Providers\u27 experiences caring for adolescents who smoke cigarettes.

OBJECTIVE: To describe providers\u27 experiences screening for and counseling adolescent patients who smoke cigarettes. DESIGN: Eight qualitative focus groups were conducted with 51 health care providers in primary care settings. Focus groups were video- and audiotaped; tapes were transcribed for coding by an interdisciplinary team using the constant comparative method. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Providers reported experiences screening for and managing adolescent patients who reported smoking cigarettes. RESULTS: Providers expressed confidence in their ability to screen adolescent patients for tobacco use, particularly as part of regularly scheduled preventive and medical visits. Providers reported difficulty balancing screening for smoking with their concern for maintaining rapport with their adolescent patients. In addition, providers reported that adolescent smoking patterns differed from those of adults, and consequently, providers were not certain at what level of smoking an adolescent required intervention. Furthermore, providers were unclear regarding what interventions were recommended for and effective with adolescents. CONCLUSION: Providers are interested in adolescent evidence-based screening methods and cessation interventions that are supportive of a nonjudgmental and empathic approach to caring for adolescent smokers, particularly those with irregular and situational smoking patterns

Genome-wide identification of MGT gene family in soybean (Glycine max) and their expression analyses under magnesium stress conditions

Abstract Background Magnesium (Mg) is essential for plant growth and development and plays critical roles in physiological and biochemical processes. Mg deficiency adversely affects growth of plants by limiting shoot and root development, disturbing the structure and membranes of the grana, reducing photosynthesis efficiency, and lowering net CO2 assimilation. The MGT (Magnesium transporter) family is responsible for the absorption and transportation of magnesium in plants. Although the MGT family has been identified in different plant species, research regarding the soybean MGT genes is limited. Results In the current study, a total of 39 MGT genes distributed on 17 different chromosomes were identified in soybean. Phylogenetic analysis classified GmMGTs into three subgroups, NIPA, MRS2/MGT, and CorA, which showed little homology with MGTs of Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa members and clustered tightly with GmMGTs. Gene structure and conserved motif analysis also confirmed similar grouping in GmMGTs. The expansion of the GmMGT members in NIPA and MRS2/MGT was predicted, while CorA was identified as the most conserved group in G. max. Segmental duplication under purifying selection pressure was identified as the major driving force in the expansion of MGTs in soybean. GmMGTs showed diverse tissue-specific and stress-response expression patterns due to the presence of stress-related cis-regulatory elements in their promoter regions. Under Mg-deficiency and surplus stress conditions, a decrease in root length, shoot length, and root and shoot fresh as well dry weight in susceptible genotypes showed the variegated expression of MGTs in soybean genotypes. Furthermore, the upregulation of GmMGT2 and GmMGT29 in tolerant genotypes in response to Mg-deficiency as well as surplus stress conditions in leaves suggested the essential role of GmMGT genes in the absorption and transportation of Mg in soybean leaves. Conclusion This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the MGT gene family in soybean, providing insights into their evolutionary relationships, gene classification, protein structures, and expression patterns under both Mg deficiency and Mg surplus conditions

Stem Cell Technology in Regenerative Medicines and Cancer Treatment: Towards Revolution in Clinical Success

Stem cells are undifferentiated, immature, and unspecialized cells having huge potential for differentiation and proliferation into the specialized functionalized cells. More recently, CSC has been described in breast cancer and brain tumors where they make up as few as 1% of the cells in a tumor. The features of cancer stem cells are just like normal stem cells but their replication rate many times faster than normal cells. Regenerative medicines are based on stem cells, are potentially useful to regenerate damaged cells, tissues, organs and replace cancer cells with normal cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells are the most important candidates for regenerative medicines, tissue engineering, cell reprogramming, and 3D printing. Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) have a tumorinitiating capacity and play crucial roles in tumor metastasis, relapse and chemo/ radioresistance. Because CSCs are resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs and cause recurrence of cancer and also have the ability to be regenerated; they can cause serious problems in the treatment of various cancers. Numerous biocompatible biomaterials, miRNAs, nanomaterial, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are uses to reprograms stem cells into regenerative medicines for the treatment of cancer. The present paper describes the applications and importance of stem cells in regenerative medicines, cancer stem cells targeting therapies, and the role of miRNAs in cancer stem cells targeting.</jats:p