A promising RNA nanotechnology in clinical therapeutics: a future perspective narrative review.

Nanotechnology is the use of materials that have unique nanoscale properties. In recent years, nanotechnologies have shown promising results for human health, especially in cancer treatment. The self-assembly characteristic of RNA is a powerful bottom-up approach to the design and creation of nanostructures through interdisciplinary biological, chemical and physical techniques. The use of RNA nanotechnology in therapeutics is about to be realized. This review discusses different kinds of nano-based drug delivery systems and their characteristic features.

A branch of nanotechnology called RNA nanotechnology involves designing, studying, and utilizing synthetic structures based on RNA. This review discusses different kinds of nano-based drug delivery systems and their characteristic features. It aims to provide an overview of nanoparticles as a delivery system for gene therapy to treat diseases such as cancer. In order to enhance nanoparticle efficacy, these systems should be designed with this in mind in order to develop and test delivery systems rationally and scientifically.

The coronavirus disease clavicle study: a predictor of future trauma trends.

Background: Clavicle fractures are a common presentation to the emergency department after falls and sporting injuries. During 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought with it a long period of social isolation, resulting in a change of behavior patterns and, in return, the presentation of fractures to our local hospitals. The effects of this global pandemic on the presentation and management of clavicles were noted with particular interest to the change in mechanism and its future implications. Methods: We performed a longitudinal observational study in 10 hospitals in the North West of England, reviewing all patients presenting with a clavicle fracture during 6 weeks in the first peak of COVID-19 pandemic and compared these with the same period in 2019. Collection points included the patient demographics, fracture characteristics, mechanism of injury, and management. Results: A total of 427 clavicle fractures were assessed with lower numbers of patients presenting with a clavicle fracture during the COVID-2020 period (n = 177) compared with 2019 (n = 250). Cycling-related clavicle fractures increased 3-fold during the pandemic compared with the 2019 control group. We also noted an overall increase in clavicle fractures resulting from higher energy trauma as opposed to low energy or fragility fracture. We also found a faster time to surgery in the COVID cohort by 2.7 days on average when compared with 2019. Conclusions: Government restrictions and the encouragement of social distancing led to behavioral changes with a vast increase in cyclists on the road. This created a significant rise in clavicle fractures related to this activity. This is likely to be further driven by the government pledge to double cyclists on the road by 2025 in the United Kingdom. We forecast that this increase in cyclists, a behavior change accelerated by the pandemic, is a reliable predictor for future trauma trends.

Preparation and Evaluation of Polymer-Based Ultrasound Gel and Its Application in Ultrasonography.

Ultrasound imaging is a widely used technique in every health care center and hospital. Ultrasound gel is used as a coupling medium in all ultrasound procedures to replace air between the transducer and the patient's skin, as ultrasound waves have trouble in traveling through air. This research was performed to formulate an inexpensive alternative to commercially available ultrasound gel as it is expensive and imported from other countries. Different formulations with different concentrations of carbopol 980 (CAR 980) and methylparaben were prepared with natural ingredients such as aloe vera gel and certain available chemicals that have no harmful effects on the skin. To justify the efficiency of the formulations; necessary physicochemical characteristics such as visual clarity, homogeneity, transparency, skin irritation, antibacterial activity, pH, stability, spreadability, conductivity, acoustic impedance, viscosity, and cost were evaluated. Moreover, a comparison study was also conducted with commercially available ultrasound gel that was utilized as a control. All samples showed excellent transparency and no microbial growth. S1 was the only formulation that met all of the requirements for commercial ultrasound gel and produced images that were similar to those produced by commercial ultrasound gel. So, this formulation could be used as an alternative to expensive commercial ultrasound gel for taking images in hospitals and medical centers.

Use of Medicinal Plants for Respiratory Diseases in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.

The most common ethnomedicinal plants being effective in respiratory disorders were studied for the first time in Bahawalpur District. The herbal medication represents a low-cost treatment for the local community. There is a need for documenting the traditional uses of plants for further investigation of bioactive compounds. Using a qualitative approach, the ethnobotanical data was collected from the district of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, from February 2018 to February 2020 through semistructured interviews with the local people and traditional healers. The quantitative analysis included use value, informant consensus factor, family importance value, and relative frequency citation. A total of 20 indigenous plants belonging to 17 families were documented from 185 informants. These plants were claimed to be used for the treatment of 10 respiratory ailments. The plant habit, part of the plant used, and mode of preparation were standardized for authentication. The herbs are the most used life form (55%), while trees and shrubs are also used. Leaves dominate with high use value (47.62%) followed by fruit, stem, flower, and other parts of plants. For the preparation of traditional remedies, decoction (76.19%) and extract (71.43%) are common preparation methods. However, other methods of paste infusion, powder juice, and ash are used to a lower extent. The plants with higher use value are Glycyrrhiza glabra, Acacia arabica, and Mentha piperita; these have significant potential therapeutic activity for respiratory disease. The ethnomedicinal importance of plants against respiratory diseases used by the local population (traditional healers) is the commercial availability of the herbal product. It is a first-time study in this area to fill the gap between traditional practices and synthetic medicine to screen out the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of plants that have a highly futuristic use value to develop antibiotic drug with least side effects by using sustainable methods.

Microwave-assisted synthesis and evaluation of type 1 collagen-apatite composites for dental tissue regeneration.

The aim was to develop an economical and biocompatible collagen-based bioactive composite for tooth regeneration. Acid-soluble collagen was extracted and purified from fish scales. The design was innovated to molecularly tailor the surface charge sites of the nano-apatite providing chemical bonds with the collagen matrix via microwave irradiation technique. The obtained collagen was identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. The composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. MC3T3-E1 cell lines were used to assess the biological effects of these materials by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetra zolium bromide (MTT) assay. Indirect contact test was performed by extracting representative elutes in cell culture media and sulforhodamine B analysis was performed. Chorioallantoic membrane assay was conducted to define the new vessels formation behavior. The purity of collagen extracts was determined and showed two α-chains, i.e. the characteristic of type I collagen. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the characteristic peaks for amide I, I, III, and phosphate for collagen and composites. Scanning electron microscopy images showed three-dimensional mesh of collagen/apatite nano-fibers. Nontoxic behavior of composites was observed and there were graded and dose-related effects on experimental compounds. The angiogenesis and vessels formation behavior were observed in bioactive collagen composite. The obtained composites have potential to be used for tooth structure regeneration.

N,N-Bis(2-hy-droxy-eth-yl)-4-methyl-benzene-sulfonamide.

In the title compound C(11)H(17)NO(4)S, an intra-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bond forms an S(8) ring and determines the conformation of the bis-(2-hy-droxy-eth-yl) segment of the mol-ecule, holding the two CH(2)CH(2)OH groups close to coplanar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.185 Å). In the crystal, O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules into zigzag chains along the b axis. Weaker additional C-H⋯O and C-H⋯π contacts generate a three dimensional network, with mol-ecules stacked along the b-axis direction.

Serum estrogen and interleukin-6 levels in postmenopausal female osteoarthritis patients.

The objective of the present study is to determine whether the levels of endogenous estrogen and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in postmenopausal women. Forty-three patients who were suffering from osteoarthritis were studied and twenty control normal subjects having no symptoms of osteoarthritis disease, were also included in the study. The estrogen hormone and interleukin-6 were measured in the serum by Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay technique. Interleukin-6 and estrogen both were detected in serum. In osteoarthritis patients IL-6 levels were high as compared to control subjects (P<0.001) and estrogen levels in OA postmenopausal females was decreased significantly (p<0.01) when compared with control subjects. There was a minimal inverse correlation between IL-6 and estrogen (P<0.05) in the sera of postmenopausal osteoarthritic women. These results indicate that estrogen deficiency after menopause may cause alterations of IL-6 in postmenopausal osteoarthritic patients.