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Biochemical systems are analytically investigated after encoding the properties of the dynamics, which rule the time evolution of the transition properties, using some Markov models, such as the Hierarchical Markov-State Models. The present paper is aimed at analytically writing the (finite) Markov chain originating from the considered Markov models. Within this framework, the interaction with the environment is considered, and the ergodicity of the systems obtained from numerical simulation is controlled and compared with the qualities of the Markov chain. The (von Neumann) conditions to be imposed on the Bloch equations for the biomaterial structures to be described analytically in a consistent way are governed. The formalisms of the ’heat bath’ and that of the control of the numerical errors ensure the good measure-theoretical framework and the ergodicity of the finite chain, respectively.The finite Markov chains are investigated and the analytical expressions are presented, after which the Hierarchical Markov-State-Model provides the time evolution of the transition probabilities in biochemical systems.The notion of heat bath is used to describe the interactions of the biomaterial with the environment and thus to control the uses of the projection operators in the Markovian processes where the appropriate measure is defined; the stochastic equations allow one to obtain the wanted measure from the probability spaces.The cases in which a violation of the Markov property of the process occurs, i.e. in open systems, or dissipative processes are also considered. Furthermore, in complex molecules in biological systems, these features are investigated to be possibly even more dramatic. As far as molecular processes are concerned, this occurrence is associated with the appearance of chaotic effects with certain characteristics of potential surfaces: rather than the technique of isocommittors, the method of projectors in measure spaces is used for the Nakajima-Zwanzig paradigm for the density operator; this latter method complementary compares the time-convolution-less technique.The finite Markov chains are finally proven to be ergodic after the control of the numerical errors which provide the Sinai-Markov partitions to be applied for the analysis of the measure space of the Markov chain, that is, one endowed with a Hilbert measure. The von Neumann conditions are therefore newly demonstrated to be apt to be applied to the Bloch equations for biomaterial structures after the use of the notion of heat bath, from which the measure space arises.The qualities of the Hierarchical Markov-Sate Models which bring the analytical expression of the time evolution of probabilities of biomaterials are therefore newly analytically studied.

Qualitative research enabled us to explore the personal perceptions and institutional factors that facilitated academic success, as well as challenges, of a sample of 40 academically talented students with autism spectrum disorder (2e/ASD) who were enrolled in highly competitive colleges and universities in the United States. We explored their high school academic and social experiences, their college transition, parental views of their talents and disabilities, as well as college service providers’ opinions about their academic progress and needs. We identified some specific strength-based teaching and instructional strategies and academic experiences that students reported as contributing to their academic success during high school including challenging and advanced classes, use of strengths-based learning strategies (like independent study, and positive relationships with teachers and counselors. We also found that the level of disability support offered by the college was an important consideration for the academic success of this population, as was an understanding of the laws and regulations that apply and don’t apply when students with disabilities attend college. 

Background: Prophylactic dental procedures following implant placement are critical to the long-term success of implants and are also dependent on the patient maintaining effective home care.Purpose: Evaluation of the effectiveness of preventive measures in patients with diabetes during long periods after prosthetic treatment with implants.Materials and methods: The study included 62 patients with diabetes with edentulism using 146 dental implants. Patients underwent constant monitoring, including regular occupational hygiene during follow-up examinations. Their frequency was set individually from 2 to 4 times A clinical index including Bleeding on Probing (BOP), Probing Depth (PD), and Marginal Bone Loss (MBL). Results: In patients included in the preventive protocol after 12 months, the mean BOP was 1.4 ± 0.15, and PPD was 2.46 ± 0.42. After 12 months in patients mean MBL was 0.72 ± 0.6 mm, after 3 years MBL was 1.24 ± 0.25 mm. For patients who were excluded from preventive services after 12 months, the mean BOP 1.9 ± 0.25, and the mean PPD was 3.56 ± 0.28). After 12 months in patients mean MBL was 0.87 ± 0.7 mm, after 3 years MBL was 1.52 ± 0.32 mm (p > 05). Compared to persons enrolled in the preventive protocol, those in the group without services were more likely to develop peri-implantitis (42.4% vs. 12,6%). The survival rate of implants after 3 years was 98.4%. The survival rate of implants in those patients who were excluded from preventive services after 3 years was 95.4%.Conclusion: For patients with diabetes, regular medical examinations, accompanied by professional oral hygiene procedures, prevent the development of negative reactions of the soft tissues surrounding the implant.

Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disease affecting about 2% of the population. Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a rare variant of this disease, and it can be life-threatening for a pregnant woman and fetus.Medication during pregnancy can be challenging since many drugs can cause marked adverse effects for a fetus or newborn baby. Because controlled studies are difficult to perform, the knowledge grows slowly, e.g., from case reports. Here we describe a review of past and present treatments for GPP patients with a special reference to pregnancy and our experience on two GPP cases treated with cyclosporin and etanercept during pregnancy with successful outcomes of infants.

Introduction: Acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) of viral etiology is a frequent consultation in pediatrics. Post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PIBO) is a rare and potentially severe disorder following ALRI, characterized by partial or complete obstruction of the small airways by inflammatory tissue. There is evidence that macrolides reduce morbidity and mortality in diffuse panbronchiolitis, which may have similar inflammatory and obstructive components.We hypothesized that the effect of azithromycin (AZ) may improve lung function and reduce pulmonary exacerbations in PIBO.MethodsStudy design: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.Patients: We enrolled patients with PIBO followed-up at the Pulmonology department between 5 years to 18 years.Treatment regimen: The patients were randomized to receive active drug or placebo three times a week. Clinical evaluation: Clinical evaluation, pulse oximetry, lung function, and 6-min walk test were performed before and after study initiation and at 1, 3, and 6 months.CT scan and a quality of life questionnaire were performed at the beginning and the end of the Study.Results: 29 patients, 15 in G1 (10 males) and 14 in G2 (7 males) were included.There were no significant differences in FVC, FEV1, TLC, RV, or sGaw between the treatment group and controls. In addition, no significant differences were observed in exacerbations, quality of life questionnaire, or HRCT scan scores.Conclusion: No differences were observed between the groups. Further studies are necessary to allow us to find a better treatment, as azithromycin does not seem to be efficacious.

Our study showed Fusarium spp. can be the most important fungal pathogen of maize causing severe yield losses and producing fumonisins that concern human and animal damages. Actually, other mycotoxins such as aflatoxin contamination have become regular in maize but the appearance of fumonisins was more frequent. However, the fluctuation between years and regions can affect the severity of the infection and then fumonisin production level. This mycotoxin was defined as fumonisin B1, fumonisin B2 and fumonisin B3 with diverse actions. The level of production, concentrations, and damages of fumonisins were found in different locations of maize fields in Iran. However, the fumonisin contents of the isolated samples were more diverse than in other locations. Toxin composition and maximum values differ significantly throughout the climate conditions and maize cultivars. The resistance cultivar of maize against the Fusarium pathogen can be helpful in controlling fumonisin production on the field effectively.

Background: Long-term care for patients with chronic kidney disease, whether in the pre or post-dialysis period, has a destructive impact on patients and their caregivers that can significantly worsen their quality of life. Objectives: To assess the quality of life (QOL) among caregivers of children suffering from chronic kidney disease and to identify the possible factors affecting their quality of life. Subjects and methods: Between March 2023 and May 2023, a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted at King Saud Medical City for caregivers of all pediatric patients aged from 6 months to 14 years with CKD stage-3B and beyond who have been followed up for at least three months in the pre or post-dialysis period since 2015. The study applied the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) to evaluate the caregivers’ quality of life. Result: A total of 95 caregivers were involved in the study. The age ranged between 24 and 53 years, with an arithmetic mean of 39.3 and a standard deviation of (± 6.6) years, and almost two-thirds (65.3%) were Saudi nationals. Most pediatric patients were on peritoneal renal dialysis (41%), whereas 29.5% were on hemodialysis. The mean and SD of the overall score was 56.10 ± 17.40 out of a possible range of 0-100. Regarding its domains, the highest score was observed regarding the social domain (62.11 ± 21.12), whereas the lowest was the physical domain (49.55 ± 18.42). After controlling for confounding, married, high socio-economic, and more educated caregivers have higher QOL scores than singles, low socio-economic, and lower knowledgeable caregivers, and the three factors together were responsible for approximately 41% variability of the QOL score (r – square = 0.406). Bivariate Pearson correlation showed significant correlations among different quality-of-life domains (p < 0.001). Conclusion: There was a significant association between quality-of-life scores and demographic characteristics of chronic kidney disease caregivers; they need the highest support to cope with their delicate patients. 

Introduction: The use of local anesthesia (LA) prior to arterial blood gas sampling is recommended but is not widely used. We tested the hypothesis that intradermal administration of local anesthesia would be as effective as subcutaneous administration in reducing pain from arterial blood gas sampling.Aims: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of intradermal and subcutaneous lignocaine on patient-perceived pain during arterial blood gas sampling. The secondary aims were to evaluate if different routes of LA administration had an impact on the difficulty and complications of ABG sampling.Methods: We undertook a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled trial in New Zealand. We enrolled patients attending a nurse-led outpatient oxygen clinic who were 18 to 90 years of age and who had an oxygen saturation of 93% or less at rest. Patients were randomly assigned to receive intradermal 1% lignocaine, subcutaneous 1% lignocaine, or subcutaneous normal saline. Patients and nurse assessors were blinded to the treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was a patient-assessed pain score using a graphic rating scale (0-10).Results: 135 patients were randomized (54 patients in the intradermal lignocaine group, 54 patients in the subcutaneous lignocaine group, and 27 in the subcutaneous saline group). The mean patient-assessed pain score for the intradermal lignocaine group was 1.8 (+/- 1.1), which was a relative reduction of 47% (95% C.I. 31%-59%, p < 0.0001) from the mean patient-assessed pain score of 3.4 (+/- 1.1) for the subcutaneous saline group. The mean patient-assessed pain score for the subcutaneous lignocaine group was 2.1 (+/- 1.1), which was also a significant relative reduction of 36% (95% C.I. 17%-51%, p = 0.0001) compared to the subcutaneous saline group. Intradermal lignocaine reduced pain more than subcutaneous lignocaine, with a relative pain reduction difference of 20% (95% CI -4%-49%, p = 0.05). Bruising was more frequent in the subcutaneous lignocaine group (9.3%) than in the intradermal (0%) and saline groups (0%). Conclusion: Intradermal lignocaine is at least as effective as subcutaneous lignocaine for reducing patient-perceived pain from arterial blood gas sampling and results in less bruising.

Caregivers of Children Living with HIV/AIDS experience severe burdens in Africa amidst unmet needs while seeking care from hospitals. This study aimed to explore the diagnosis history, health-seeking behaviour, and care provided by hospitals and whether the services meet caregivers’ expectations. We used a qualitative approach and conducted individual in-depth interviews among purposively sampled caregivers of children living with HIV/AIDS from three hospitals. We achieved data sufficiency after interviewing nine participants. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed manually through Collaizi’s steps. Four themes developed including; history of pregnancy and poor HIV testing, effective care for caregivers and CLWH, attitude of healthcare providers, and unmet expectations of care. Healthcare providers showed positive attitudes towards caregivers and provided services (counselling, dispensing Anti-retrovirals, health monitoring, and coordination of clinical care). Expectations bordered on financial support (for food, education, health care), and treatment for opportunistic infections. Findings indicate gaps in HIV voluntary testing for pregnant women, enrollment in Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), and unmet needs. It is imperative to improve coverage of testing for pregnant women and efforts made to meet their needs. Financial support, provision of food security, and assistance for caregivers are essential for care.

Summary: Exercise is recommended for the treatment and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Also, to control and reduce glucose fluctuations in people with type 1 diabetes. However, the most appropriate time and the most effective intensity of exercise is still unknown, and various studies provide different results and different recommendations, and none of the studies provide a comprehensive and practical result. We conducted our studies to examine the results and determine the effect of time and intensity of exercise on blood sugar control and glucose fluctuations during the day. Methods: search in PubMed and Google Scholar with keywords morning, evening, type 1 and 2 diabetes, exercise, interval, periodic, aerobic, and glucose and blood sugar fluctuations were performed. A total of 31 articles were reviewed and finally, 10 articles that were most related to each other or had complementary information were selected. Conclusion: HIIT exercises are useful for type 2 diabetes, but they are recommended for type 1 diabetes with less pressure. Morning exercise increases glucose and evening exercise is applicable for type 1 and 2 diabetes.

The Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) technique is based on cuffs connected to a pressure device that induces partial arterial inflow. BFR combined with exercise has already been proven to increase strength, muscle mass, and muscular endurance. However, some BFR devices with pneumatic air bands, such as KAATSU (KA), are expensive and less accessible, making either a Sphygmomanometer Cuff (SC) or Elastic Band (EB) an interesting alternative. However, vascular parameters in response to blood flow restriction during KA, EB, and SC have not yet been compared. Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the brachial blood flow behavior during restriction using bands such as KA, SC, and EB on the same perceived tightness. Methods: Thirty healthy men participated in a prospective crossover study. Participants underwent blood flow measurements before and during KA, SC, and EB use, with KA-perceived tightness taken as a reference. The brachial blood flow volume, the diameter of the artery, and blood flow velocity were measured before and immediately after the cuff’s inflation at a specific tightness. Results: Blood flow volume was significantly reduced in KA (52%, ES: 1.38), SC (61.7%, ES: 1.29), and EB (41.5%, ES: 1.22) (p

Purpose: Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare life-threatening cardiomyopathy of unknown etiology with significant maternal morbidity and mortality. It causes heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction with or without left ventricular dilatation in the last month of pregnancy up to 5 months postpartum in previously healthy women. We aimed to determine short-term outcomes of peripartum cardiomyopathy clinically as well as in terms of left ventricular systolic function and to study the clinical profile and associated risk factors.Patients and methods: A prospective observational study was carried out in the Department of Cardiology of Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Center, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal, from July 2018 to January 2022. All the patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy who presented to the department of cardiology were enrolled in the study and re-evaluated with echocardiography at 6 months.Results: A total of 68 women met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 28.38 ± 5.5 years (range 19 to 44 years). The most common clinical presentation was dyspnea followed by lower limb edema. Six (8.8%) patients presented during the last month of pregnancy whereas 62 (91.2%) patients presented in the postpartum period. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction on presentation was 30.01 ± 8.54. A full recovery was observed among 60.29% at 6 months. The mortality rate was 4.41%.Conclusion: Timely diagnosis and management of peripartum cardiomyopathy with standard therapy for heart failure leads to better recovery of left ventricular systolic function.

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of an ayurvedic gel in tooth pain reduction due to dental caries. Materials and methods: This in vivo cross-over design study enrolled adults with at least one tooth with caries and a symptom of pain after the application of an ice stimulus. Two hundred patients were screened and eligible patients were enrolled in the study. Forty-five subjects completed washout phases before each recall visit. During each recall visit, subjects evaluated pain relief following an ice bar stimulus and one random finger-tip application of a treatment i.e. Ayurveda Herbal gel containing clove oil, camphor, and menthol (Ayurveda Herbal Gel Group), and two control formulations: a gel without active ingredients and commercial olive oil as a surrogate of home remedy. At each assessment, subjects used a stopwatch to record the onset of pain relief and tooth pain using visual analog scores (VAS), dental pain scores (DPS), and relief from tooth pain by dental pain relief scores (DPRS). After each treatment, subjects recorded their satisfaction with the provided treatment using a four-point satisfaction index. Data were tabulated and statistical analysis was performed with (ANCOVA) and two-way ANOVA with a p - value of 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Forty-five subjects (28 males and 17 females) completed the entire study without any adverse events. Application of the Ayurveda gel resulted in a significantly faster onset of pain relief (2.47 min) in comparison to the onset of pain relief after 4 minutes recorded with the controls (p < 0.05). Subjects reported lower VAS and DPS scores over the study period of evaluation when using the Ayurveda gel compared to the application of each control formulation. Subjects also reported greater relief of pain and greater satisfaction after the application of the Ayurveda gel as compared to the controls. Conclusion: Significantly better tooth pain relief from caries was observed from an Ayurveda Herbal gel than from controls.

The topic of this paper is to describe the 3-D current density in the windings of a 3-D coil, which fills the volume between two coaxial cylinders at a precisely defined distance from each other, and which serves to generate a magnetic field gradient in the center of the cylinder axis. The 3-D current density is considered an unknown input quantity, which is calculated from the known gradient magnetic field output. It is an inverse problem in mathematics, where the direct problems are the calculation of unknown output quantities based on known input quantities. Fourier series expansion methods in the context of cylindrical coordinates were used to describe the 3-D current density. In that case, Bessel functions are used as development components. The current densities, at each point in space, were lined up to represent current lines. Each power line is associated with a coil winding through which a current of a certain strength flows. After that, the principle of discretization of coil windings was applied. Each winding is divided into a large number of elementary segments that were considered as current elements, which create, based on Bio-Savar's law, an elementary magnetic field. In this way, the total, continuous magnetic field is broken into many elementary components, which come from different current elements. An important result of this process is that each current element can be controlled independently by a current source. This means that the output magnetic field of the gradient can be controlled by current sources, which are the input sizes, and this is what is at the core of the topic of this paper.

Background: Delaying or slowing functional loss is a valuable goal of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) rehabilitation. The mHealth app-based exercise rehabilitation intervention is expected to overcome barriers related to routine care of MS. Due to the ubiquitous presence of smartphones, they offer an excellent opportunity for remote monitoring, scheduled interaction with experts, and instruction for exercise in a home environment. Challenges in MS routine care include forgotten rehabilitation steps, limited access to local MS experts, and internal barriers such as low health literacy, mobility limitations, and fatigue, alongside external obstacles like service availability and transport costs.Objectives: To develop a mHealth app that is user-centered and context-specific for rehabilitation of MS symptoms, and to evaluate its clinical and cost effectiveness in individuals with RRMS.Methods: The proposed research will be conducted in two phases; the first phase (Phase 1a) will be focused on the development of mHealth app content (ReMiT-MS app trial I). The pilot phase (Phase 1b), where a prototype of the application will be designed, and its usability will be evaluated. Finally, in the second phase (Phase 2), the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the ReMiT-MS app for the rehabilitation of individuals with RRMS will be evaluated (ReMiT-MS app trial II).Conclusion: The findings of this proposed trial may provide a telerehabilitation platform for individuals with RRMS in a resource-limited setting and establish a low-cost healthcare delivery model. In addition, the results of this research work might open a new window in healthcare delivery in India and similar settings.Trial registration:  CTRI/2022/09/045266 [Registered on 06/09/2022]

Bean cultivation is vital to the global food and economy, especially in Brazil. Facing challenges from diseases that affect production, it is crucial to seek new strategies to maintain productivity and sustainability. Melaleuca alternifolia, known as the tea tree due to its medicinal properties, has little explored potential in controlling diseases in bean plants. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of tea tree essential oil in controlling diseases in bean cultivation. In vitro tests were carried out to evaluate bacterial growth, at concentrations of (0.0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1% and 2%). And antibiogram with the bacteria Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli, in different concentrations (0.0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 3%). For the fungus Pseudocercospora griseola, sporulation tests were carried out, using direct and indirect methods, at concentrations of (0.0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 3%). Furthermore, for the fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, mycelial growth tests were carried out with the same concentrations. The experiments took place in vivo, with a completely randomized statistical design, involving five replications per treatment and concentrations varying from (0.0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1% and 2%). Disease incidence was assessed using a diagrammatic scale, disease severity, Area under the Disease Progress Curve (AACPD) and Area under the Incidence Progress Curve (AACPI). Melaleuca Essential Oil (EO) inhibited the development of fungi and bacteria in in vitro tests starting at 0.5%. In vivo, Melaleuca Essential Oil (EO) showed a significant reduction in the incidence and severity of the disease from 0.5% in both fungi and bacteria. Melaleuca EO can be an effective alternative for disease control in bean cultivation. 

Background: Because of a possible risk of induction of Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) by defibrillation of atrial fibrillation (AF) postulated by LOWN and coworkers, synchronized cardioversion is used worldwide. This prospective, randomized study assessed the efficacy and safety between R-wave controlled cardioversion and defibrillation of AF at 2 study centers in Cologne, Germany. Hypothesis: Defibrillation is not significantly different from cardioversion primarily in the occurrence of VF or sustained Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) and secondarily in restoring sinus rhythm, inducing non-sustained VT, asystole, or bradycardia.Methods: 146 patients at an outpatient practice and 122 at the university hospital were randomized to cardioversion (n = 140) or defibrillation (n = 124).Results: Cardioversion was successful in 92.1% of cases and defibrillation in 87.1%. The difference in efficacy was not statistically significant. In n = 1 patients receiving defibrillation, VF occurred after the first shock (200J) and immediate defibrillation (200J) restored sinus rhythm. In the n = 1 case, asystole occurred during cardioversion which terminated spontaneously. In n = 1 patients cardioverted and n = 2 who were defibrillated, sinus bradycardia occurred requiring Atropine in two cases. There were no thromboembolic events within 10 days. N = 9 patients reverted to AF within two hours. No patients died. Conclusion: Electrical conversion of AF can be performed with similar results and low risk with both R-wave-triggered cardioversion and defibrillation. In particular, defibrillation with higher energies (> 100J) can be performed as effectively and safely without a statistically significant increased risk of VF or VT. There was no difference in efficacy and risk between electrotherapy performed in the outpatient and inpatient settings.

Iin 2015 we obtained non-hermitian extensions of Heisenberg type and Schrödinger type uncertainty relations for generalized metric adjusted skew information or generalized metric adjusted correlation measure and gave the results of Dou-Du in 2013 and 2014 as corollaries. In this paper, we define generalized quasi-metric adjusted Q skew information for different two generalized states and obtain corresponding uncertainty relation. The result is applied to the inequalities related to fidelity and trace distance for different two generalized states which were given by Audenaert, et al. in 2009 and 2008; and Powers-Strmer in 1970. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification: 15A45, 47A63, 94A17.

Mesoscopic modeling of complex systems involves thermodynamic nonequilibrium of discrete scaling. Further from quantum correlation on a chip retrieved quantum nonlinear optics with single photons enabled by strongly interacting atoms. Accompanied by mesofractals as the development of meso & micro size fractal structures is required to mimic various biological systems for various functions. Showed through fluorapatite in gelatin‐based nanocomposite, fractal in DNA knots driven by balance of fission & fusion in mtDNA/mitochondrial DNA mechanism, for optical engines for light energy detection described the proportional integral derivative [PI(D)]‐controller set in microbial cells to HCCI/Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition.

In many sectors, ranging from sports and military operations to professional settings (notably cognitive enhancement); human performance augmentation has been an enduring ambition. The idea behind this movement, known as human enhancement, has evolved over time from simple means of training to the improvement or augmentation of physical ability through recent developments in fields such as pharmaceuticals and implantable devices that can enhance natural abilities. They span from pharmaceutical agents to wearable technologies used for sophisticated self-experimentation, which offer promise but also present ethical, health, and societal risks Performance-Enhancing Drugs are used to enhance the performance of humans in one way or another as a basic idea. The categories of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) included are Stimulants: Stimulant drugs, including amphetamines and caffeine (in the form of coffee) have been used for thousands of endeavours and physical stamina for decades. There have been many sources of controversy in the sporting world due to use or misuse and side-effectual restrictions. The release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and allowing muscles to grow big, and fast. Nevertheless, the consumption of anabolic steroids is strictly controlled because it has side effects and complications such as liver damage, hormonal imbalances, and greater aggression. Erythropoietin EPO is a hormone that produces red blood cells, and increased oxygen delivery to muscle. EPO Athletes and even more notably endurance athletes (such as cyclists) have a storied history of abusing this performance-enhancing agent to build stamina. However, the misuse of this drug can be very hazardous, as it causes complications such as blood clotting and heart issues.