ABSTRACT
In undergraduate life sciences education, open educational resources (OERs) increase accessibility and retention for students, reduce costs, and save instructors time and effort. Despite increasing awareness and utilization of these resources, OERs are not centrally located, and many undergraduate instructors describe challenges in locating relevant materials for use in their classes. To address this challenge, we have designed a resource collection (referred to as Open Resources for Biology Education, ORBE) with 89 unique resources that are primarily relevant to undergraduate life sciences education. To identify the resources in ORBE, we asked undergraduate life sciences instructors to list what OERs they use in their teaching and curated their responses. Here, we summarize the contents of the ORBE and describe how educators can use this resource as a tool to identify suitable materials to use in their classroom context. By highlighting the breadth of unique resources openly available for undergraduate biology education, we intend for the ORBE to increase instructors' awareness and use of OERs.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: People living with HIV (PLWH) receiving statin therapy have shown improved lipid profiles. However, they are not free from side effects, thereby requiring strict monitoring of the therapy. The meta-analysis aims to analyze the effect of statins in PLWH and critically appraise the effectiveness of statin therapy in PLWH. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science servers were used to conduct a systematic search in compliance with the PRISMA guidelines. The meta-analysis of pooled effect estimates is produced using Revman software. RESULTS: A total of 12 RCTs with 8716 participants were included in the analysis. Analysis of the overall effect estimates found that statins resulted in a mean reduction of 41.15 mg/dl (MD = -41.15; 95% CI: -44.19, -38.11; p < 0.00001), 34.99 mg/dl (MD = -34.99; 95% CI: -34.99; 95% CI: -41.16, -28.82; p < 0.00001), and 7.36 mg/dl (MD = -7.36; 95% CI = -48.35, -33.62; p < 0.00001) in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and triglyceride levels, respectively. It is revealed that statins are associated with a significant increase in the discontinuation rate of treatment compared to placebo treatment (RR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.36-2.65; p = 0.0002). CONCLUSION: When considered collectively, statin therapy's advantages appear to exceed its occasional predictable side effects like liver or muscle toxicity. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration ID: CRD42023469521.
Subject(s)
HIV Infections , Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Humans , Cholesterol/blood , HIV Infections/blood , HIV Infections/drug therapy , Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors/adverse effects , Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors/administration & dosage , Lipids/bloodABSTRACT
Background: Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) is an extensive procedure that allows for the depletion of the immune system and its restoration from hemopoietic stem cells. The approach has been modified for the treatment of severe immune-mediated illnesses, including multiple sclerosis (MS), after being initially devised for the treatment of hematological malignancies. Objective: This systematic review aims to determine and consolidate the information on the short-term and long-term immunological effects of AHSCT on the cellular level in MS patients. Methods: The PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science servers were used to conduct a systematic search in compliance with the PRISMA guidelines. The results were tabulated and analyzed. Results: A total of 17 studies (10 clinical trials, 6 cohort studies, and 1 case-control study) were included in the final analysis, and 383 MS patients were analyzed. A significant decline in the cell count of CD4 T cells was reported when compared to the CD8 T cells, B cells, and NK cells. B cell count returned to baseline in 71.4% of the studies at the end of 6 months. The NK cell count was found to be above the baseline in 62.5% of studies. Conclusion: AHSCT has been proven to be one of the most effective treatment modalities for MS in recent studies. However, debilitating complications due to immunological outcomes of the procedure have led to increased morbidity. Further research into this domain will help boost the success rate and efficacy of AHSCT.
