Publications by authors named "Afzal A"

Article Synopsis
  • High-dose methotrexate (MTX) can lead to serious complications like acute kidney injury (AKI), neutropenia, and liver damage, but glucarpidase, an enzyme that breaks down MTX, shows potential benefits.
  • In a study of 708 patients with MTX-AKI across 28 cancer centers, those receiving glucarpidase had a significantly higher chance of kidney recovery and faster recovery times compared to those who did not receive the treatment.
  • Additionally, glucarpidase treatment was associated with lower rates of severe neutropenia and liver enzyme elevation, but there was no notable difference in mortality rates between the two groups.
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The reuse of electro-coagulated sludge as an adsorbent for Cr(VI) ion reduction was investigated in this study. Electro-coagulated sludge was obtained during the removal of citric acid wastewater by the electrocoagulation process. The following parameters were optimized for Cr(VI) reduction: pH (5-7), initial Cr(VI) concentration (10-50 mg/L), contact time (10-45 min), and adsorbent dosage (0.

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Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease with a significant risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent clinical evidence indicates the potential benefits of statins in cancer chemoprevention and therapeutics. However, it is still unclear if these drugs can lower the specific risk of HCC among patients with MASLD.

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Melatonin, a pleiotropic hormone plays a vital role in enhancing livestock performance not only by regulating circadian rhythms but also by exhibiting antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and metabolic regulatory effects that collectively improve resilience, fertility, and productivity. Melatonin's synthesis is predominantly influenced by light exposure, with increased production in darkness; however, factors such as diet and health status further modulate its levels. By helping animals adapt to environmental stressors, melatonin boosts immune responses, mitigates chronic illnesses, and optimizes production efficiency.

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Tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs) are gaining interest for low-power applications, but challenges like poor drive current, delayed saturation, and ambipolarity can hinder their performance. This work proposes a dopingless heterojunction TFET (DL-HTDET) utilizing advanced materials, all based on phosphorus, to address these issues. Our approach involves a comprehensive and accurate analysis of the DL-HTDET's behavior.

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Convenient multiday dosing of antiemetic regimens for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) are needed in pediatric patients, who are more likely than adults to be treated with emetogenic chemotherapy over multiple consecutive days. Intravenous (IV) fosaprepitant is approved for the prevention of CINV in children aged 6 months and older. This open-label, single-arm study assessed the safety and tolerability of a 3-day fosaprepitant regimen (consecutive daily IV administration on days 1-3) plus a serotonin receptor antagonist with or without dexamethasone in pediatric patients (6 months to 17 years) receiving emetogenic chemotherapy.

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Background: Fulminant myocarditis (FM) is a potentially life-threatening disease that requires emergency care. The authors' study aims to explore clinical outcomes and predictors of survival when using veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support for the treatment of FM in adult and pediatric patients to analyze differences between both populations.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies reporting the effect of VA-ECMO on patients diagnosed with fulminant myocarditis.

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Background: Multidisciplinary cardiogenic shock (CS) programs have been associated with improved outcomes, yet practical guidance for developing a CS program is lacking.

Methods: A survey on CS program development and operational best practices was administered to 12 institutions in diverse sociogeographic regions and practice settings. Common steps in program development were identified.

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Background: Continuing medical education (CME) is vital for healthcare professionals to maintain clinical competence and keep pace with the rapidly evolving medical landscape. Traditional CME models often fall short of meeting the dynamic needs of modern healthcare professionals.

Objective: This study explores innovative CME methods, including microlearning, Just-in-Time Training (JITT), and digital platforms, to assess their effectiveness and identify potential barriers to adoption.

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Lipases are crucial biocatalysts in various industrial applications, and there is considerable interest in developing sustainable methods for their synthesis. This study focuses on the isolation, screening, and comparison of Bacillus cereus strains to produce extracellular lipases utilizing agro-industrial waste through solid-state fermentation. The results indicate that B.

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Article Synopsis
  • Sepsis is a life-threatening condition with high rates of illness and mortality, requiring early detection and evaluation of its severity for effective treatment.
  • A study conducted on 201 ICU patients in Pakistan aimed to assess the relationship between serum albumin levels and sepsis severity using the SOFA scoring system.
  • Results showed that many patients had low albumin levels (hypoalbuminemia), indicating potential that serum albumin could be a useful predictor for assessing the severity of sepsis.
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Background: Lipomas and atypical lipomatous tumors or well-differentiated liposarcomas (ALTs/WDLs), pose a diagnostic challenge due to their overlapping clinical and imaging features. Accurate differentiation is crucial as treatment strategies differ significantly between benign lipomas and malignant ALTs/WDLs. In recent years, medical imaging techniques have shown promise in distinguishing lipomas from ALTs/WDLs by providing enhanced visualization and assessment of various imaging parameters.

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  • Metal sulfide-based composites, particularly NiFeS@MoS@rGO, are being researched for their performance as electrodes in supercapacitors due to their high conductivity and electrochemical properties.
  • The synthesized nanocomposite achieved an impressive specific capacitance of 3188 F/g when tested in a three-electrode cell with a KOH electrolyte.
  • The resulting supercapattery design, combining NiFeS@MoS@rGO with activated carbon, demonstrated strong energy and power density, stable performance over 30,000 cycles, and potential for powering portable electronics.
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  • Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a blood cancer linked to the Philadelphia chromosome and influenced by various genes, including ADGRE2, which could serve as a therapeutic marker.
  • The study investigates the impact of non-synonymous SNPs in the ADGRE2 gene on CML's progression using computational tools to assess variant pathogenicity.
  • Results showed that the TT genotype of the rs765071211 SNP was significantly associated with CML patients, indicating its potential as a clinical marker for the disease.
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Colorectal cancer (CRC), a major global health concern, necessitates innovative treatments. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have shown promise, yet they grapple with challenges. The spotlight pivots to the rising heroes: CAR natural killer (NK) cells, offering advantages such as higher safety profiles, cost-effectiveness, and efficacy against solid tumors.

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N-nitrosamines such as N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP), and N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) have been established as potent carcinogens that can induce diverse types of cancer. Several studies have extensively investigated the accurate quantification of total N-nitrosamines (TONO) and the intricate nature of the matrix in which they are detected. The potential for the formation of N-nitrosamines in post-combustion CO capture (PCCC) and water treatment has raised concerns.

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Recent improvements in renewable energy sources (RESs) and their extensive use in the power industry have created significant issues for their operation, security, and management. Due to the ongoing reduction of power system inertia, maintaining operational frequency at its nominal value and minimizing tie-line power variations constitute essential variables for these improvements. A novel improved frequency stabilization approach based on modified fractional order tilt controller is presented for interconnected diverse power systems with integration of sea wave energy, photovoltaic, wind, energy storage system and biodiesel generator.

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  • LVAD implantation significantly improves patient functional status, as shown by the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, with most patients showing improvement at both 6-month and 12-month follow-ups.
  • A retrospective study of 151 patients found that 92.62% improved at 6 months, with many achieving class I or II symptoms, and this improvement remained stable over 2 years.
  • The study identified ischemic heart failure as a strong predictor of sustainable functional improvement following LVAD implantation, highlighting the potential benefits for high-risk patients.
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Amide proton transfer (APT) imaging, a technique sensitive to tissue pH, holds promise in the diagnosis of ischemic stroke. Achieving accurate and rapid APT imaging is crucial for this application. However, conventional APT quantification methods either lack accuracy or are time-consuming.

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Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, yet its regulatory mechanisms are not fully understood. Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most metastatic form of lung cancer, with most patients presenting with widespread disease, making it an ideal model for studying metastasis. However, the lack of suitable preclinical models has limited such studies.

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The use of blockchain technology has been proposed to provide auditable access control for individual resources. Unlike the case where all resources are owned by a single organization, this work focuses on distributed applications such as business processes and distributed workflows. These applications are often composed of multiple resources/services that are subject to the security and access control policies of different organizational domains.

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  • The study aimed to compare the effects of Alberta Family Integrated Care (FICare) and Standard Care on human milk (HM) feeding duration in preterm infants at 2 months old.
  • Results showed that mothers in the FICare group were less likely to provide exclusive human milk (EHM) compared to those in Standard Care, while other influencing factors included maternal education and breastfeeding self-efficacy.
  • The conclusion emphasized that Alberta FICare did not lead to increased exclusive HM feeding at two months postpartum, highlighting the need for personalized feeding support strategies.
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An epithelioid angiomyolipoma (a perivascular epithelioid cell tumor) is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm with distinctive cellular morphology and nonspecific imaging appearances. Mostly reported perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas) are benign; however, rarely, PEComas can be malignant with pulmonary, hepatic, nodal, and osseous metastases. We present a case of a 40-year-old man with malignant right submandibular salivary gland PEComa, metastasized to the bones, lungs, and liver.

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Breast cancer is a global health challenge with significant mortality, affecting millions worldwide. The current study is aimed at evaluating awareness and practices related to breast cancer screening, prevention, and treatment among the general public and physicians in Lahore, Pakistan, which has a significant incidence of breast cancer. The current study adopted a cross-sectional study design conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, between March and August 2023, among 404 participants from the general public and 240 physicians.

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