Correction: IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic blood donors at two time points in Karachi.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecium clinical isolates from Pakistan: a genomic analysis.

Background: Linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecium (LRE) is a global priority pathogen. Thirteen LRE were reported from clinical specimens between November 2021 and April 2023 at two laboratories in Karachi, Pakistan. We aimed to investigate the strain types and genes associated with linezolid resistance among these isolates.

Face-to-face and e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Pakistani dental undergraduates perspective.

Background: Globally, educational institutes have been obliged to make a quick transition from traditional face-to-face teaching to e-learning during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has purportedly created various barriers to achieving desired learning outcomes.

Objective: The aim of our study was to assess the perceptions of undergraduate dental students regarding online and physical learning in Pakistan.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2022.

Building Research Capacity in Low- and Middle-Income Countries and Pandemic Preparedness: Lessons Learned and Future Directions.

Research capacity is a critical component of pandemic preparedness, as highlighted by the challenges faced during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Recent global initiatives, such as the Research & Development Task Force of the Global Health Security Agenda and the World Health Assembly's resolution on strengthening clinical trials, emphasize the need for robust research capabilities. This Perspective discusses the experiences of leaders in infectious disease research and capacity building in low- and middle-income countries, focusing on Colombia, Jamaica, and Pakistan.

Humoral and T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 reveal insights into immunity during the early pandemic period in Pakistan.

Background: Protection against SARS-CoV-2 is mediated by humoral and T cell responses. Pakistan faced relatively low morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 through the pandemic. To examine the role of prior immunity in the population, we studied IgG antibody response levels, virus neutralizing activity and T cell reactivity to Spike protein in a healthy control group (HG) as compared with COVID-19 cases and individuals from the pre-pandemic period (PP).

Genetics and Genomics of Chronic Pancreatitis with a Focus on Disease Biology and Molecular Pathogenesis.

Chronic pancreatitis is a long-term fibroinflammatory condition of the pancreas with varying incidences across countries. The recent increase in its occurrence implies the involvement of genetic, hereditary, and unconventional risk factors. However, there is a lack of updated literature on recent advances in genetic polymorphisms of chronic pancreatitis.

Autoimmune and paraneoplastic neurological disorders: A review of relevant neuroimaging findings.

Introduction: Paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes (PNS) and autoimmune encephalitis (AIE) are immune-mediated disorders. PNS is linked to cancer, while AIE may not Their clinical manifestations and imaging patterns need further elucidation.

Objective/aims: To investigate the clinical profiles, antibody associations, neuroimaging patterns, treatments, and outcomes of PNS and AIE.

Outcomes in Patients With Poststroke Seizures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Importance: Published data about the impact of poststroke seizures (PSSs) on the outcomes of patients with stroke are inconsistent and have not been systematically evaluated, to the authors' knowledge.

Objective: To investigate outcomes in people with PSS compared with people without PSS.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, Cochrane, LILACS, LIPECS, and Web of Science, with years searched from 1951 to January 30, 2023.

Investigating the impact of prior COVID-19 on IgG antibody and interferon γ responses after BBIBP-CorV vaccination in a disease endemic population: A prospective observational study.

Background And Aims: COVID-19 vaccinations have reduced morbidity and mortality from the disease. Antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) have been associated with immune protection. Seroprevalence studies revealed high immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels to SARS-CoV-2 in the Pakistani population before vaccinations.

Disease modifying therapy and pregnancy outcomes in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: To report pregnancy outcomes among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs).

Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of articles published from June 1996 to May 2023. Additional information was acquired from the drug registries of individual pharmaceutical companies.

Common Pathways of Epileptogenesis in Patients With Epilepsy Post-Brain Injury: Findings From a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background And Objectives: Epilepsy may result from various brain injuries, including stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic), traumatic brain injury, and infections. Identifying shared common biological pathways and biomarkers of the epileptogenic process initiated by the different injuries may lead to novel targets for preventing the development of epilepsy. We systematically reviewed biofluid biomarkers to test their association with the risk of post-brain injury epilepsy.

draft genome sequences: 15 historical (1998-2004) and 30 contemporary (2015-2016) clinical isolates from Pakistan.

The continued emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance among pathogenic bacteria are ever-growing threats to health and economy. Here, we report the draft genomes for 45 clinical isolates, including historical and contemporary drug-resistant organisms, obtained in Pakistan between 1998 and 2016: 5 , 3 , 3 , and 34 .

Etiology of Acute Infectious Meningitis and Meningoencephalitis in Karachi, Pakistan: Retrospective Observational Study from a Tertiary Care Center.

Meningoencephalitis (ME) is potentially fatal and is caused by a wide array of pathogens. Diagnostic and health-care access gaps prevent accurate estimation of the pathogen-specific burden in low-resource settings. We present pathogen-specific etiologies among patients hospitalized with ME in Karachi, Pakistan.

Investigation of multidrug-resistant plasmids from carbapenemase-producing clinical isolates from Pakistan.

Objectives: The study aim was to investigate multidrug-resistant (MDR) plasmids from a collection of 10 carbapenemase-producing clinical isolates identified within the same healthcare institution in Pakistan. Full characterization of the MDR plasmids including structure, typing characteristics, and AMR content as well as determination of their plasmid-based antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were carried out.

Methods: Plasmids were isolated from 10 clinical isolates of , and from a corresponding set of transconjugants, then sequenced using Nanopore/Illumina technology to generate plasmid hybrid assemblies.

Patients' Readiness Towards Teledentistry in the Malaysian Urban Population Attending an Undergraduate Teaching University.

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Scientific trends on research on denture stomatitis based on Scopus database: A bibliometric analysis.

Background: Denture stomatitis is a clinical condition that affects people who wear removable maxillary dentures. It causes redness, soreness, and erythema and ultimately affects the general condition of the patient. The objective of this study was to analyze the leading countries, journals, organizations, and authors and the frequently used keywords associated with denture stomatitis.

IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic blood donors at two time points in Karachi.

Introduction: An estimated 1.5 million cases were reported in Pakistan until 23 March, 2022. However, SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing capacity has been limited and the incidence of COVID-19 infections is unknown.

Effect of lip thickness and competency on soft-tissue changes.

Introduction: Improvement in facial esthetics is a major reason for seeking orthodontic treatment. Soft tissues responsible for esthetics show a variable response to the movement of underlying teeth during orthodontics.

Methods: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to analyze the response of soft tissues and compare it among groups presenting with different lip thickness and competence.

Screening for arboviruses in healthy blood donors: Experience from Karachi, Pakistan.

• DENV, WNV and JEV status was investigated in healthy blood donors at the Aga Khan University July to December 2018. • ELISA for IgM antibodies and RT-PCR for viral RNA detection were performed. • IgM antibodies for DENV and WNV were positive in 3.

Cerebral hemodynamics in children with sickle cell disease in India: An observational cohort study.

India has the second highest number of cases of sickle cell disease (SCD) and affects the most socioeconomically disadvantaged communities living in a horizontal belt from Gujarat to Odisha state. Despite high prevalence, information about cerebral hemodynamics among children with SCD in India remains scarcely described. We performed transcranial Doppler (TCD) to assess cerebral hemodynamics among Indian children with SCD and evaluated their association with clinical and hematological parameters.

Comparative assessment of various cephalometric facial planes with intercanine width in orthodontic patients.

Objective: The study was conducted to evaluate the relationship of various cephalometric skeletal patterns in the vertical and anteroposterior planes with intercanine width in untreated orthodontic patients.

Method And Material: This study included dental cast and cephalometric radiographs of 100 patients (69 females and 31 males) of the age range 13 to 33 years. Skeletal parameters including SNA, SNB, SNMP angles were found from lateral cephalometric radiographs.

Relationship of early weaning and non-nutritive sucking habits with facial development.

Objective: To determine the frequency of malocclusion features, convex facial profile and non-nutritive sucking habits among children with and without early weaning.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, from June to December 2020, and comprised of either gender aged 3-6 years. The subjects were clinically examined, and details of lactation period, bottle feeding, thumb and pacifiers sucking were gathered from the parents to assess association with malocclusion.

Over the counter drugs and self-medication: A worldwide paranoia and a troublesome situation in India during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Self-medication is the use of drugs to treat self-diagnosed ailments without the use of a formal prescription. Self-medication is defined by the World Health Organization as the use of medications to address self-diagnosed diseases or symptoms. Over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals are medications that can be sold without a prescription directly to the client in accordance with the laws of each nation.