scholarly journals Waiting for PARIS—A Biological Target in Search of a Drug

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Richard K. Wyse ◽  
Simon R.W. Stott ◽  
Leah Mursaleen ◽  
Helen Matthews ◽  
Valina L. Dawson ◽  
...  

A recent breakthrough paper published in Science Translational Medicine has provided compelling evidence that inhibition of Parkin Interacting Substrate (PARIS) may offer clinical researchers an important new therapeutic approach since it shows considerable promise as an important biological target potentially capable of pharmaceutical intervention to slow long term neurodegeneration in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We present several PD-relevant perspectives on this paper that were not discussed in that otherwise entirely scientific narrative. We also outline the some of the work leading up to it, including the massive drug screen that proved necessary to discover a clinically suitable inhibitor of PARIS (Farnesol), as well as relevant PD research within the wider drug class, issues surrounding its future formulation, and next steps in translating this new knowledge into the clinic to evaluate possible long-term PD patient benefits.

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-127
Author(s):  
Lena S. Jia ◽  
Jessica A. Gold

Hallucinogens are a drug class that is growing in popularity with college students. Recent experimental trends, such as microdosing, have helped promote the use of hallucinogens on campus, and students may be tempted to use these substances due to their beliefs about the drugs’ positive effects on mood. Although hallucinogens are not currently an established form of medical therapy, studies have shown that they have significant benefits as adjunctive treatments for psychological disorders. However, the recreational use of these drugs in college students often occurs in uncontrolled doses or with drug mixing, which is often dangerous. Furthermore, students with mental health disorders may have their symptoms masked by hallucinogenic drug use, which could delay treatment and have serious consequences. Long-term use of these drugs may also result in tolerance or hallucinogen persisting perception disorder. This article attempts to review current information regarding hallucinogen use and how it applies to the college population.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 201
Author(s):  
Nuraini Saura Putri ◽  
Oktavian Aditya Nugraha

Efforts to preserve the legendary cultural heritage and in the framework of seeking the identity of the nation as well as the diversity of ethnic groups in Indonesia, one way to do is to collect and care for folklore. This research as a means to treat foklor legend of Lake Ranu and Ngebel legend Telaga. Both legends have almost the same story, both the character and the story. The purpose of this study is to determine the similarities and differences in the two legends, through its structure, function and cultural values. Such long-term goal in this study is, to provide knowledge about oral literature research on literature students who can be used as a reference for the future. In addition, this research can also provide new knowledge for the general public about the storyline of the legend of Lake Ngebel and the legend of Lake Ranu. Based on the results of research that has been done then can be drawn a conclusion, namely: the structure there are four equations and has three differences. Something contained in the two legends have three functions, namely; as entertainment, as a means of legitimizing institutions and cultural institutions, as child educators. For the cultural values contained in these two legends are the value of Diktatik, Ethical, and Religious values


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedict C Jones ◽  
Amanda C Hahn ◽  
Claire I Fisher ◽  
Hongyi Wang ◽  
Michal Kandrik ◽  
...  

AbstractAlthough widely cited as strong evidence that sexual selection has shaped human facial attractiveness judgments, evidence that preferences for masculine characteristics in men’s faces are related to women’s hormonal status is equivocal and controversial. Consequently, we conducted the largest ever longitudinal study of the hormonal correlates of women’s preferences for facial masculinity (N=584). Analyses showed no compelling evidence that preferences for facial masculinity were related to changes in women’s salivary steroid hormone levels. Furthermore, both within-subject and between-subject comparisons showed no evidence that oral contraceptive use decreased masculinity preferences. However, women generally preferred masculinized over feminized versions of men’s faces, particularly when assessing men’s attractiveness for short-term, rather than long-term, relationships. Our results do not support the hypothesized link between women’s preferences for facial masculinity and their hormonal status.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdeljalil Heddat ◽  
Younes Houry ◽  
Redouane Rabii

Prostate leiomyosarcoma is an extremely rare and very aggressive neoplasm that represents less than 0.1% of primary malignant tumors of the prostate. We present a patient with primary leiomyosarcoma of  prostate and examine the cases reported in the literature to discuss the clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of this rare tumor. Median survival was estimated at 17 months (95% CI 20.7–43.7 months) and the actuarial survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 68%, 34% and 26%, respectively. The only predictors of long-term survival were negative surgical margins and the absence of metastatic disease at presentation. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary for the proper management of this terrible entity. Surgery with or without chemotherapy seems to be the main therapeutic method for operable leimyosarcomas, but in general there is no consensus on the best therapeutic approach. Most cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease. A global multicenter trial is needed to find therapies that would improve the prognosis.


2017 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard Bodenhorn ◽  
Timothy W. Guinnane ◽  
Thomas A. Mroz

Understanding long-term changes in human well-being is central to understanding the consequences of economic development. An extensive anthropometric literature purports to show that heights in the United States declined between the 1830s and the 1890s, which is when the U.S. economy modernized. Most anthropometric research contends that declining heights reflect the negative health consequences of industrialization and urbanization. This interpretation, however, relies on sources subject to selection bias. Our meta-analysis shows that the declining height during industrialization emerges primarily in selected samples. We also develop a parsimonious diagnostic test that reveals, but does not correct for, selection bias in height samples. When applied to four representative height samples, the diagnostic provides compelling evidence of selection.


MedChemComm ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1273-1281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Nogueira da Silva ◽  
Raissa Alves da Conceição ◽  
Rodolfo do Couto Maia ◽  
Maria Leticia de Castro Barbosa

Novel SGLT-2 selective inhibitors, an innovative therapeutic approach for glycemia control in diabetic patients.


Author(s):  
Jörg Richter ◽  
Jurij Poelchau

A crucial experience during my time at university— computer science (with focus on AI) and linguistics—was the documentary “Maschinenträume” (1988) by Peter Krieg. It features the long-term AI project “Cyc,” in which Doug Lenat and his team try to represent common sense knowledge in a computer. When Cyc started, in 1984, it was already known that many AI projects failed due to the machine’s lack of common sense knowledge. Common sense knowledge includes, for example, that two things cannot be in the same place at the same time, or that people die, or what happens at a children’s birthday party. During the night, while the researchers are sleeping, Cyc tries to create new knowledge from its programmed facts and rules. One morning the researchers were surprised by one of Cyc’s new findings: “Most people are famous.” Well, this was simply a result of the researchers having entered, besides themselves, only celebrities like, for example, Einstein, Gandhi, and the U.S. presidents. The machine-dreaming researchers, however, were in no way despondent about this obviously wrong finding, because they figured they would only have to enter the rest of the population, too. The underlying principle behind this thought is that it is possible to model the whole world in the form of ontologies. The meaning of the world can be captured in its entirety in the computer. From that moment the computer can know everything that humans know and can produce unlimited new insights. At the end of the film Peter Krieg nevertheless asks: “If one day the knowledge of the whole world is represented in a machine, what can humans do with it, the machine having never seen the world.”


2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Bobes ◽  
G. Rubio ◽  
A. Terán ◽  
G. Cervera ◽  
V. López-Gómez ◽  
...  

AbstractPurposeTo evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of pregabalin in the management of the discontinuation of benzodiazepines in long-term users.Subjects and methodsWe performed a 12-week, prospective, uncontrolled, non-interventional, and observational study in patients aged 18 years old or above, who met DSM-IV-TR criteria for benzodiazepine dependence without other major psychiatry disorder. Evaluations included the Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Symptom Questionnaire, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, the Clinical Global Impression Scale, and the Sheehan Disability Scale. A urine drug screen for benzodiazepines was performed at baseline and every 4 weeks thereafter. The primary effectiveness variable was success rate, defined as achievement of benzodiazepine-free status at week 12 according to the urine drug screen.Results and discussionThe mean dose at week 12 was 315 (±166) mg/day. The success rate of the benzodiazepine taper in the primary efficacy population (n = 282) was 52% (95% confidence interval [CI], 46–58). Success rates for women and men were 58% (95% CI, 49–67) and 46% (95% CI, 38–55), respectively. The success rates did not differ according to either the benzodiazepine of abuse or the presence of other substance use disorders. Significant and clinically relevant improvements were observed in withdrawal and anxiety symptoms, as well as in patients’ functioning. At week 12, tolerability was rated as good or excellent by 90% and 83% of the clinicians and patients, respectively.ConclusionOur results suggest that pregabalin is an efficacious and well-tolerated adjunctive treatment for benzodiazepine withdrawal.


2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Núria Puig ◽  
Adoración Álvaro-Moya

This article explores the long-term effects of foreign direct investment on the human capital development of host economies, based on the historical analysis of the Spanish operations of four leading American firms: ITT, J. Walter Thompson, Merck Sharp & Dohme, and John Deere. Our research shows that the training and working practices of these companies had a positive impact on the Spanish subsidiaries in terms of technological upgrading and managerial development. However, the local context was also relevant, through mandatory agreements that empowered local partners from the start and the availability of locally educated professionals eager to absorb new knowledge.


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