and the need for accessible healthcare solutions to address these challenges effectively.
Eleni Tserioti, Harmeet Chana and Abdul-Majeed Salmasi*
Published on: 19th February, 2024
Introduction: Hypertension is the strongest independent predictor of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) identified by Computed tomography of coronary arteries (CTCA). In this study, CTCA-assessed Coronary Calcium Scoring (CCS) was studied in hypertensive subjects referred for CTCA.Methods: After excluding TAVI and graft assessment patients, the individual electronic health records of 410 consecutive patients who underwent CTCA between July and November 2020, were reviewed with a mean age of 58.7 years. Risk factors were recorded including smoking (38%), hyperlipidaemia (33%), positive family history (22%), systemic hypertension (48%), diabetes mellitus (30%), and male gender (46%). Referral criteria, ethnicity, cardiac, and past medical history were recorded. Patients were stratified into four groups according to CAD severity: absent, mild, moderate, and severe disease, as seen on CTCA. The mean CCS for each CAD category was compared between hypertensive and non-hypertensive patients. Mean CCS were further compared according to the number of coronary arteries affected and the severity of CAD in each artery. Results: Out of all CTCA reports, 200 (48.8%) CCS were interpreted in the very low-risk category, 80 (19.5%) low risk, 58 (14.1%) moderate risk, 23 (5.6%) moderately high risk and 49 (12.0%) high risk. A significant difference in mean CCS and CAD severity was observed between mild, moderate, and severe CAD (p = 0.015 and p < 0.001). Comparison of CCS between hypertensives and non-hypertensives, across the four CAD severity categories, revealed a significant difference in mean CCS in the severe CAD category (p = 0.03). There was no significant difference in the CCS between hypertensives with chest pain and hypertensives without chest pain. A higher number of affected coronary arteries was associated with a higher mean CCS and a significant difference in CCS was observed between hypertensive and non-hypertensive subjects for the number of arteries affected. Similar results were observed when comparing mean CCS in moderate-severely affected coronary arteries.Conclusion: Hypertensive patients with a high CCS were associated with a higher incidence of severe CAD independent of the presence of chest pain. These results suggest that the incorporation of CCS in the investigation of CAD on CT angiography may pose a powerful adjunct in proposing an alternative paradigm for the assessment of patients with hypertension, in the progress of coronary artery disease.
Asma Hamoud Alruwaili* and Khaled Abdulaziz Alsaran and Abdulaziz Abdullah Alshathri
Published on: 6th March, 2024
Background: Long-term care for patients with chronic kidney disease, whether in the pre or post-dialysis period, has a destructive impact on patients and their caregivers that can significantly worsen their quality of life. Objectives: To assess the quality of life (QOL) among caregivers of children suffering from chronic kidney disease and to identify the possible factors affecting their quality of life. Subjects and methods: Between March 2023 and May 2023, a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted at King Saud Medical City for caregivers of all pediatric patients aged from 6 months to 14 years with CKD stage-3B and beyond who have been followed up for at least three months in the pre or post-dialysis period since 2015. The study applied the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) to evaluate the caregivers’ quality of life. Result: A total of 95 caregivers were involved in the study. The age ranged between 24 and 53 years, with an arithmetic mean of 39.3 and a standard deviation of (± 6.6) years, and almost two-thirds (65.3%) were Saudi nationals. Most pediatric patients were on peritoneal renal dialysis (41%), whereas 29.5% were on hemodialysis. The mean and SD of the overall score was 56.10 ± 17.40 out of a possible range of 0-100. Regarding its domains, the highest score was observed regarding the social domain (62.11 ± 21.12), whereas the lowest was the physical domain (49.55 ± 18.42). After controlling for confounding, married, high socio-economic, and more educated caregivers have higher QOL scores than singles, low socio-economic, and lower knowledgeable caregivers, and the three factors together were responsible for approximately 41% variability of the QOL score (r – square = 0.406). Bivariate Pearson correlation showed significant correlations among different quality-of-life domains (p < 0.001). Conclusion: There was a significant association between quality-of-life scores and demographic characteristics of chronic kidney disease caregivers; they need the highest support to cope with their delicate patients.
Sheena P Kochumon and Cherupally Krishnan Krishnan Nair*
Published on: 29th March, 2024
Spinal muscular atrophy is an autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder characterized by progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. It is one of the most common single-gene disorders with an incidence rate of approximately 1 in 10,000 live births. The clinical manifestations are progressive hypotonia and muscle weakness due to the degeneration of alpha neurons in the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord and motor nuclei in the lower brain stem. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, SMA has five subtypes. Supportive measures can be offered for respiratory, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal complications. Carrier testing for all couples is recommended and this can be done by Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA). Prenatal diagnosis can be offered to carrier couples. Therapies must be given within the newborn period for maximum benefit and before the loss of motor neurons. It is achieved by identifying the SMA babies through Newborn screening. Several new FDA-approved drugs can reduce the progression of symptoms in SMA. However, they cannot offer a definite cure. Clinical follow-up and Neurological assessment demonstrate that SMA children can attain developmental milestones after receiving treatment, which is never normally attained in untreated cases. In utero SMA treatment with Zolgensma would enhance the survival rate and favorable neurological outcomes in the future. Base editing and Gene editing with CRISPR-Cas technologies to target the mutations and restore functional and stable SMN protein levels are the future hopes for a permanent cure of SMA.
Walaa Diab, Mona Farhat, Marwa Rammal, Chaden Moussa Haidar*, Ali Yaacoub and Alaa Hamzeh
Published on: 2nd April, 2024
The present study aims to assess and compare the quality of drinking water according to WHO Standards and then illustrate the resulting diseases. Eight samples have been taken from selective different schools in the Mount Lebanon Region. The laboratory tests of the collected samples were performed to determine various physical (e.g., temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, etc.), chemical (Ca+2, Cl-, Fe, Mg2+, NO3, Na+, SO2-4), and microbial such as E. coli, coliform, and non-coliform. Several techniques were used for the analysis including Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, Flame Photometer, and Total Organic Carbon (TOC). The resulting water quality was compared with the standard limits. Each school has different defects according to specific contamination that existed. To save local residents and according to the results of this study, regular monitoring for water quality was proposed; besides more water filtration plants should be installed to provide safe drinking for children’s health.
Ana Carolina Agüero Aguilera, María Eugenia Mónaco, Sandra Lazarte, Emilse Ledesma Achem, Natalia Sofía Álvarez Asensio, Magdalena María Terán, Blanca Alicia Issé, Marcela Medina and Cecilia Haro*
Published on: 29th April, 2024
Background: Acute leukemia is the result of clonal transformation and proliferation of a hematopoietic progenitor giving rise to poorly differentiated neoplastic cells. Reactive oxygen species play a role in maintaining the quiescence, self-renewal, and long-term survival of hematopoietic stem cells, but it is unclear how they would affect disease onset and progression. The aim is to evaluate, at the transcriptional and systemic level, the oxidative-inflammatory status in newly diagnosis acute leukemia patients. Methods: Seventy acute leukemia patients [26 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 13 Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL), and 31 Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)] and forty-one healthy controls were analyzed. Malondialdehyde and catalase activity were evaluated. Gene expression of NRF2, SOD, PRDX2, CAT, IL-6, and TNF-α was analyzed by real-time PCR.Results: Malondialdehyde concentration was similar in all groups studied. Catalase activity was significantly higher in AML and APL patients compared to controls, while ALL showed similar activity to the healthy group. NRF2, CAT, and PRDX2 expression levels were similar between groups, SOD expression was downregulated in all acute leukemia patients. TNF-α expression was lower in AML groups than in healthy individuals, and IL-6 mRNA expression was downregulated in ALL and APL.Conclusion: This is the first report that correlates transcriptional and systemic parameters associated with the oxidative inflammatory status in newly diagnosed acute leukemia. Some of the parameters evaluated could be used as biomarkers in the selection of an effective therapeutic strategy and will open new directions for the follow-up and evolution of this disease.
“It was a delightful experience publishing my manuscript with the Clinical Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. They offered me lots of opportunities I never had from most publishing houses and their prompt services are greatly appreciated.”
Asafo Jones
I like the quality of the print & overall service. The paper looks quite impressive. Hope this will attract interested readers. All of you have our best wishes for continued success.
Arshad Khan
Regarding to be services, we note that are work with high standards of professionalism translated into quick response, efficiency which makes communication accessible. Furthermore, I believe to be much inviting for the submission of future works for publication purposes.
Amélia João Alice Nkutxi
I really liked the ease of submitting my manuscript in the HSPI journal. Further, the peer review was timely completed and I was communicated the final decision on my manuscript within 10 days of submission which is really appreciable. I strongly recommend all the scientists and researchers to submit their work in this journal”
Abu Bashar
I think that Heighpubs very good. You are very helpful. Thank you for everything.
Ana Ribeiro
I would like to mention that I had a wonderful experience working with HSPI. The whole process right from manuscript submission to peer review till the publication of the article was very prompt & efficient. I wish you good luck for the future.
Amarjeet Gambhir
Publishing with the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology was a rewarding experience as review process was thorough and brisk. Their visibility online is second to none as their published articles appear in all search engines. I will encourage researchers to publish with them.
University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
Dr. Elizabeth A Awoyesuku
Your service is very good and fast reply, also your service understand our situation and support us to publication our articles.
Ayman M Abu Mustafa
Publishing an article is a long process, but working with your publication department made things go smoothly, even though the process took exactly 5 months from the time of submitting the article till the time I have favourable response, the missing part is the peer review details, which is essential in self auditing and future improvement, overall experience was excellent giving your understanding of the situation of lack of financial institution support.
Anas Diab
In my opinion, you provide a very fast and practical service.
HSPI: We're glad you're here. Please click "create a new Query" if you are a new visitor to our website and need further information from us.
If you are already a member of our network and need to keep track of any developments regarding a question you have already submitted, click "take me to my Query."