Investigating the GWAS-Implicated Loci for Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Pakistani Population.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex and multifactorial autoimmune disorder with the involvement of multiple genetic and environmental factors. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 50 RA genetic loci in European populations. Given the anticipated overlap of RA-relevant genes and pathways across different ethnic groups, we sought to replicate 58 GWAS-implicated SNPs reported in Europeans in Pakistani subjects.

Transcriptional Profiling and Biological Pathway(s) Analysis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Pakistani Population.

The epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an important global health concern. Our earlier epidemiological investigation in Pakistan prompted us to conduct a molecular investigation to decipher the differential genetic pathways of this health condition in relation to non-diabetic controls. Our microarray studies of global gene expression were conducted on the Affymetrix platform using Human Genome U133 Plus 2.

When to call it off: defining transplant candidacy limits in liver donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is an acceptable treatment option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Traditional transplant criteria aim at best utilization of donor organs with low risk of post transplant recurrence. In LDLT, long term recurrence free survival (RFS) of 50% is considered acceptable.

Anterior Cervical Osteophyte Resection for Treatment of Dysphagia.

Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: When anterior cervical osteophytes become large enough, they may cause dysphagia. There is a paucity of work examining outcomes and complications of anterior cervical osteophyte resection for dysphagia.

Compatibility Evaluation of Clustering Algorithms for Contemporary Extracellular Neural Spike Sorting.

Deciphering useful information from electrophysiological data recorded from the brain, or , is dependent on the capability to analyse spike patterns efficiently and accurately. The spike analysis mechanisms are heavily reliant on the clustering algorithms that enable separation of spike trends based on their spatio-temporal behaviors. Literature review report several clustering algorithms over decades focused on different applications.

AMY1 Gene Copy Number Correlates With Glucose Absorption and Visceral Fat Volume, but Not with Insulin Resistance.

Background: The human amylase gene (AMY1) has a broad copy number (CN) variation that may associate with body mass index.

Methods: Deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted from urine (n = 74) and serum (n = 6) samples (Protein, Fiber and Metabolic Syndrome [ProFiMet] cohort), and buccal (n = 17) samples (Oral Starch Challenge [OSC] cohort), and assessed for AMY1 CN by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction. The association of AMY1 CN with comprehensive markers of metabolic status (ProFiMet cohort) were analyzed with Pearson's correlation coefficient (CC).

Association Study of Coronary Artery Disease-Associated Genome-Wide Significant SNPs with Coronary Stenosis in Pakistani Population.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of coronary artery disease (CAD) have revealed multiple genetic risk loci. We assessed the association of 47 genome-wide significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 43 CAD loci with coronary stenosis in a Pakistani sample comprising 663 clinically ascertained and angiographically confirmed cases. Genotypes were determined using the iPLEX Gold technology.

State transitions in cyanobacteria studied with picosecond fluorescence at room temperature.

Cyanobacteria can rapidly regulate the relative activity of their photosynthetic complexes photosystem I and II (PSI and PSII) in response to changes in the illumination conditions. This process is known as state transitions. If PSI is preferentially excited, they go to state I whereas state II is induced either after preferential excitation of PSII or after dark adaptation.

Butyrate Protects Against Salsolinol-Induced Toxicity in SH-SY5Y Cells: Implication for Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is associated with the destruction of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and the formation of Lewy bodies in basal ganglia. Risk factors for PD include aging, as well as environmental and genetic factors. Recent converging reports suggest a role for the gut microbiome and epigenetic factors in the onset and/or progression of PD.

The Application of Structural Retinal Biomarkers to Evaluate the Effect of Intravitreal Ranibizumab and Dexamethasone Intravitreal Implant on Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic effect of intravitreal treatment with ranibizumab and dexamethasone using specific swept-source optical coherence tomography retinal biomarkers in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods: 156 treatment-naïve patients with DME were divided in two groups: 75 patients received 3 monthly intravitreal injections of ranibizumab 0.5 mg (Lucentis) (Group 1) and 81 patients received an intravitreal implant of dexamethasone 0.

Toxicological and Anti-Rheumatic Potential of Derived Biogenic Selenium Nanoparticles in Arthritic Balb/c Mice.

Purpose: The existing treatment modalities for rheumatoid arthritis are less effective and safe, therefore it is essential to develop new treatments that particularly target the inflamed joints with decreased off-target side-effects. The current study proposes a nanoparticle-based therapeutic approach to target the anti-oxidant defense system of arthritic Balb/c mice.

Methods: Biogenic selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were synthesized by using seed extract and were evaluated for their toxicological, as well as their therapeutic potential in collagen-induced arthritic mice.

Best achievable results need territorial familiarity: Impact of living donor liver transplant experience on outcomes after pancreaticodoudenectomy.

Background: Recently, benchmarks for pancreatic surgery have been proposed. Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is thought to have a positive impact on PD outcomes. The objective of the current study was to determine if the proposed benchmark cutoffs are achievable in an LDLT program with low to medium volumes for PD.

Total Synthesis of Benzofuran-Based Aspergillusene B via Halogenative Aromatization of Enones.

A novel "non-aromatic pool" synthetic strategy for the synthesis of benzofuran-based natural products via oxidative haloaromatization of enones is reported. This approach is successfully applied in the first total synthesis of the natural product aspergillusene B. In comparison with a separately executed "aromatic pool" synthesis, the "non-aromatic pool" protocol demonstrates equivalent efficiency but offers a much higher degree of modularity.

State Policies on Access to Vaccination Services for Low-Income Adults.

Importance: State vaccination benefits coverage and access for adult Medicaid beneficiaries vary substantially. Multiple studies have documented lower vaccination uptake in publicly insured adults compared with privately insured adults.

Objective: To evaluate adult Medicaid beneficiaries' access to adult immunization services through review of vaccination benefits coverage in Medicaid programs across the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

A Public Health Messaging Campaign to Reduce Caloric Intake: Feedback From Expert Stakeholders.

Objective: To obtain expert feedback on a public health messaging campaign to reduce caloric intake in US adults.

Design And Setting: In 2018, researchers conducted semistructured telephone interviews with US-based experts in obesity prevention, mental health, and health communications.

Participants: The research team invited 100 experts to participate using purposive and snowball sampling techniques.

Carotid Artery Stenting and Its Impact on Cognitive Function: A Prospective Observational Study.

Purpose: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) has evolved as a first-line therapeutic option for carotid revascularization in indicated patients for stroke prevention, but there is still a lack of data on its effect on cognitive function (CF), especially among Indian patients. To determine the effect of CAS on CF and to study the immediate and delayed complications of CAS in Indian patients.

Materials And Methods: This was a prospective, observational, single-center study.

Dihydromyricetin Protects the Liver via Changes in Lipid Metabolism and Enhanced Ethanol Metabolism.

Background: Excess alcohol (ethanol, EtOH) consumption is a significant cause of chronic liver disease, accounting for nearly half of the cirrhosis-associated deaths in the United States. EtOH-induced liver toxicity is linked to EtOH metabolism and its associated increase in proinflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and the subsequent activation of Kupffer cells. Dihydromyricetin (DHM), a bioflavonoid isolated from Hovenia dulcis, can reduce EtOH intoxication and potentially protect against chemical-induced liver injuries.

Facile doping of nickel into CoO nanostructures to make them efficient for catalyzing the oxygen evolution reaction.

Designing a facile and low-cost methodology to fabricate earth-abundant catalysts is very much needed for a wide range of applications. Herein, a simple and straightforward approach was developed to tune the electronic properties of cobalt oxide nanostructures by doping them with nickel and then using them to catalyze the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in an aqueous solution of 1.0 M KOH.

Correlates of intimate partner violence among urban women in sub-Saharan Africa.

Introduction: The dynamics of intimate partner violence (IPV)-one of the world's leading public health problems-in urban Africa remain poorly understood. Yet, urban areas are key to the future of women's health in Africa.

Study Objectives: We explored survivor-, partner-, and household-level correlates of prevalence rates for types of IPV in urban SSA women.

Pregnancy outcomes from the global pharmacovigilance database on interferon beta-1b exposure.

Background: The goal of the present cohort study was to review outcomes of patients exposed to interferon beta-1b during pregnancy.

Methods: Pregnancy cases with exposure to interferon beta-1b reported to Bayer's pharmacovigilance (PV) database from worldwide sources from January 1995 through February 2018 were retrieved for evaluation. Only cases where pregnancy outcomes were unknown at the time of reporting (i.

Niraparib for the Treatment of Recurrent Epithelial Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, or Primary Peritoneal Cancer.

Objective: To review the efficacy and safety of niraparib for the treatment of recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer (OC, FTC, and PPC).

Data Sources: A literature search via MEDLINE through PubMed from August 2013 to January 2020 was performed using the key terms , and .

Study Selection And Data Extraction: Completed and ongoing trials were identified through a review of the website trial registry https://www.

A Novel Roll and Pitch Estimation Approach for a Ground Vehicle Stability Improvement Using a Low Cost IMU.

Onboard attitude estimation for a ground vehicle is persuaded by its application in active anti-roll bar design. Conventionally, the attitude estimation problem for a ground vehicle is a complex one, and computationally, its solution is very intensive. Lateral load transfer is an important parameter which should be taken in account for all roll stability control systems.

Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Single-Center Experience from Pakistan.

Background: Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is an established treatment for patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within Milan criteria. Acceptable outcomes have been demonstrated in patients fulfilling extended criteria. Here, we share our experience with LDLT for patients with HCC within and beyond Milan criteria, with emphasis on poor prognostic factors.

Is Reconstruction of Large Mandibular Defects Using Bioengineering Materials Effective?

Purpose: Clinical tissue engineering has revolutionized surgery by improving surgical efficiency and decreasing the risks associated with traditional bone graft procurement techniques. Compared with autogenous bone grafts, composite tissue-engineered grafts fulfill the principles of osteoconduction, osteoinduction, and osteogenesis and provide adequate bone volume for maxillofacial reconstruction with less morbidity. The present study aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness, as defined by our success criteria, of a composite tissue-engineered bone graft in the reconstruction of mandibular defects.