Using School-Based Teleconsultation Services to Make Community Health Services Accessible in Semirural Settings of Pakistan: Sequential Explanatory Mixed Methods Study.

Background: In Pakistan's remote areas, quality health care and experienced professionals are scarce. Telehealth can bridge this gap by offering innovative services like teleconsultations. Schools can serve as effective platforms for introducing these services, significantly improving health service access in semirural communities.

Evaluation of the vitamin D response index in a Saudi cohort.

The concept of the vitamin D response index was developed based on vitamin D intervention studies conducted with Finnish cohorts. In this study, we challenged the concept by performing a single vitamin D bolus (80,000 IU) intervention with a cohort of 100 native Saudis. The change of serum levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 6, interleukin 8 and tumor necrosis factor measured directly before intervention in comparison to samples taken one and thirty days after vitamin D supplementation were used as biomarkers for distinguishing low, mid and high responders.

Conditional deletion of neurexin-2 impaired behavioral flexibility to alterations in action-outcome contingency.

Neurexins (Nrxns) are critical for synapse organization and their mutations have been documented in autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and epilepsy. We recently reported that conditional deletion of Nrxn2, under the control of Emx1Cre promoter, predominately expressed in the neocortex and hippocampus (Emx1-Nrxn2 cKO mice) induced stereotyped patterns of behavior in mice, suggesting behavioral inflexibility. In this study, we investigated the effects of Nrxn2 deletion through two different conditional approaches targeting presynaptic cortical neurons projecting to dorsomedial striatum on the flexibility between goal-directed and habitual actions in response to devaluation of action-outcome (A-O) contingencies in an instrumental learning paradigm or upon reversal of A-O contingencies in a water T-maze paradigm.

Elevated tacrolimus levels among COVID-19 kidney transplant recipients are associated with worse disease severity and clinical outcomes.

Background: The therapeutic effects of immunosuppressive drugs against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are being actively investigated. However, COVID-19's potential effects on serum calcineurin inhibitor levels have only been described recently. This study aimed to evaluate COVID-19's effect on tacrolimus levels in renal transplant recipients with moderate to severe symptoms and to assess their potential correlation with disease severity.

Early life adversity impaired dorsal striatal synaptic transmission and behavioral adaptability to appropriate action selection in a sex-dependent manner.

Early life adversity (ELA) is a major health burden in the United States, with 62% of adults reporting at least one adverse childhood experience. These experiences during critical stages of brain development can perturb the development of neural circuits that mediate sensory cue processing and behavioral regulation. Recent studies have reported that ELA impaired the maturation of dendritic spines on neurons in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) but not in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS).

Assessment of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Its Association in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Elderly Patients with Kidney Disease: A Retrospective Cross Sectional Study.

The overall aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its association with diabetic nephropathy in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study is a single center retrospective cross-sectional design conducted at private medical center. The study group included all patients (18 years or older) suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus that attended the diabetic clinic from September 2019 to January 2021.

Conditional deletion of Neurexin-2 alters neuronal network activity in hippocampal circuitries and leads to spontaneous seizures.

Neurexins (Nrxns) have been extensively studied for their role in synapse organization and have been linked to many neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and epilepsy. However, no studies have provided direct evidence that Nrxns may be the key regulator in the shared pathogenesis of these conditions largely due to complexities among Nrxns and their non-canonical functions in different synapses. Recent studies identified NRXN2 mutations in ASD and epilepsy, but little is known about Nrxn2's role in a circuit-specific manner.

Advances in neurexin studies and the emerging role of neurexin-2 in autism spectrum disorder.

Over the past 3 decades, the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased globally from 20 to 28 million cases making ASD the fastest-growing developmental disability in the world. Neurexins are a family of presynaptic cell adhesion molecules that have been increasingly implicated in ASD, as evidenced by genetic mutations in the clinical population. Neurexins function as context-dependent specifiers of synapse properties and critical modulators in maintaining the balance between excitatory and inhibitory transmission (E/I balance).

A High Dose, Not Low Dose, of Vitamin D Ameliorates Insulin Resistance in Saudi Women.

Vitamin D has been traditionally seen to be mainly involved in the regulation of bone homeostasis. However, vitamin D has also been clinically linked to various diseases, including metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of low and high doses of a vitamin D supplement on the serum levels of 25(OH)D3 and insulin resistance.

(Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) and Its Derived Volatile Organic Compounds as Biostimulants of Commercially Valuable Angiosperms and Gymnosperms.

is a highly effective entomopathogenic fungus that also functions as a plant biostimulant. It can act as both an endophyte and rhizosphere colonizer; however, the mechanisms driving biostimulation are multifactorial. In this work, oilseed rape () seeds were grown in composts treated with different concentrations of strains ARSEF 4556 or V275, or the -derived volatile organic compounds 1-octen-3-ol and 3-octanone.

A Single Vitamin D Bolus Supplementation Improves Vitamin D Status and Reduces Proinflammatory Cytokines in Healthy Females.

Vitamin D deficiency is a global health problem that not only leads to metabolic bone disease but also to many other illnesses, most of which are associated with chronic inflammation. Thus, our aim was to investigate the safety and effectiveness of a single high dose of vitamin D (80,000 IU) on vitamin D status and proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)6, IL8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in healthy Saudi females. Fifty healthy females were recruited and orally supplemented with a single vitamin D bolus (80,000 IU).

A Single Oral Vitamin D Bolus Reduces Inflammatory Markers in Healthy Saudi Males.

Vitamin D deficiency has increased in the general population and is a public health issue. Vitamin D plays an important role in regulating the immune system, e.g.

Intermittent lipid nanoparticle mRNA administration prevents cortical dysmyelination associated with arginase deficiency.

Arginase deficiency is associated with prominent neuromotor features, including spastic diplegia, clonus, and hyperreflexia; intellectual disability and progressive neurological decline are other signs. In a constitutive murine model, we recently described leukodystrophy as a significant component of the central nervous system features of arginase deficiency. In the present studies, we sought to examine if the administration of a lipid nanoparticle carrying human mRNA to constitutive knockout mice could prevent abnormalities in myelination associated with arginase deficiency.

Gene therapy for guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency restores cerebral and myocardial creatine while resolving behavioral abnormalities.

Creatine deficiency disorders are inborn errors of creatine metabolism, an energy homeostasis molecule. One of these, guanidinoacetate -methyltransferase (GAMT) deficiency, has clinical characteristics that include features of autism, self-mutilation, intellectual disability, and seizures, with approximately 40% having a disorder of movement; failure to thrive can also be a component. Along with low creatine levels, guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) toxicity has been implicated in the pathophysiology of the disorder.

Acral Nodular Melanoma Presenting With Rapid Progression.

Melanoma is a malignant tumor that is derived from melanocytes of the skin and other sites. Melanoma accounts for 1% to 3% of all malignancies and 1% to 2% of all cancer deaths worldwide. We are presenting a case of a 42-year-old female who presented to the surgery department with a growth over the right heel since 18 months, with a history of trauma to the site.

CRISPR-Mediated Genomic Addition to CPS1 Deficient iPSCs is Insufficient to Restore Nitrogen Homeostasis.

CPS1 deficiency is an inborn error of metabolism caused by loss-of-function mutations in the gene, catalyzing the initial reaction of the urea cycle. Deficiency typically leads to toxic levels of plasma ammonia, cerebral edema, coma, and death, with the only curative treatment being liver transplantation; due to limited donor availability and the invasiveness and complications of the procedure, however, alternative therapies are needed. Induced pluripotent stem cells offer an alternative cell source to partial or whole liver grafts that theoretically would not require immune suppression regimens and additionally are amenable to genetic modifications.

Stratified care to prevent chronic low back pain in high-risk patients: The TARGET trial. A multi-site pragmatic cluster randomized trial.

Background: Many patients with acute low back pain (LBP) first seek care from primary care physicians. Evidence is lacking for interventions to prevent transition to chronic LBP in this setting. We aimed to test if implementation of a risk-stratified approach to care would result in lower rates of chronic LBP and improved self-reported disability.

[Surgical treatment of urethral prolapse].

Urethral prolapses in humans are rare. Urethral caruncula are more frequent. Caruncula originate from the dorsal external layer of the urethral meatus.

Volatile organic compounds of influence the efficacy of entomopathogenic nematodes in insect control.

The entomopathogenic fungus (EPF) occupies the same ecological niche as entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN), with both competing for insects as a food source in the rhizosphere. Interactions between these biocontrol agents can be antagonistic or synergistic. To better understand these interactions, this study focussed on investigating the effect of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 1-octen-3-ol and 3-octanone, on EPN survival and behaviour.

Risk Factors Associated With Transition From Acute to Chronic Low Back Pain in US Patients Seeking Primary Care.

Importance: Acute low back pain (LBP) is highly prevalent, with a presumed favorable prognosis; however, once chronic, LBP becomes a disabling and expensive condition. Acute to chronic LBP transition rates vary widely owing to absence of standardized operational definitions, and it is unknown whether a standardized prognostic tool (ie, Subgroups for Targeted Treatment Back tool [SBT]) can estimate this transition or whether early non-guideline concordant treatment is associated with the transition to chronic LBP.

Objective: To assess the associations between the transition from acute to chronic LBP with SBT risk strata; demographic, clinical, and practice characteristics; and guideline nonconcordant processes of care.

Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma (BMPM) presenting with ambiguous symptoms: A rare case report.

Introduction: Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma (BMPM) represents a very rare clinical entity, with only 130 registered cases in the medical literature, therefore it is usually overlooked from the list of differential diagnoses. The treatment consists of surgery and other authors suggest complementing it with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Presentation Of Case: A 25-year-old multiparous female experienced periodic abdominal discomfort for two weeks.

Volatiles of the entomopathogenic fungus, , attract and kill plant parasitic nematodes.

Root knot nematodes (RKNs) cause significant crop losses. Although RKNs and entomopathogenic fungi, such as , are associated with plant roots, very little is known about the interactions between these two organisms. This study showed that conidia and VOCs of influenced the behaviour of .

Effect of prehabilitation in older adults undergoing total joint replacement: An Overview of Systematic Reviews.

Purpose Of Review: To review and discuss the findings of systematic reviews that synthesized the evidence on the effect of preoperative exercises (prehabilitation) on postoperative functional recovery in older adults undergoing total knee or hip joint replacement.

Recent Findings: Ten systematic reviews (8 meta-analyses) were included in this review. Findings from the systematic reviews indicated that prehabilitation decreases length of hospital stay but does not improve postoperative functional recovery in older adults undergoing joint replacement.

Management and Prevention Strategies for Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Their Risk Factors.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are of increasing concern for society and national governments, as well as globally due to their high mortality rate. The main risk factors of NCDs can be classified into the categories of self-management, genetic factors, environmental factors, factors of medical conditions, and socio-demographic factors. The main focus is on the elements of self-management and to reach a consensus about the influence of food on risk management and actions toward the prevention of NCDs at all stages of life.

Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis Secondary to Esophageal Cancer Diagnosed on Cytology.

Esophageal carcinoma is considered a common malignancy across the globe. These patients usually present with an advanced stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. Herein, we report a 55-year male patient who presented with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, detected on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology in a case of adenocarcinoma lower third esophagus.