Scientific Research Publishing

Reishi mushroom, also known as  Ganoderma lucidum , is a type of edible medicinal fungi that is found throughout Asia. The fruiting body (above-ground part) and mycelium (filaments connecting a group of mushrooms) are used as medicine. Recent research has shown that it may also have antiplatelet activity that is similar to aspirin. Likewise simvastatin has been shown to inhibit platelet aggregation. In addition, montelukast has anecdotally related to one case of acquired thrombopathia and may interfere with platelet aggregation. In this paper, the authors reported a case of intraoperative hemorrhage with laparoscopic trocar placement and dissection in a patient concomitantly taking Ganoderma lucidum supplements, simvastatin and montelukast, all of which had a possible anticoagulant effect. The patient was a 64-year-old Vietnamese female. Patient had a past medical history of asthma, hypertension and dyslipidemia for which she took montelukast, albuterol, captopril and simvast...

A complete gait cycle begins when one foot makes contact with the ground, and ends when that same foot makes contact with the ground again. It is made up of two phases: Stance phase: part of the foot is touching the ground; Swing phase: that same foot isn’t touching the ground. And stance is considered as the most important phase of the gait cycle because this is when the foot and leg bear your body weight.   In this study, to better understand interlimb coordination during the double stance phase at fast walking speeds, the authors analyzed ground reaction forces generated by the leading and trailing limbs during the double stance phase at multiple speeds. Ground reaction forces were recorded during the double stance phase at slow, self-selected, and fast walking speeds in eleven healthy volunteers. They calculated the instantaneous phase of the ground reaction forces for the vertical and anterior-posterior components, and then calculated the relative phase between the leadin...

Apixaban, rivaroxaban and dabigatran are direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), which are often indicated for the prevention of stroke caused by atrial fibrillation and the management of venous thromboembolism. DOACs have gained wide use recently as alternatives to the traditional oralvitamin K antagonists (warfarin) therapy. However, the therapeutic benefit is not without risk of bleeding complications, such as hematuria and gastrointestinal bleeding.  This study compared laboratory test results from 82 patients with and 361 patients without DOAC-associated bleeding with the goal of determining the value of laboratory tests in assessing bleeding risk in these patients. The clinical indications and dosing regimen of DOAC therapy were based on the clinically established as well as United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved guidelines. The electronic medical charts of patients with DOAC therapy-associated bleeding complications were reviewed. Laboratory test results ...

The environmental degradation of the Mediterranean forests is an increasingly considered question when designing the management measures dealing with biodiversity or climate change. Coraebus florentinus is a xylophagous jewel beetle (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), which bores the branches of different species of Quercus . Because of its affinity by holm ( Quercus ilex , Linné 1753) and cork oaks ( Q. suber , Linné 1753), this insect is mainly distributed in the Mediterranean forests where these tree species predominate. And the damage is mainly due to the feeding activity of the larvae which cuts the sap flow into the branch where it develops, drying it. In the last decades, the geographical range and the damage records of this species have expanded northwardly as a result of the climate global change since warmer conditions favor higher reproduction and quicker development of this species. In this paper, historical series of data after ten years evaluating damages ...

Heart disease, either coronary or valvular in nature, is typically a silent disease which progresses gradually over time. Cardiac surgery, even when planned, has the potential for adverse outcomes, such that several factors are taken into consideration to help surgeons and their patients discuss the potential risks weighed against the expected recovery. Physiological factors like body mass index and advanced age have more recently been accepted as additional cardiac surgery variables, but the impact of preoperative functional status on cardiac surgery, has not been adequately evaluated to date. This study aimed to examine the relationship between preoperative functional status and postoperative mortality and morbidity in elective open heart patients. Preoperative baseline data (n = 43 subjects) were obtained to calculate Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) mortality and morbidity risk scores and preoperative functional status was measured using the Late-Life Function and Disability...

Brachydactyly is a general term characterized by disproportionately short fingers and toes. It can occur as an isolated finding or as part of a complex syndrome. The signs of brachydactyly are usually present at birth, but it’s possible that shortened limbs become more obvious with growth and development. The main symptom of brachydactyly is fingers, toes, or both that are shorter than normal. And unless there is an accompanying disorder that produces symptoms, or the shortened digits impair the use of hands and feet, there is no treatment needed for brachydactyly. In fact, brachydactyly is an inherited condition, which makes genetics the main cause. And it is usually classified as types A, B, C, D, or E; brachymetatarsus IV; Sugarman brachydactyly; or Kirner deformity. Various types of isolated brachydactyly are rare, except for types A3 and D. And it is often difficult to confirm the diagnosis, yet this is important as the treatment varies in accordance with the type o...

Breast cancer is a hormone-dependent tumor. Apart from chemotherapy, a hormone-therapy is a frequently elected treatment method for patients with positive estrogen receptor status. One important drug for hormone-therapy is Tamoxifen (Tam). Tam binds to both estrogen receptors (alpha and beta) and inhibits the production of specific target genes, important for tumor development. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), first described as a vasoconstrictor peptide, is also frequently associated with the development of tumors. ET-1 binds via two independent receptors A and B and the expression of these receptors plays an important role in the development of tumors. The authors in this article analyzed the relationship between Tamoxifen, ET-1 overexpression, and estrogen receptor (ER) leading to Tamoxifen resistance. Breast cancer cell lines were treated with Tamoxifen, ET-1, estrogen and combinations. Using qRT-PCR, immune-precipitation, Western blot, EMSA and immunohistology target gene express...

Undesired pregnancy is a particular problem in the adolescent population. Close to 90% of the pregnancies in this population are unintended and account for significant economic and health burdens. Studies addressing effective contraceptive use by population density are lacking. In this paper, the authors hypothesize that contraception counseling and effective contraception use varied by population density.   This was a cross-sectional study using the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth data, including female subjects aged 15 to 19. The primary exposure was population density, defined as Principal city of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) or “city”, Other MSA or “non-city urban”, and Not MSA or “rural.” The primary outcome was effective contraception use and the secondary outcome was contraceptive counseling exposure. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression was performed to estimate the association between population density and effective contraception ...

Paulownia elongata (family Paulowniaceae) is economically important as a short-rotation tree bioenergy crop. As a fast-growing tree, Paulownia has also been suggested as a bioenergy crop, potentially useful for both carbon sequestration or as a biomass source for conversion to transportation fuel. In addition to its usefulness as wood and related industrial products, the fruits, wood, bark, roots, seeds, leaves, and flowers of Paulownia have also been reported to have a number of useful medicinal properties. The fallen leaves of Paulownia improve soil quality by increasing organic matter and the nectariferous flowers are rich source of nutritious honey. However, the potential use of Paulownia foliage as livestock fodder has thus far received less attention.  In this study, nutritional properties of  Paulownia   elongata  leaves collected at monthly intervals from Paulownia Demonstration Plot, Fort Valley State University (FVSU), Fort Valley, Georgia, USA, from A...

Homocysteine (Hcy) is produced during methionine metabolism, which provides the methyl group required for various molecules and DNA methylation. The plasma homocysteine concentration is a good indicator of various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and dementia.   This study examined the relationship between plasma homocysteine concentrations and dietary habits in a population of elderly Japanese people from the Amami Islands, Japan. Data collected from 1131 participants aged 40 - 69 years old during a baseline survey for the Japan Multi-institutional Collaborative Cohort study, which is a prospective cohort study, were used. Information on dietary habits was collected using a food frequency questionnaire. All experimental data were analyzed with JMP software (ver. 9; SAS Institute Japan Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). The results indicated that the plasma homocysteine concentration was associated with age in women only. Smoking in men and menopause were significan...

Clozapine (CZP) is a second-generation atypical antipsychotic drug used to treat many schizophrenia symptoms, such as positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and recognition disorders. The major side effects of CZP are weight gain and diabetes mellitus, which are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. However, its mechanism remains unclear. Curcumin (CUR), a nutraceutical and pharmaceutical substance, is the active ingredient in turmeric, a well-known Indian spice derived from the dried roots of the Curcuma longa plant. The effects of CUR in metabolic syndrome have been studied in several clinical trials. In these trials, CUR improved the lipid profiles and modified the cholesterol-related parameters of the subjects. Furthermore, CUR can improve anthropometric measurements and body composition when taken as part of the diet together with the implementation of appropriate lifestyle interventions. Adipogenesis is the process of cell differentiation by which pre-adipocytes be...