Probabilistic prediction of phosphate ion adsorption onto biochar materials using a large dataset and online deployment.

Phosphate (PO(III)) contamination in water bodies poses significant environmental challenges, necessitating efficient and accurate methods to predict and optimize its removal. The current study addresses this issue by predicting the adsorption capacity of PO(III) ions onto biochar-based materials using five probabilistic machine learning models: eXtreme Gradient Boosting LSS (XGBoostLSS), Natural Gradient Boosting, Bayesian Neural Networks (NN), Probabilistic NN, and Monte-Carlo Dropout NN. Utilizing a dataset of 2952 data points with 16 inputs, XGBoostLSS demonstrated the highest R (0.

De novo Presentation of Systemic Lupus as Bullous Erythematosus: A Case Report.

Background: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) (C1) is a disease with multi-organ involvement that can have a variety of cutaneous manifestations in 76% of cases during the disease. Less than 1% of these patients are diagnosed with confirmed bullous systemic lupus erythematosus (C1). Given the wide differential diagnosis of a bullous lesion, it is imperative to reach a conclusive diagnosis as it can have a direct impact on the course of management of the disease.

THE EFFECT OF PRE-MEDICATION WITH ORAL STEROIDS ON INTRA-OPERATIVE BLEEDING IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC RHINOSINUSITIS UNDERGOING FUNCTIONAL ENDOSCOPIC SINUS SURGERY.

Background: An inflammation of the nasal and paranasal sinus mucosa that lasts longer than three months is known as chronic rhinosinusitis. When corticosteroids and other medicinal treatments fail to relieve a patient's symptoms, then functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is a commonly performed procedure to alleviate the symptoms. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of oral steroids given prior to surgery on intraoperative bleeding in patients having functional endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis.

Congenital perineal hernia: a systematic review of case reports.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to systematically review the literature to evaluate the diagnostic methods, associated defects, treatment approaches, and outcomes of congenital perineal hernia.

Methods & Results: We searched PubMed and Google Scholar from inception until January 7, 2024, to find relevant articles on congenital perineal hernia. A total of 87 articles were obtained which were screened based on eligibility criteria yielding a total of 12 documented cases that were summarized in a table.

Variance estimation using memory type estimators based on EWMA statistic for time scaled surveys in stratified sampling.

In this article, we have proposed memory-type exponential and non-exponential estimators for population variance based on exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) statistic in stratified sampling. We drive mathematical expressions for mean square errors of the proposed estimators using Taylor and exponential expansions. Our analysis demonstrates that the proposed memory-type estimators outperform the conventional estimators under stratification, particularly, when the information of previous sample is utilized.

Computational imaging for rapid detection of grade-I cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD).

An early identification and subsequent management of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) grade 1 can delay progression into grades II and III. Machine learning algorithms have shown considerable promise in medical image interpretation automation. An experimental cross-sectional study aimed to develop an automated computer-aided diagnostic system based on AI (artificial intelligence) tools to detect grade 1-cSVD with improved accuracy.

Utility-Driven End-to-End Network Slicing for Diverse IoT Users in MEC: A Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach.

Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) is crucial for reducing latency by bringing computational resources closer to the network edge, thereby enhancing the quality of services (QoS). However, the broad deployment of cloudlets poses challenges in efficient network slicing, particularly when traffic distribution is uneven. Therefore, these challenges include managing diverse resource requirements across widely distributed cloudlets, minimizing resource conflicts and delays, and maintaining service quality amid fluctuating request rates.

The Increased aspartate levels in transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) lead to improved tolerance against whitefly (Bemisia tabaci, Gennadius).

The whitefly, a polyphagous insect pest feeding on nearly 1328 plant species, is a major threat to global cotton production and incurs up to 50% yield losses in cotton production in Pakistan. We investigated whether increased aspartate in phloem sap imparts whitefly toxicity and protects cotton plants from intense damage. The enzymatic step for aspartate production is carried through aspartate aminotransferase (AAT).

Navigating undergraduate medical education: a comparative evaluation of a fully online versus a hybrid model.

Background: The evaluation of undergraduate medical curricula plays a crucial role in ensuring effectiveness and helps in continuous improvement of the learning process. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of online and hybrid teaching models of the first-year MBBS curriculum in the COVID-19 era (2019-20) and the para-COVID-19 pandemic (2020-21).

Study Methodology: Mixed methods study with CIPP model was used.

variants cause a phenotypic spectrum from early-onset Parkinson's disease to perinatal lethality by disrupting mitochondrial pathways.

Dissecting biological pathways highlighted by Mendelian gene discovery has provided critical insights into the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and neurodegeneration. This approach ultimately catalyzes the identification of potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Here, we identify as a new gene implicated in PD and childhood neurodegeneration.

The N and C-terminal deleted variant of the dengue virus NS1 protein is a potential candidate for dengue vaccine development.

NS1 is an elusive dengue protein, involved in viral replication, assembly, pathogenesis, and immune evasion. Its levels in blood plasm are positively related to disease severity like thrombocytopenia, hemorrhage, and vascular leakage. Despite its pathogenic roles, NS1 is being used in various vaccine formulations due to its sequence conservancy, ability to produce protective antibodies and low risk for inducing antibody-dependent enhancement.

Neuroendoscopic versus Craniotomy Approach in Supratentorial Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage: An Updated Meta-Analysis.

Background: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a serious medical condition associated with high mortality and disability rates. Surgical interventions, including neuroendoscopic surgery (NES) and craniotomy, are employed to manage ICH and improve patient outcomes. This meta-analysis compared the effectiveness of NES versus craniotomy in treating ICH.

Morphological variants of Rouviere's sulcus and its significance in a patient undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy: An emerging paradigm.

Introduction: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the gold-standard treatment for symptomatic cholelithiasis. To prevent bile duct injuries, various practices are recommended, one of which is the identification of Rouviere's sulcus (RS) and starting dissection above its level. So far, no uniform anatomical description of RS is available in the literature.

Integrating endogeneity in survey sampling using instrumental-variable calibration estimator.

The endogeneity problem arises when the auxiliary variables correlate to the error terms. In such cases, appropriate instrumental variables ensure efficient estimation. Calibration has recognized itself as an important methodological tool at a large scale to estimate the population total in survey sampling.

Chemical fingerprinting, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer potential of greenly synthesized silver nanoparticles from pistachio () nuts and senna (.) leaves.

There is a growing interest in standardizing the biocompatible, cost-effective, and eco-friendly manufacturing techniques for metallic nanostructures due to their widespread applications in the industrial and medical sectors. In recent decades, green synthesis has been proven as the most suitable technique for synthesizing metal nanoparticles. The present research study investigates the use of (senna) leaves and (Pistachio) nuts to prepare crude aqueous extracts, ethanolic extracts, and biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs).

Evaluating an immunization carpool service for women in rural areas for facilitating routine childhood immunizations in Pakistan -a feasibility study on acceptability, demand, and implementation.

Introduction: Poor accessibility of immunization services coupled with limited options for transportation and socio-cultural norms that hinder women's mobility are among the key factors contributing to poor immunization coverage in rural areas. We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of establishing a free-of-cost, women-only carpool service for immunization in a rural setting in Pakistan and evaluated its preliminary impact on immunization coverage and timeliness among children.

Methods: We conducted a feasibility study in four selected immunization facilities in Shikarpur District, Sindh.

Diagnostic potential of various laboratory tests for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): A systematic review.

Objective: To identify possible tests along with their accuracies that may be used to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome.

Methods: The systematic review comprised literature search on Cochrane Library, PubMed, Science Direct and Elsevier databases for randomised controlled trials and cohort studies conducted from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2022, using appropriate key words and Boolean operators. Focus was kept on studies that reported irritable bowel syndrome diagnosis as the primary outcome.

Precision enhancement in variance estimation for complex environmental populations using adaptive cluster sampling.

Estimating dispersion in populations that are extremely rare, hidden, geographically clustered, and hard to access is a well-known challenge. Conventional sampling approaches tend to overestimate the variance, even though it should be genuinely reduced. In this environment, adaptive cluster sampling is considered to be the most efficient sampling technique as it provides generally a lower variance than the other conventional probability sampling designs for the assessment of rare and geographically gathered population parameters like mean, total, variance, etc.

Exploring Taurine's Potential in Alzheimer's Treatment: A Comprehensive Review.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) stands as one of the predominant neurodegenerative disorders, often culminating in dementia. Taurine, an endogenous amino acid, holds pivotal regulatory functions within the physiological milieu. Emerging evidence suggests that taurine may confer protection against the onset and progression of AD through diverse mechanistic pathways.

Predictors for poor daily weight gain in preterm neonates exposed to different dose regimens of caffeine in ICU- a retrospective cohort study.

Background: With a wide therapeutic index, efficacy, ease of use, and other neuroprotective and respiratory benefits, caffeine citrate(CC) is currently the drug of choice for preterm neonates (PTNs). Caffeine-induced excessive energy expenditure, diuresis, natriuresis, and other CC-associated potential side-effects (CC-APSEs) result in lower daily-weight gain (WG) in premature neonates. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for daily-WG in neonates exposed to different dose regimens of caffeine in ICU.

The Psychological Impact and Behavioral Changes Among the Medical Students of Islamabad and Rawalpindi Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift in global lifestyles as individuals sought to safeguard themselves and their loved ones from the virus. This adaptation involved embracing a distinct way of life marked by social distancing, reduced outdoor engagements, and home confinement. Consequently, this period of quarantine led to diminished social interactions, challenges in accessing essential resources such as food, heightened unemployment rates, and increased burden on healthcare systems.

Improved exponential type variance estimators for population utilizing supplementary information.

This paper contributes to the existing literature on variance estimators by utilizing supplementary information. The variance estimation problem of a finite population is a significant matter as sometimes, it is tough to control the variation. For this purpose, an optimum family of exponential variance estimators is suggested under simple random sampling.

Dual-type quantile regression approach for mean estimation incorporating sampled and non-sampled data.

Drawing inspiration from recent advancements in robust mean estimation within finite sampling theory, we introduce a novel dual-type class of mean estimators in a design-based framework. The dual-type class is based on quantile regression and is specifically designed to be effective in the presence of extreme observations. Significantly, it integrates the averages of both sampled observations and non-sampled observations of auxiliary variable.

Calibrated EWMA estimators for time-scaled surveys with diverse applications.

Recently, several memory-type mean estimators (including ratio, product, and logarithmic) have been developed. These estimators rely on exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA), which incorporate both historical and present sample data. In this article, we propose EWMA type calibrated estimators under single and double stratified random sampling ().

Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating Behaviors Among Undergraduate Students in Pakistan as Measured by Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q).

Objectives Eating disorders (ED) are an emerging public health issue globally, especially in young adults studying at the undergraduate level. This study aims to assess the frequency of eating disorders, their types, and disordered eating behaviors among such students. Moreover, it aims to identify factors like weight concern, shape concern, eating concern, and restraint, along with assessing the shifting trend of BMI impact on eating disorders using a standardized Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q).