Publications by authors named "Amir A"

Aims: The disturbed light: dark (LD) cycle has been associated with critical complications, including obesity, diabetes and cancer. In the present study, we investigated the chronic effects of artificial light at daytime (AL) and light at night (RAL) after intraperitoneal (i.p.

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Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) is highly effective for the treatment of melanoma, but intrinsic resistance is present in a subgroup of patients. TGF-β pathway activity may play a role in this resistance by preventing T-cells from entering the tumor microenvironment, causing immune escape. We investigated the association of TGF-β signal transduction pathway activity with resistance to ICI treatment in advanced melanoma.

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Background: The neural bases of decision-making and contextual sensory discriminations have traditionally been studied in primates, highlighting the role of the prefrontal cortex in cognitive control and flexibility. With the advent of molecular tools to manipulate and monitor neuronal activity, these processes have increasingly been studied in rodents. However, rodent tasks typically consist of two-alternative forced choice paradigms that usually feature coarse sensory discriminations and no contextual dependence, limiting prefrontal involvement in task performance.

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Background: Misusing alcohol can cause damage to different tissues in the body, resulting in conditions like alcoholic liver disease, pancreatitis, cardiomyopathy, neurotoxicity, muscle wasting, weakened immune system, hormonal disruptions, birth defects, and bone loss. The objective of this research was to evaluate how alcohol affects the exocrine pancreas histology and the levels of amylase in the blood serum. Additionally, it aimed to explore whether vitamin E provides a safeguard against alcohol-induced harm to the pancreas in rabbits.

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Breast cancer remains a challenging health issue, demanding innovative treatment approaches that maximize efficacy while minimizing damage to healthy cells. Targeted therapy offers a promising strategy tailored to the unique characteristics of breast cancer tumors. Gold nanoparticles have been studied in the context of their therapeutic potential towards cancer treatment showing great success.

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Background: The ACURATE neo2 is a contemporary transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) system approved for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis in Europe. The ACURATE neo2 has not been evaluated in bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) stenosis.

Aims: We sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ACURATE neo2 in patients with BAV stenosis.

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A critical cell cycle checkpoint for most bacteria is the onset of constriction when the septal peptidoglycan synthesis starts. According to the current understanding, the arrival of FtsN to midcell triggers this checkpoint in Escherichia coli. Recent structural and in vitro data suggests that recruitment of FtsN to the Z-ring leads to a conformational switch in actin-like FtsA, which links FtsZ protofilaments to the cell membrane and acts as a hub for the late divisome proteins.

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  • The study investigates how Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) grows differently compared to other bacteria, particularly focusing on its cell growth patterns and behaviors at the single-cell level.
  • Using time-lapse imaging and mathematical modeling, it was found that Mtb has an asymmetric growth pattern and displays variability in cell size, growth speed, and division times.
  • Unlike typical bacteria that grow exponentially, Mtb grows in a linear fashion, indicating that its growth regulation mechanisms might differ significantly from those of other bacterial species.
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Aim: This retrospective study aimed to assess the efficacy of prophylactic antibiotics in preventing ascending cholangitis following Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE). Data from 72 patients treated across four tertiary centres in Israel from 2008 to 2018 were analysed.

Methods: Clinical and laboratory data were collected from biliary atresia (BA) diagnosis until liver transplantation (LT) or study completion.

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Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most frequently diagnosed form of skin cancer, and its incidence continues to rise, particularly among older individuals. This trend puts a significant strain on health care systems, especially in terms of histopathologic diagnostics required for Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS), which is used to treat BCC in sensitive locations to minimize tissue loss. This study aims to address the challenges in BCC detection within MMS whole-slide images by developing and evaluating a deep learning model that bridges weakly supervised learning with interpretable segmentation-based methods through attention maps.

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  • Welding is essential for metal joining in the fabrication industry, and this study examined the impact of two filler materials (ER70S-6 and ER308LSi) using various wire feeder speeds (WFS) and shielding gas flow rates (GFR) on weld quality of ASTM A516 G70 plates.
  • The research found that the best results in tensile strength and hardness came from specific combinations of WFS and GFR depending on the filler material used, with ER308LSi performing better overall.
  • Additionally, the study highlighted how microstructural changes in welded joints influence mechanical properties, with finer grain structures in the heat-affected zone contributing to improved hardness and strength.
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  • Immunotherapy, especially immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), is changing cancer treatment by targeting proteins that prevent the immune system from attacking cancer cells, with key examples being PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4.
  • Further research has revealed another checkpoint mechanism involving BTLA and HVEM, which are linked to immune regulation and have been found overexpressed in several cancers like lung, ovarian, and glioblastoma.
  • The exploration of the BTLA/HVEM checkpoint is important for advancing immunotherapy options, aiming to enhance cancer treatment outcomes.
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  • Adrenal masses include various abnormal growths in the adrenal gland, with pseudocysts being the most common type of cysts; there are currently no specific guidelines for their management due to their rare occurrence.
  • A systematic review of 39 studies from 2000 to 2023 focused on the clinical and radiological characteristics of adrenal gland pseudocysts, analyzing data from 45 patients, primarily adult women.
  • Findings indicated that many patients were asymptomatic or experienced vague abdominal pain, with the most notable imaging result being cystic lesions with calcifications; surgical intervention was necessary in cases of compression, growth, or cancer suspicion, with a majority undergoing open surgery.
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  • A novel and eco-friendly HPTLC method has been created to measure duloxetine (DLX) and tadalafil (TDL), which is beneficial for treating depression and sexual issues in patients.
  • The method uses a specific stationary phase and mobile phase for effective separation, allowing for precise quantification of both drugs in pure forms and human plasma with very low detection limits.
  • Validation of the method followed international guidelines, and its environmental impact was evaluated using several green chemistry assessment tools, confirming its sustainability and practicality.
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The ketogenic diet (KD) has gained a lot of attraction in the management of neurological disorders. KD therapies are high-fat, low-carbohydrate diets intended to shift energy consumption and metabolism from carbohydrates to fat in ketogenesis. The oxidative phosphorylation of ketone bodies generates energy packets for body cells, especially the central nervous system, replacing the role of glucose.

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This commentary delves into the complexities surrounding chronic kidney disease management in Pakistan, specifically examining the critical role played by renal satellite units in providing accessible dialysis services. Chronic kidney disease in Pakistan accounts for 3.9% of total deaths, warranting a focused exploration of challenges and potential solutions.

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Background and objective The accurate diagnosis of extrapulmonary malignancies with mediastinal lymphadenopathy is crucial for effective patient management. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EBUS-FNA) has emerged as a valuable tool in assessing fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)-avid lymph nodes (LNs). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of EBUS-FNA in patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy in extrapulmonary malignancies and compare its efficacy with PET-CT.

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Asia remains vulnerable to new and emerging infectious diseases. Understanding how to improve next generation sequencing (NGS) use in pathogen surveillance is an urgent priority for regional health security. Here we developed a pathogen genomic surveillance assessment framework to assess capacity in low-resource settings in South and Southeast Asia.

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Antibiotic resistance is an increasing threat, requiring novel therapeutic solutions. Metal nanoparticles e.g.

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Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a genetic blinding disease with over 80 causative genes. Disease progression varies between patients with similar genetic backgrounds. We assessed the association between environment, gut microbiota, and retinal degeneration in the RP rat model Royal College of Surgeons (RCS).

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