Stress, anxiety, and depression (SAD) have a negative impact on the learning and academic performance of university students. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence, as well as the risk factors associated with SAD among a cohort of students pursuing undergraduate degree courses in health sciences. This is part of the strategy in building a healthy nation. A questionnaire containing socio-demographic factors and the short version of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) was used to assess the likelihood of psychological distress. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the risk factors of SAD. In total, 449 students completed the questionnaire (93.9% response rate). Of these, 65% had stress, 85.1% had anxiety and 51.4% had depression. Most cases of stress (74.6%) and depression (66.2%) were of normal-to-mild level, while 74.6% of them showed moderate-to-extremely severe anxiety. There was a statistically significant association between stress score and the year of study. In the regression analysis, poor sleep quality and fatigue were risk factors of anxiety and depression, whereas low-grade fever and frequent headaches were risk factors for stress and anxiety. Stress, anxiety, and depression scores were significantly higher among students studying medical imaging. A substantial proportion of health science students are suffering from SAD. This study recommends screening and close monitoring of the above-mentioned predictors and the formulation of comprehensive intervention strategies for students with SAD.

Dicranopteris linearis L. (Gleicheniaceae) leaves have been reported to exert hepatoprotective activity. The hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of ethyl acetate partition of D. linearis (EADL...

Studies had shown that genetic polymorphism plays a significant role in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics variation of high dose methotrexate (MTX), 5000 mg/m² regimen. The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic variations associated with the serum level and toxicity of MTX in Malaysian children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Thirty-eight patients were genotyped for rs717620 (ABCC2), rs4948496 (ARID5B), rs1801133 (MTHFR) and rs4149056 (SLCO1B1). Serum levels of MTX at 48 h post 24 h of intravenous infusion were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The ABCC2 genotype was significantly associated with the serum levels of MTX at 48 h after treatment (p = 0.017). Patients with CT and TT of rs717620 (ABCC2) and TC and CC of rs4948496 (ARID5B) were significantly associated with leukopenia grade I–IV (Fisher Exact Test; p = 0.03 and 0.02, respectively). The three most common MTX related toxicities were leukopenia (60.5%), increased alanine aminotransferase enzyme (47.4%), and thrombocytopenia (47.4%). Our results demonstrate that by prescreening of patients for ABCC2 and ARID5B associated with the serum levels and adverse effects of MTX would identify patients at risk and therefore help a pediatric oncologist to personalize chemotherapy drugs for precision health.

Moringa oleifera is a miracle plant with many nutritional and medicinal properties. Chemopreventive values of the combined mixture of moringa leaves and seed residue (MOLSr) at different ratios (M1S9, M1S1 and M9S1) were investigated. MOLSr extracts were subjected to phytochemical screening, antioxidant assays, metabolite profiling and cytotoxic activity on the primary mammary epithelial cells (PMECs), non-malignant Chang’s liver cells and various human cancer cell lines (including breast, cervical, colon and liver cancer cell lines). The MOLSr ratio with the most potent cytotoxic activity was used in xenograft mice injected with MDA-MB-231 cells for in vivo tumorigenicity study as well as further protein and gene expression studies. M1S9, specifically composed of saponin and amino acid, retained the lowest antioxidant activity but the highest glucosinolate content as compared to other ratios. Cell viability decreased significantly in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and PMECs after treatment with M1S9. Solid tumor from MDA-MB-231 xenograft mice was inhibited by up to 64.5% at third week after treatment with high-dose M1S9. High-dose M1S9 significantly decreased the expression of calcineurin (CaN) and vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) proteins as well as the secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (SFRP1) and solute carrier family 39 member 6 (SLC39A6) genes. This study provides new scientific evidence for the chemoprevention potential of MOLSr extracts in a breast cancer model; however, the precise mechanism warrants further investigation.