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PloS One 2024Effective breastfeeding is crucial for maternal and child health, particularly in low-resource settings like Ethiopia. It encompasses a range of skills and strategies,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Effective breastfeeding is crucial for maternal and child health, particularly in low-resource settings like Ethiopia. It encompasses a range of skills and strategies, including proper latch, positioning, and frequency of feeding. These techniques not only ensure sufficient milk transfer but also foster bonding between mother and child, enhancing the breastfeeding experience. To effectively prioritize maternal and child health, it is crucial to comprehensively understand the prevalence and factors influencing effective breastfeeding nationwide. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a pooled prevalence of effective breastfeeding techniques and associated factors among lactating mothers in Ethiopia.
METHODS
The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) checklist, focusing on studies conducted in Ethiopia. We identified eight relevant studies through Google Scholar, Medline, PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. Analysis was conducted using STATA version 11, and systematic data extraction employed a checklist to extract relevant data. I2 tests and the Cochrane Q test statistic were used to evaluate heterogeneity. To explore potential publication bias, Egger's weighted regression, Begg's test, and a funnel plot were utilized.
RESULTS
We identified a total of 955 research articles. Eight studies meeting the eligibility criteria were incorporated into this meta-analysis and systematic review. The pooled prevalence of effective breastfeeding techniques was 41.99% [95% CI 32.16-51.81]. According to the results of the current meta-analysis, effective breastfeeding techniques were significantly associated with antenatal care follow-up [OR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.10-2.78], maternal educational status [OR = 2.70, 95% CI 1.55-4.71], breastfeeding technique counseling [OR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.41-2.90], the absence of breast problems [OR = 2.26, 95% CI 1.49-3.43], breastfeeding experience [OR = 1.98, 95% CI 1.14-3.46], and immediate skin-to-skin contact [OR = 2.32, 95% CI 1.56-3.44].
CONCLUSION
Our findings highlight the vital role of various factors in shaping effective breastfeeding.
IMPLICATIONS
To improve practices and health outcomes, we recommend targeted interventions, such as strengthening antenatal care, implementing maternal education, and providing comprehensive breastfeeding counseling. Proactively addressing breast problems and prioritizing immediate skin-to-skin contact is crucial for successful breastfeeding.
Topics: Breast Feeding; Humans; Ethiopia; Female; Lactation; Mothers
PubMed: 38935684
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306167 -
Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal : SPJ :... Jul 2024Skin cancer refers to the pathological condition characterized by the proliferation of atypical skin cells in an uncontrolled manner. Plant-based products such as bixin...
OBJECTIVE
Skin cancer refers to the pathological condition characterized by the proliferation of atypical skin cells in an uncontrolled manner. Plant-based products such as bixin although show promising anticancer properties, but maintaining their stability in a formulation is a difficult task. The objective of the research is to formulate a silver nanoparticle gel preparation of bixin and evaluate its anticancer properties.
METHODS
The extract from seed was prepared by hot extraction technique to isolate the active ingredient, bixin. A green synthesis approach was utilized for preparing the silver nanoparticle gel of bixin (BOAgNPs). Characterization of silver nanoparticles was done using FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, compatibility study, homogeneity testing, pH evaluation, and drug content determination. The anticancer activity was performed using cell lines (B16F10) and by chemical carcinogen (7,12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene) in mice.
RESULTS
The BOAgNPs-loaded topical gel was found to be homogeneous (clear orange color) and pH-compatible (pH ≈ 6.66) with the skin. The characterization studies indicated the presence of all functional groups in the formulation. An optimized batch of bixin-nano gel showed about 60% inhibitory effects on B16F10 cell lines ( activity) when equated with a reference drug, 5-fluorouracil. The anticancer study suggested suppression of tumorigenesis and promotion of the healing process with bixin-nano gel application on the skin.
CONCLUSION
The results suggested the promising anticancer property of bixin when formulated in silver nanoparticle gel. The preparation of silver particles nano gel with bixin might provide an effective alternative option for treating skin cancers, provided more research complements the findings of the present study.
PubMed: 38933714
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2024.102125 -
Polymers Jun 2024Skin tissue injuries necessitate particular care due to associated complex healing mechanisms. Current investigations in the domain of tissue engineering and...
Skin tissue injuries necessitate particular care due to associated complex healing mechanisms. Current investigations in the domain of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are focused on obtaining novel scaffolds adapted as potential delivery systems to restore lost tissue functions and properties. In this study, we describe the fabrication and evaluation of a novel 3D scaffold structure based on collagen and silk sericin (CollSS) enriched with microcapsules containing natural compounds, curcumin (C), and/or quercetin (Q). These 3D composites were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, water uptake, in vitro collagenase degradation, and SEM microscopy. Furthermore, they were biologically evaluated in terms of biocompatibility, cell adhesion, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. All tested materials indicated an overall suitable biocompatibility, with the best results obtained for the one containing both flavonoids. This study suggests the cumulative beneficial effect of C and Q, encapsulated in the same composite, as a potential non-invasive therapeutic strategy for skin tissue regeneration in patients suffering from chronic wounds.
PubMed: 38931977
DOI: 10.3390/polym16121627 -
Pharmaceutics May 2024Skin lesions are an important health concern, exposing the body to infection risks. Utilizing natural products containing chamomile ( L.) holds promise for curative...
Skin lesions are an important health concern, exposing the body to infection risks. Utilizing natural products containing chamomile ( L.) holds promise for curative purposes. Additionally, hyaluronic acid (HA), an active ingredient known for its tissue regeneration capacity, can expedite healing. In this study, we prepared and characterized an extract of and integrated it into a nanoemulsion system stabilized with HA, aiming at harnessing its healing potential. We assessed the impact of alcoholic strength on flavonoid extraction and chemically characterized the extract using UHPLC/MS while quantifying its antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity. We developed a nanoemulsion loaded with extract and evaluated the effect of HA stabilization on pH, droplet size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, and viscosity. Results indicated that 70% hydroalcoholic extraction yielded a higher flavonoid content. The extract exhibited antioxidant capacity in vitro, a desirable trait for skin regeneration, and demonstrated efficacy against key microbial strains (, , , and ) associated with skin colonization and infections. Flavonoids spireoside and apiin emerged as the most abundant bioactives. The addition of HA led to increased viscosity while maintaining a suitable pH for topical application. Zeta potential, droplet size, and PDI met acceptable criteria. Moreover, incorporating extract into the nanoemulsion enhanced its antimicrobial effect. Hence, the nanoemulsion system loaded with and HA stabilization exhibits favorable characteristics for topical application, showing promise in aiding the healing processes.
PubMed: 38931825
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16060701 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Conventional passive ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) have not seen substantial advances or functional improvements for decades, failing to meet the demands of many...
Conventional passive ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) have not seen substantial advances or functional improvements for decades, failing to meet the demands of many stakeholders, especially the pediatric population with neurological disorders. Our objective is to develop the first comfortable and unobtrusive powered AFO for children with cerebral palsy (CP), the DE-AFO. CP is the most diagnosed neuromotor disorder in the pediatric population. The standard of care for ankle control dysfunction associated with CP, however, is an unmechanized, bulky, and uncomfortable L-shaped conventional AFO. These passive orthoses constrain the ankle's motion and often cause muscle disuse atrophy, skin damage, and adverse neural adaptations. While powered orthoses could enhance natural ankle motion, their reliance on bulky, noisy, and rigid actuators like DC motors limits their acceptability. Our innovation, the DE-AFO, emerged from insights gathered during customer discovery interviews with 185 stakeholders within the AFO ecosystem as part of the NSF I-Corps program. The DE-AFO is a biomimetic robot that employs artificial muscles made from an electro-active polymer called dielectric elastomers (DEs) to assist ankle movements in the sagittal planes. It incorporates a gait phase detection controller to synchronize the artificial muscles with natural gait cycles, mimicking the function of natural ankle muscles. This device is the first of its kind to utilize lightweight, compact, soft, and silent artificial muscles that contract longitudinally, addressing traditional actuated AFOs' limitations by enhancing the orthosis's natural feel, comfort, and acceptability. In this paper, we outline our design approach and describe the three main components of the DE-AFO: the artificial muscle technology, the finite state machine (the gait phase detection system), and its mechanical structure. To verify the feasibility of our design, we theoretically calculated if DE-AFO can provide the necessary ankle moment assistance for children with CP-aligning with moments observed in typically developing children. To this end, we calculated the ankle moment deficit in a child with CP when compared with the normative moment of seven typically developing children. Our results demonstrated that the DE-AFO can provide meaningful ankle moment assistance, providing up to 69% and 100% of the required assistive force during the pre-swing phase and swing period of gait, respectively.
Topics: Cerebral Palsy; Humans; Foot Orthoses; Child; Robotics; Ankle; Elastomers; Gait; Equipment Design; Biomechanical Phenomena
PubMed: 38931570
DOI: 10.3390/s24123787 -
Microorganisms May 2024The inclusion of beta-glucans in dog and cat food is associated with numerous beneficial effects on the health of these animals. In this regard, there is an effort to... (Review)
Review
Translating Human and Animal Model Studies to Dogs' and Cats' Veterinary Care: Beta-Glucans Application for Skin Disease, Osteoarthritis, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Management.
The inclusion of beta-glucans in dog and cat food is associated with numerous beneficial effects on the health of these animals. In this regard, there is an effort to elucidate the potential of this nutraceutical in chronic patients. Since there is a lack of a review on the topic, this review article aims to compile and discuss the evidence found to date. Atopic dermatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and osteoarthritis are diseases of significant clinical relevance in dogs and cats. In general, the pathophysiology of these chronic conditions is related to immune-mediated and inflammatory mechanisms. Therefore, the immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory effects of beta-glucans are highlighted throughout this review. The available information seems to indicate that the studies on beta-glucans' impact on allergic processes in dogs indicate a reduction in clinical signs in atopic dermatitis cases. Additionally, while beta-glucans show promise as a safe supplement, particularly for osteoarthritis, further clinical trials are imperative, especially in uncontrolled environments. Beta-glucans emerge as a potential nutraceutical offering immune benefits for inflammatory bowel disease patients, although extensive research is required to define its optimal origin, molecular weight, dosage, and specific applications across animals suffering from this disease.
PubMed: 38930453
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061071 -
Microorganisms May 2024Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is common in people living with HIV (PLHIV) in high-TB-burden settings. Active TB is associated with specific stool taxa; however,...
Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is common in people living with HIV (PLHIV) in high-TB-burden settings. Active TB is associated with specific stool taxa; however, little is known about the stool microbiota and LTBI in PLHIV. We characterised the stool microbiota of PLHIV with [interferon- release assay (IGRA)- and tuberculin skin test (TST)-positive] or without (IGRA- and TST-negative) LTBI ( = 25 per group). The 16S rRNA DNA sequences were analysed using QIIME2, Dirichlet-Multinomial Mixtures, DESeq2, and PICRUSt2. No α- or β-diversity differences occurred by LTBI status; however, LTBI-positive people were -, -, -, and -enriched and -, -, -, and -depleted. Inferred metagenome data showed that LTBI-negative-enriched pathways included several metabolite degradation pathways. Stool from LTBI-positive people demonstrated differential taxa abundance based on a quantitative response to antigen stimulation. In LTBI-positive people, older people had different β-diversities than younger people, whereas in LTBI-negative people, no differences occurred across age groups. Amongst female PLHIV, those with LTBI were, vs. those without LTBI, -, -, -, and -enriched, which are producers of short-chain fatty acids. Taxonomic differences amongst people with LTBI occurred according to quantitative response to antigen stimulation and age. These data enhance our understanding of the microbiome's potential role in LTBI.
PubMed: 38930430
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061048 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024In this study, the potential of silk fibroin biomaterials for enhancing wound healing is explored, focusing on their integration into a human 3D ex vivo wound model...
In this study, the potential of silk fibroin biomaterials for enhancing wound healing is explored, focusing on their integration into a human 3D ex vivo wound model derived from abdominoplasties. For this purpose, cast silk fibroin membranes and electrospun nonwoven matrices from silk cocoons were compared to untreated controls over 20 days. Keratinocyte behavior and wound healing were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by histomorphometric and immune histochemical methods (HE, Ki67, TUNEL). Findings reveal rapid keratinocyte proliferation on both silk fibroin membrane and nonwoven matrices, along with enhanced infiltration in the matrix, suggesting improved early wound closure. Silk fibroin membranes exhibited a significantly improved early regeneration, followed by nonwoven matrices ( < 0.05) compared to untreated wounds, resulting in the formation of multi-layered epidermal structures with complete regeneration. Overall, the materials demonstrated excellent biocompatibility, supporting cell activity with no signs of increased apoptosis or early degradation. These results underscore silk fibroin's potential in clinical wound care, particularly in tissue integration and re-epithelialization, offering valuable insights for advanced and-as a result of the electrospinning technique-individual wound care development. Furthermore, the use of an ex vivo wound model appears to be a viable option for pre-clinical testing.
PubMed: 38930373
DOI: 10.3390/ma17123004 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Jun 2024Tissue adhesive has been widely used in ophthalmic surgery for various procedures, proving both effective and safe. However, no studies have compared the surgical...
Tissue adhesive has been widely used in ophthalmic surgery for various procedures, proving both effective and safe. However, no studies have compared the surgical efficacy of the tissue adhesive 2-octyl cyanoacrylate (SurgiSeal®) to that of traditional suture closure in Asian children undergoing surgery for lower lid epiblepharon. This is a single-center retrospective case-control study. Surgical correction for epiblepharon was performed on 22 patients from November 2019 to May 2023. A total of 20 patients who were followed up for at least 1 month were included for analysis. After standardized epiblepharon surgery, group A underwent wound closure with a subcuticular suture and 2-octyl cyanoacrylate, and group B underwent closure with a 6-O fast-absorbing surgical gut suture. Patients were followed up at 1, 4, and 12 weeks post-surgery. A total of 10 patients (20 eyes) underwent skin closure with tissue adhesives (group A), and 10 patients (18 eyes) underwent wound closure using conventional suture material (group B). No significant differences in the sex ratio, mean age at operation, pre- and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), or average surgical time were observed between groups. Both groups exhibited improved postoperative BCVA, with symptom relief and a significant decrease in the severity of keratopathy after surgery. Neither recurrence nor complications were reported during follow-up. The aesthetic results were similar between groups, while caregivers of children in the tissue adhesive group expressed high satisfaction regarding the ease of postoperative care. Successful closure of lower lid epiblepharon surgery wounds in children can be performed using 2-octyl cyanoacrylate (SurgiSeal®). This method is simple, safe, and effective when compared to conventional sutures.
PubMed: 38930002
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13123475 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024Aging (senescence) is an unavoidable biological process that results in visible manifestations in all cutaneous tissues, including scalp skin and hair follicles....
Aging (senescence) is an unavoidable biological process that results in visible manifestations in all cutaneous tissues, including scalp skin and hair follicles. Previously, we evaluated the molecular function of adenosine in promoting alopecia treatment in vitro. To elucidate the differences in the molecular mechanisms between minoxidil (MNX) and adenosine, gene expression changes in dermal papilla cells were examined. The androgen receptor (AR) pathway was identified as a candidate target of adenosine for hair growth, and the anti-androgenic activity of adenosine was examined in vitro. In addition, ex vivo examination of human hair follicle organ cultures revealed that adenosine potently elongated the anagen stage. According to the severity of alopecia, the ratio of the two peaks (terminal hair area/vellus hair area) decreased continuously. We further investigated the adenosine hair growth promoting effect in vivo to examine the hair thickness growth effects of topical 5% MNX and the adenosine complex (0.75% adenosine, 1% penthenol, and 2% niacinamide; APN) in vivo. After 4 months of administration, both the MNX and APN group showed significant increases in hair density (MNX + 5.01% ( < 0.01), APN + 6.20% ( < 0.001)) and thickness (MNX + 5.14% ( < 0.001), APN + 10.32% ( < 0.001)). The inhibition of AR signaling via adenosine could have contributed to hair thickness growth. We suggest that the anti-androgenic effect of adenosine, along with the evaluation of hair thickness distribution, could help us to understand hair physiology and to investigate new approaches for drug development.
Topics: Alopecia; Humans; Male; Receptors, Androgen; Adenosine; Hair Follicle; Signal Transduction; Minoxidil; Female; Animals; Hair
PubMed: 38928239
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126534