Publications by authors named "Ashraf A"

Purpose: Hyponatremia after craniotomy can be associated with increased morbidity. However, the incidence of and factors associated with post-craniotomy hyponatremia in children are not known.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients aged 0-21 years who underwent craniotomy in 2017-2019 at a single center to determine the incidence of and to identify risk factors for hyponatremia after craniotomy.

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Article Synopsis
  • Wiedemann-Steiner Syndrome (WSS) is a genetic disorder linked to various symptoms, including advanced bone age and short stature, and is associated with elevated levels of the androgen 11-ketotestosterone (11KT).
  • A case study of two children with WSS revealed that the first child had significantly high 11KT levels (26.3 ng/dL and later 33.8 ng/dL), indicating potential adrenal gland hyperactivity that could explain her advanced bone age.
  • The second child showed normal 11KT levels (4.5 ng/dL), suggesting a need for ongoing monitoring of androgen levels in infants with WSS to understand their developmental progress regarding premature ad
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The results of gender equality indicators across the world in the form of prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women are striking and has thus drawn the attention of policy makers as well as necessitates the adoption of a comprehensive system to deal with. The situation of IPV in Pakistan is alarming. This study examines the acceptability attitude of women and men toward intimate partner violence against women through data science.

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We describe a rare case of coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) with recurrent ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) despite being on standard dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). A 47-year-old male presented with chest pain and was found to have inferior wall STEMI along with diffuse right coronary artery (RCA) ectasia and proximal RCA aneurysm, thrombotic occlusion, and dissection. He was managed with extensive thrombectomy, angioplasty, prolonged Heparinization, and DAPT.

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Anomalous coronary arteries originating from the opposite sinus of Valsalva (ACAOS) are a challenge because of their various anatomic and clinical presentation. Although the prevalence is low, the absolute numbers of detected ACAOS are increasing because of the growing use of noninvasive anatomical imaging for ruling out coronary artery disease. As evidence-based guidelines are lacking, treating physicians are left in uncertainty for the optimal management of such patients.

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Potentially toxic metals have become a viable threat to the ecosystem due to their carcinogenic nature. Biochar has gained substantial interest due to its redox-mediated processes and redox-active metals. Biochar has the capacity to directly adsorb the pollutants from contaminated environments through several mechanisms such as coprecipitation, complexation, ion exchange, and electrostatic interaction.

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After damage, cells repair their plasma membrane in an active process that is driven by Ca entering through the wound. This triggers a range of Ca-regulated events such as the translocation of different Ca-binding proteins to the wound site which likely function in the repair process. The translocated proteins include Ca/phospholipid binding proteins of the annexin (ANX) family and S100A11, an EF hand-type Ca-binding protein which can interact with ANX.

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The worldwide increase of multi-drug resistance has directed the researchers to focus on ecofriendly ways of nanoparticles synthesis with effective antivirulence properties. Here, we report the antibiofilm and quorum quenching (QQ) potential of zirconium oxide nanoparticles (ZrO NPs) synthesized from aqueous ginger extract against multi-drug resistant (MDR) . The results indicated that ZrO NPs were of tetragonal shape with average diameter of 16 nm.

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are gram-positive cocci belonging to the group that have a propensity to cause bacteremia and abscesses, especially in immunocompromised patients. Here, we report the case of a 39-year-old male who was initially admitted to the hospital for diabetic ketoacidosis. During the hospitalization, he developed sepsis and blood cultures grew .

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Paratesticular masses are not infrequent, however the diagnosis is challenging. Differentiation from testicular tumours is of utmost importance. One of the rare forms is a fibrous pseudotumours with only about a couple of hundred cases documented worldwide.

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An alarming rise in prescription and non-prescription misuse of opioids has been observed recently, leading to potentially devastating consequences. Opioid misuse contributes to cardiac risk burden and can cause diseases such as acute coronary syndrome, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, QTc prolongation, and endocarditis. Here, we describe the case of a 35-year-old male with recreational fentanyl use who was found to have a cardiogenic shock on point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), likely due to fentanyl-induced cardiomyopathy.

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Financial development is an important driver of technological progress in economic development. Its role in environmental change has not been well examined. We endeavor to examine the non-linear effects of multi-dimensional financial development measures on four kinds of ecological footprints in a global sample of 124 economies.

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel virus that primarily involves the respiratory system. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an extensive vaccination program is underway worldwide. Herein, we present a 68-year-old woman with paresthesia of both hands associated with gait instability, which started three to four days after receiving the second dose of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine against the COVID-19 infection.

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Heavy metal contamination has increased over the globe, causing significant environmental issues owing to direct and indirect releases into water bodies. As a result, metal removal from water entities must be addressed soon. Various adsorbents such as MOFs and chitosan have demonstrated promising results in water treatment.

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Forcespinning is a powerful technique to produce fiber systems with suitable properties for a vast array of applications. This study investigates the sensing and energy generation performance of PVDF/PAni fiber mat systems made by the forcespinning method with and without graphene coating. The developed fiber mats were coated with graphene nanoflakes by drop-casting.

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Introduction: Studies have shown male sex to be a predisposing factor for peri-prosthetic joint infections (PJIs). Symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has been suggested as an additional risk for PJI. This study aimed to assess the impact of BPH on (1) lengths of stay (LOS), (2) complications (medical and implant-related), (3) readmission rates, and (4) healthcare expenditures after reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA).

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: To examine the accuracy of urine c-peptide creatinine ratio (UCPCR) for identifying the type of diabetes in appropriate clinical settings. : Systematic review of test accuracy studies on patients with different forms of diabetes. : Medline, Embase and Cochrane library databases from 1 January 2000 to 15 November 2020.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing health inequities in vulnerable and marginalized patient populations. Continuing professional development (CPD) can be a critical driver of change to improve quality of care, health inequities, and system change. In order for CPD to address these disparities in care for patient populations most affected in the health care system, CPD programs must first address issues of equity and inclusion in their education development and delivery.

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Context: Pediatric obesity is a serious health problem in the United States. While lifestyle modification therapy with dietary changes and increased physical activity are integral for the prevention and treatment of mild to moderate obesity in youth, only a modest effect on sustained weight reduction is observed in children and young adults with severe obesity. This underscores the need for additional evidence-based interventions for children and adolescents with severe obesity, including pharmacotherapy, before considering invasive procedures such as bariatric surgery.

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The present study assessed the effectiveness of gamma radiation in inducing favorable genetic variability in tomato ( L.). An experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design to produce M generation.

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Salinity stress is one of the primary abiotic stresses limiting crop growth and yield. Plants respond to salinity stress with several morphophysiological, molecular, and biochemical mechanisms, however, these mechanisms need to be improved further to cope with salt stress effectively. In this regard, the use of plant growth-promoting (PGP) and halotolerant bacteria is thought to be very efficient for enhancing growth and salinity tolerance in plants.

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Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a smoker's disease and occurs almost exclusively in smokers. SCLC is a high-grade neuroendocrine tumor and commonly presents as a central tumor with bulky mediastinal adenopathy. It is notorious for causing widespread disease and paraneoplastic syndromes.

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