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Background Statins, frequently prescribed medications, work by inhibiting the rate‐limiting enzyme HMG‐CoA reductase (HMGCR) in the mevalonate pathway to reduce cholesterol levels. Due to their multifaceted benefits, statins are being adapted for use as cost‐efficient, safe and effective anti‐cancer treatments. Several studies have shown that specific types of cancer are responsive to statin medications since they rely on the mevalonate pathway for their growth and survival. Recent Findings Statin are a class of drugs known for their potent inhibition of cholesterol production and are typically prescribed to treat high cholesterol levels. Nevertheless, there is growing interest in repurposing statins for the treatment of malignant neoplastic diseases, often in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The mechanism behind statin treatment includes targeting apoptosis through the BCL2 signaling pathway, regulating the cell cycle via the p53‐YAP axis, and imparting epigenetic modulations by altering methylation patterns on CpG islands and histone acetylation by downregulating DNMTs and HDACs respectively. Notably, some studies have suggested a potential chemo‐preventive effect, as decreased occurrence of tumor relapse and enhanced survival rate were reported in patients undergoing long‐term statin therapy. However, the definitive endorsement of statin usage in cancer therapy hinges on population based clinical studies with larger patient cohorts and extended follow‐up periods. Conclusions The potential of anti‐cancer properties of statins seems to reach beyond their influence on cholesterol production. Further investigations are necessary to uncover their effects on cancer promoting signaling pathways. Given their distinct attributes, statins might emerge as promising contenders in the fight against tumorigenesis, as they appear to enhance the efficacy and address the limitations of conventional cancer treatments.

Historical maritime maps such as navigation charts, bird’s-eye view maps and plan maps preserve useful coastal information of the time. Through the archival survey of such documents, a large number of charts and maps (particularly of large and medium scale) have been found that were published from sixteenth-century CE onwards. These maps–depict manmade structures such as forts and other buildings visible to sailors approaching the coast; and mark geomorphic features such as spit, bar, shoal, delta; with appropriate shape, relative position and size. Understanding the geomorphic features present in these maps and analyzing them using remote sensing imagery, historical text and recent studies can immensely enhance knowledge of coastal geomorphic changes in the interim period. However, there are challenges in analyzing these maps, such as scale variability within or across the maps, date of publication versus survey, originality of map content (copied versus original), the importance of the place to the cartographer, the purpose of making the map, cartographic skills, style and methods, etc. The present study discusses the untapped potential of historical maritime maps and charts to understand coastal geomorphology along with the challenges one can confront while studying them and suggests ways to overcome them.

Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which initially started as a cluster of pneumonia cases in the Wuhan city of China has now become a full-blown pandemic. Timely diagnosis of COVID-19 is the key in containing the pandemic and breaking the chain of transmission. In low- and middle-income countries availability of testing kits has become the major bottleneck in testing. Novel methods like pooling of samples are the need of the hour. We undertook this study to evaluate a novel protocol of pooling of RNA samples/elutes in performance of PCR for SARS CoV-2 virus. Extracted RNA samples were randomly placed in pools of 8 on a 96 well plate. Both individual RNA (ID) and pooled RNA RT-qPCR for the screening E gene were done in the same plate and the positivity for the E gene was seen. The present study demonstrated that pool testing with RNA samples can easily detect even up to a single positive sample with Ct value as high as 38. The present study also showed that the results of pool testing is not affected by number of positive samples in a pool. Pooling of RNA samples can reduce the time and expense, and can help expand diagnostic capabilities, especially during constrained supply of reagents and PCR kits for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

An estimated 3% of the world population is infected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a hepatotropic RNA virus, transmitted primarily via the blood route. The major modes of transmission of the virus include injection drug use, unsafe injection practices, blood transfusion etc. HCV causes chronic hepatitis in about 80% of those infected by it. The mainstay in diagnosing infection with HCV is to initially screen high risk groups for antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV). The inclusion of serum to cut-off ratio (S/CO) in recent guidelines is helpful in deciding the supplemental assay to be used to confirm initially reactive screening results. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAT) are used as confirmatory tools, and also to determine viral load prior to initiating treatment. Quantitative NAT has replaced qualitative assays. Genotyping is an important tool in clinical management to predict the likelihood of response and determine the optimal duration of therapy. The impact of this infection has begun to emerge in India. The problem of professional blood donation despite an existing law against it, and flourishing unsafe injection practices, are potential sources for the spread of hepatitis C in our country. All health care practitioners need to understand how to establish or exclude a diagnosis of HCV infection and to interpret the tests correctly. In the absence of a preventive or therapeutic vaccine, and also of post-exposure prophylaxis against the virus, it is imperative to diagnose infection by HCV so as to prevent hepatic insult and the ensuing complications that follow, including primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This review aims to help blood bank staff regarding options for diagnosis and management of donors positive for HCV.

Nivolumab is a human IgG4, PD-1 inhibitor that is approved for the treatment of advanced melanoma. We hereby report a patient of metastatic melanoma who developed multiple cutaneous side effects, including Sweet's syndrome, lichenoid eruption, and vitiligo-like depigmentation after initiation of the nivolumab therapy. He first started developing vitiligo-like depigmentation over the lips, which appeared after five months. Later, he developed a mildly itchy lichenoid eruption over the thighs. The most recent and disabling one was the appearance of erythematous edematous painful plaques studded with pustules and vesicles with fever. The latter was diagnosed as Sweet's syndrome. Nivolumab was stopped, and the patient was started on oral dapsone 100 mg per day with topical mometasone 0.1% cream once a day application for these lesions. The patient had complete resolution of edematous plaques after four weeks of follow-up. Also, the subsequent dose of nivolumab was decreased by 20%, and this was not followed by the recurrence of Sweet's syndrome; however, vitiligo-like depigmentation persisted.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to impart a significant mortality burden in the United States, with a growing number of cases affecting younger individuals. In this study, we set out to characterize predictors of missed colorectal cancer screening in a general and age-stratified population. Methods: We analyzed a patient population of over 85,000 patients who presented to a large outpatient network in the Baltimore, Maryland area and were due for CRC screening. We analyzed different characteristics, including race, occupation, relationship status, tobacco smoking status, and body mass index, of patients up to date and overdue on their CRC screening. The majority (over 99%) of our patient population was insured. We performed this analysis on the patient population as a whole and as an age-stratified patient population. Results: In our overall patient population, all of the aforementioned characteristics were significantly different between patients up to date and those overdue on CRC screening. Races with the highest up-to-date CRC screening proportion were Pacific Islanders, East Asian, and White patients, while Asian Indian patients had the lowest up-to-date percentage. Non-employed patients (including patients with disabilities and students), single patients, and current or past tobacco smokers were all found to have significantly lower percentages of up-to-date patients as compared to other groups within these categories. BMI was significantly lower in up-to-date patients. In our age-stratified analysis, younger patients had a significantly lower percentage of up-to-date patients. Notably, younger patients had a significantly higher proportion of patients electing for noninvasive screening modalities. Conclusions: These disparities in CRC screening warrant targeted interventions to minimize future risk of heightened mortality in certain patient populations.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy has been accepted to treat a wide range of illnesses, including phantom limb pain, joint pain, low back pain, and cervical discomfort. TENS is not frequently used in dentistry, despite its potential advantages. 3, 4 Therefore, the rationale of present review is to discuss its dental applications in order to spread awareness of them among the dental profession.

Aim and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to use cone bar CT to investigate the root trench morphology of two-hundred mesiobuccal permanent first molars in the maxilla. Materials and Methods: The distobuccal and palatal roots were removed at the furcation in 250 maxillary first molars. The mesiobuccal roots were then imaged using cone beam computed tomography on all specimens. The specimens were analyzed and compared to one another.\" This study looked into the following factors. How Many Canals There Are and What Shape Those Canals Take Errors such as lateral canals, apical delta, calcified segments, and others. Result: Vertucci's trench configuration, kinds I, II, III, IV, V, and VII, were seen in 30%, 20%, 5%, 6%, 7%, and 2.5% of the teeth, respectively. Calcified sections were found in the coronal third of the MB1 trench for eight of the samples, and in the central third for two of the samples. The MB1 trench did not have any calcifications at its very end. The coronal 33 percent of the MB2 trench was calcified in eight samples, but no calcifications were seen in the middle or upper thirds. Conclusion: Noninvasively and with little radiation, a cone beam CT scan can help you learn about your root canal setup.

Aim: These results are from research conducted on a sample of healthy school-aged children (ages 6-12) to determine whether or not there is a correlation between BMI, dental caries, and food. Method: About 500 kids are a part of the study. A stature meter was used to get the tallest possible measurement, and a small electronic scale was used to get the smallest possible weight. Body mass index was determined using the standard CDC growth charts (2000). The presence of caries was evaluated using an intraoral examination guided by WHO (1997) standards. For three days in a row, including the weekend, participants recorded what they ate and drank. Result: It was discovered that there is a huge gap in the body mass index (BMI) categories between sexes, with the vast majority of persons falling into the average weight category. The deft and DMFT caries scores of young men and women did not significantly differ across any of the BMI-for-age categories (P > 0.05). Consumption of supplements on a daily basis did not vary significantly between the BMI-for-age categories (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Pediatric dentists should play an active role in reducing this worldwide epidemic since pediatric obesity and dental caries have comparable causes and necessitate an all-encompassing, coordinated care strategy from interdisciplinary medical teams.