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Abstract : Erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) is an acute inflammatory reaction in multibacillary (MB) type leprosy patients which is the main cause of disability. Several studies support theory that antibody levels of MB patients with ENL are higher than those without ENL. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the difference between anti-PGL-1 immunoglobulin titers in MB type leprosy patients with and without ENL reactions. Analytical observational study with prospective cohort design was conducted to test the IgM and IgG titer levels of MB type leprosy patients who had ENL reaction and those who had not. Data analysis compared immunoglobulin titers between the two study groups using independent t-test. From 20 samples obtained, 12 of them were MB type leprosy patients with ENL reactions, while 8 others were without ENL. Anti PGL-1 IgM levels in MB group with ENL reactions were significantly higher than those in MB group without ENL reactions (1.081±0.386 vs. 0.401±0.212; p<0.001). Likewise, anti-PGL-1 IgG levels were significantly higher with a comparison of 0.713±0.216 vs. 0.354±0.202; p=0.002. High formation of antigen- antibody complexes as a response to humoral immunity is apparently not able to kill pathogens, but is carried in the circulation and settles on skin, triggering an ENL reaction in MB leprosy patients. The levels of anti-PGL-1 IgM and IgG in MB group with ENL reaction were significantly higher than those in MB group without ENL reaction.

Abstract : This study analyzes how Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) affects Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and its relationship to an ocular surface disease index (OSDI), Tear Film Break-Up Time (TBUT), and Schirmer I test which are common indicators of dry eye syndrome. A prospective, case-control study was carried out at Lattakia University Hospital, Syria, from February 2024 to February 2025. 200 participants were recruited in total: 100 T2DM patients and 100 matched controls. All participants underwent a complete ophthalmologic assessment which comprised OSDI, TBUT, Schirmer I test, and infrared meibography with Sirius Topographer. For analysis, data were processed statistically with SPSS v20 and p < 0.05 was set as the significance threshold. The TBUT scored lower for diabetic patients (mean 8.45 ± 3.2 seconds) compared to healthy controls (mean 13.4 ± 4.6 seconds; p < 0.05). Schirmer I test was abnormal in 160 eyes (84 patients) with diabetes. There was greater Meibomian gland dropout in the diabetic group as noted on infrared meibography (Figure 1, Table 4). While OSDI scores did not exhibit significant differences (p > 0.05), diabetics did show more marked structural and functional changes. T2DM appears to be a considerable risk for the development of MGD which leads to evaporative dry eye. The application of infrared meibography will allow for the non-invasive assessment of diabetic patients for early pathological changes within the Meibomian glands.

Abstract : Endometriosis is a hormone-dependent condition of cells growing outside the uterus that cause infertility and chronic pain in women. It is majorly caused by inflammation and failure of cell apoptosis. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of flavonoids extracts from P. macrocarpa fruit in treating endometriosis via pro-apoptotic Bax and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins. Endometriosis mice model induced by DMBA were treated with Phaleria macrocarpa fruit extracts at dose 3.75 mg/day, 7.5 mg/day, 11.25 mg/day, and 15 mg/day for 14 days. Following treatment, Bax and Bcl-2 level was tested from peritoneal fluid. High expression of Endometriosis mice model showed lesions in peritoneal tissue also high expression of ER-α and ER-β. Treatment with flavonoids extracted from P. macrocarpa fruit successfully improved Bax pro-apoptotic protein in the endometriosis mice model. Treatment with flavonoids of P. macrocarpa could reduce endometriosis cell survival which is observed from low Bcl-2. Administration with 15 mg/day of flavonoids extracts of P. macrocarpa fruit showed as the most optimum.

Abstract : Plants are rich in natural products with medicinal value, which have served as the foundation for numerous pharmaceutical drugs. Plants traditionally ingested may have various biological effects, including anticancer activity. This study involves assessing traditional South African plants for anticancer properties. Organic and aqueous extracts were prepared from Bulbine narcissifolia. These plants were assessed for cytotoxicity and caspase-3 activation in a melanoma cell line in vitro (A549). The cells were grown in DMEM media with foetal bovine serum and incubated at 37°C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2. The cytotoxicity results of the studied plant extracts revealed that all extracts displayed selective activity towards the cancer cell line, with methanolic root extracts of Bulbine narcissifolia and O. sinuatum exhibiting high cytotoxicity activity, with IC50 values of 61.93 and 74.92 µg/mL, respectively. The other extracts, B. narcissifolia and O. sinuatum aqueous root extract, inhibited cell growth with IC50 values of 100.1 and 126.9 µg/mL, respectively higher then methanolic extract. Methanol and aqueous extracts were tested on A549 cancer cells to confirm their cytotoxic effects. Treated cells showed reduced cell numbers, intracellular spaces, and signs of apoptosis like cell shrinkage and membrane blebbing, while untreated cells had a normal morphology with more cells and no intracellular spaces. These findings imply that Bulbine narcissifoliaand O. sinuatum are promising sources of valuable natural substances with the potential for developing novel anticancer drugs.

Abstract : Anxiety disorders affect a significant portion of the global population, with lifetime prevalence rates estimated at 33.7% (Bandelow & Michaelis, 2015) which is an alarming figure for appeal for proper assistance. Nowadays, neurofeedback offers a complementary and alternative approach that may benefit those who have not found anxiety relief through conventional methods. Despite promising results, the field of neurofeedback for anxiety disorders requires more rigorous scientific investigation. Therefore, this study addresses methodological limitations of previous research by employing a larger sample size and utilizing QEEG analysis for a more comprehensive assessment of neural changes. 40 individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorders were recruited for the study. The main criterion was a primary diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, in the age range of 18-65 years. While the vast majority of neurofeedback research is focused on frontal areas, the role of posterior regions in anxiety disorders is less understood. So, there is a prospect that this study’s emphasis on posterior brain activity may provide new insights into the neural mechanisms of anxiety and potential targets for intervention. At the stage of statistical analysis of results, the paired samples t-test was used to determine whether the difference of means was statistically significant. Eventually, the observed increase in alpha power of the occipital and parietal regions was confirmed by the result of the t-test (t (39) = 4.82, p < .01, d = 4.33). By revealing the relationship between QEEG patterns and treatment outcomes, this research contributes to the development of more personalized and targeted neurofeedback protocols for anxiety disorders.