Hughes-Stovin Syndrome: A Case Report on a Rare, Life-Threatening Vasculitis.

Hughes-Stovin Syndrome (HSS) is a rare vasculitic disorder characterised by widespread pulmonary artery aneurysms. It shares some features with Behçet disease. Currently, the diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion.

Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation after cardiac arrest for acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by Legionella: a case report.

Background: Legionella remains underdiagnosed in the intensive care unit and can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multiorgan failure and death. In severe cases, venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) allows time for resolution of disease with Legionella-targeted therapy. VV-ECMO outcomes for Legionella are favorable with reported survival greater than 70%.

Psilocybin, an Effective Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder in Adults - A Systematic Review.

Psilocybin is a classical psychedelic which has been utilised for healing purposes for millenia. However, with its classification as a Schedule I substance, research into this compound is scarce with few FDA-approved clinical studies. Despite this, profound findings into its antidepressant effects (largely through its action on 5-HT1a receptors) in mental illnesses such as major depressive disorder have rapidly increased interest back into their potential therapeutic benefits.

Seasonal variations in the distribution of aliphatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments from the Selangor River, Peninsular Malaysia's West Coast.

The seasonal variation of petroleum pollution including n-alkanes in surface sediments of the Selangor River in Malaysia during all four climatic seasons was investigated using GC-MS. The concentrations of n-alkanes in the sediment samples did not significantly correlate with TOC (r = 0.34, p > 0.

Efficacy and Safety of and Choline in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Aim: The primary objectives of this study include evaluating changes in lipid profile and liver enzyme levels in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients receiving and choline supplementation (Revolic).

Materials And Methods: Two-hundred patients were recruited from the hepatology outpatient department of a public hospital between January and June 2023. Patients who had confirmed diagnosis of NAFLD, proven with ultrasound (US) followed by biopsy or US alone with age >18 years were included in this study.

Breast Cancer Management Consensus By The Society of Surgeons and Surgical Oncology Society of Pakistan.

The Society of Surgeons of Pakistan and The Society of Surgical Oncology of Pakistan with factions from various major centres comprising of surgical oncology, medical and radiation oncology collaborated to reach consensus on breast cancer management guidelines and a framework of "good practice" minimum standards of care. The aim of the task force was to enhance treatment standards, which have a direct correlation with improving patient mortality and morbidity and long-term survival whilst taking into consideration economic limitations of access to leading centers of excellence as well as minimum expertise required in health care. These multidisciplinary guidelines, whilst not exhaustive, aim to provide an algorithm of care for breast cancer patients at tertiary care centres and district level hospitals to provide most appropriate treatment.

Enhancing maize growth through the synergistic impact of potassium enrich biochar and spermidine.

Maize cultivated for dry grain covers approximately 197 million hectares globally, securing its position as the second most widely grown crop worldwide after wheat. Although spermidine and biochar individually showed positive impacts on maize production in existing literature, their combined effects on maize growth, physiology, nutrient uptake remain unclear and require further in-depth investigation. That's why a pot experiment was conducted on maize with spermidine and potassium enriched biochar (KBC) as treatments in Multan, Pakistan, during the year 2022.

Nitric oxide as a double-edged sword in pulmonary viral infections: Mechanistic insights and potential therapeutic implications.

In the face of the global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), researchers are tirelessly exploring novel therapeutic approaches to combat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its associated complications. Nitric oxide (NO) has appeared as a multifaceted signaling mediator with diverse and often contrasting biological activities. Its intricate biochemistry renders it a crucial regulator of cardiovascular and pulmonary functions, immunity, and neurotransmission.

Automated deep bottleneck residual 82-layered architecture with Bayesian optimization for the classification of brain and common maternal fetal ultrasound planes.

Despite a worldwide decline in maternal mortality over the past two decades, a significant gap persists between low- and high-income countries, with 94% of maternal mortality concentrated in low and middle-income nations. Ultrasound serves as a prevalent diagnostic tool in prenatal care for monitoring fetal growth and development. Nevertheless, acquiring standard fetal ultrasound planes with accurate anatomical structures proves challenging and time-intensive, even for skilled sonographers.

Disparities in esophageal cancer incidence and esophageal adenocarcinoma mortality in the United States over the last 25-40 years.

Background: Esophageal carcinoma presents as 2 types, esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) with the frequency of both changing in the United States (US).

Aim: To investigate EAC/ESCC incidence time trends among the 3 main US racial groups and investigate trends in US EAC survival by ethnicity.

Methods: Twenty-five years (1992-2016) of data from SEER 13 program was analyzed to compare incidence trends in EAC and ESCC between non-Hispanic whites (nHW), non-Hispanic Blacks (nHB) and Hispanics (Hisp) using SEERStat.

Functional somatic syndromes are associated with inferior outcomes and increased complications after hip and knee arthroplasty: a systematic review.

Background: Functional somatic syndromes (FSSs), defined as chronic physical symptoms with no identifiable organic cause, may impact results after hip and knee arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review assessing the relationship between FSSs and clinical outcomes after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA), total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA).

Methods: The PubMed and Web of Science databases were queried from January 1955 through December 2021 for studies investigating the impact of at least one FSS (fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic headaches, and chronic low back pain) on outcomes after primary THA/TKA/UKA.

Association of Visfatin gene polymorphism with obesity related metabolic disorders among Pakistani population: a case control study.

In recent years, the global prevalence of obesity and its associated metabolic disorders has reached alarming levels, presenting a significant challenge to public health worldwide. Visfatin, also known as pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF) or nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), is an adipokine that has been implicated in various physiological processes, including glucose homeostasis, lipid metabolism, and inflammation. The main objective of this proposed study is to find out the association between visfatin genetic variants and metabolic syndrome.

Molecular characterization of mitochondrial COI gene sequences in Micraspis allardi from Pakistan.

The Coccinellidae is a highly diversified family of order Coleoptera. Coccinellid ladybirds are well known for their role as biological control agent against varied range of agricultural pests. The samples of coccinellid ladybird collected from Pakistan were identified and characterized as Micraspis allardi (Mulsant, 1866).

Liver Dysfunction in Adult Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: A Narrative Review.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, life-threatening condition that has been increasingly recognized in adults and is characterized by a hyperinflammatory state due to immune dysregulation. Its nonspecific presentation, the lack of clinician familiarity given its rarity, and shared clinical features with sepsis and other syndromes can lead to a delay in diagnosis and a poor prognosis. Significant liver function abnormalities as the initial manifestation of HLH are uncommon and can range from mild elevation of aminotransferases to fulminant hepatic failure with high mortality rates.

Permeation Flux Prediction of Vacuum Membrane Distillation Using Hybrid Machine Learning Techniques.

Vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) has attracted increasing interest for various applications besides seawater desalination. Experimental testing of membrane technologies such as VMD on a pilot or large scale can be laborious and costly. Machine learning techniques can be a valuable tool for predicting membrane performance on such scales.

Encapsulation of (Khip) Extract in Carbomer Based Emulgel for Its Enhanced Antioxidant Effects and Its In Vitro Evaluation.

Background: The use of natural products in skin care has been valued for their tremendous therapeutic benefits since ancient times. The current study was aimed at exploring the plant extract and development of a stable emulgel loaded with the same extract to assess its cosmeceutical potentials.

Methodology: A stable emulgel loaded with methanolic plant extract along with its control gel was prepared by homogenization.

Functional Somatic Syndromes Are Associated With Varied Postoperative Outcomes and Increased Opioid Use After Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Study Design: Systematic Review.

Objective: To perform a systematic review assessing the relationship between functional somatic syndromes (FSSs) and clinical outcomes after spine surgery.

Methods: A systematic review of online databases (PubMed and Web of Science) through December 2021 was conducted via PRISMA guidelines to identify all studies investigating the impact of at least one FSS (fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic headaches/migraines, interstitial cystitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity) on outcomes after spine surgery.

Genetic and epigenetic alterations in DNA repair genes and treatment outcome of chemoradiotherapy in cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer (CaCx) is the deadliest malignancy among women which is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) and anthro-demographical/clinicopathological factors. HPV oncoproteins E6 and E7 target p53 and RB (retinoblastoma) protein degradation, Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), ATM-RAD3-related (ATR) inactivation and subsequent impairment of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), homologous recombination, and base excision repair pathways. There is also an accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations in Tumor Growth Suppressors (TGS), oncogenes, and DNA repair genes leading to increased genome instability and CaCx development.