Publications by authors named "Rukhshinda Kousar"

Renal fibrosis is a hallmark of chronic kidney disease, characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins. Sulforaphane, a potent antioxidant found in cruciferous vegetables, has shown promise in targeting renal fibrosis. By inhibiting fibrotic pathways, such as TGF-β signaling, and promoting antioxidant defenses, sulforaphane may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for mitigating kidney damage and slowing disease progression.

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The concurrently occurring multiple abiotic stresses like salinity and heavy metals (Nickel) pose a serious threat to plant survival and food security worldwide, especially in the face of climate change. Therefore, it is imperative to continuously test and study the plant's physiological changes under combinations of abiotic stresses to ensure sustainability and food security. An experiment was conducted to study the interactive effects of salinity (0, 7.

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The members of genus Moniezia are the common parasites of livestock in tropical areas. The tapeworm, Moniezia expansa is commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract of the small and large ruminants. The present study focused on reporting the prevalence of M.

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  • * Recent studies highlight its pharmacological properties, particularly those of methyl antcinate A (MAA), which shows significant anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and gastro-protective effects.
  • * There is a need for further research and clinical trials to better understand MAA's anti-tumor effects and to explore the structure-activity relationships of antcins for potential therapeutic applications.
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  • Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) play a crucial role in regulating erythropoietin synthesis and red blood cell production, with PHD enzymes being vital for controlling HIF stability and activity.
  • The study identified potential PHD inhibitors from over 13,000 compounds using molecular docking and dynamics simulations, revealing four promising candidates that bind more effectively to PHD2 than the existing drug, Vadadustat.
  • Among the candidates, ZINC36378940 emerged as the most promising with the strongest binding affinity, suggesting it should be further explored for therapeutic applications.
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Background: Injection drug use remains a significant public health concern globally, with injection drug users (IDUs) facing elevated risks of contracting blood-borne infections such as hepatitis C (HCV), hepatitis B (HBV), and acquired immune deficiency syndrome caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study delves into the seroprevalence of these disorders among IDUs in Kashmir and extends further to explore the relationship between injection drug use and psychiatric co-morbidities.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among IDUs recruited from tertiary care drug addiction centers.

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  • A total of 150 women underwent bilateral mammography and breast ultrasounds, revealing a 5.1% false-negative rate, with major contributing factors being lesion-related (39.7%), patient-related (26.7%), provider-related (19.3%), and technical-related issues (26.7%).
  • The findings emphasize the impact of dense breast tissue on missed diagnoses and recommend incorporating additional imaging methods like ultrasounds to improve detection rates, particularly for younger women, suggesting potential updates to Pakistan's national breast cancer screening guidelines.
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The study investigated the wound healing efficacy of Jacobaea maritima leaf extract in rabbits through various wound models. A methanol-based extract was prepared from air-dried J. maritima leaves and used to formulate ointments at concentrations of 5%, 10% and 20%.

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The people of Jammu and Kashmir rely heavily on fish as a source of nutritional protein. Fishes also contribute significantly to the local economy of this area. However, several infectious disorders, some of which are brought on by helminth parasites, constitute a persistent threat to fish.

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Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children and adolescents and its occurrence in adults is extremely rare. There are three major subtypes of RMS of which alveolar RMS (ARMS) has the worst prognosis and tends to metastasize to unusual locations such as the pancreas. We present a case of a 19-year-old male with a rapidly enlarging right orbital mass, the imaging of which revealed it to be an infiltrative lesion with extension into the nasal cavity, ethmoid sinuses, and intracranial involvement.

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Aflatoxins are naturally produced toxins by specific molds, namely Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. These toxins can be found in various agricultural products, including crops like maize, peanuts, cottonseed, and tree nuts. They have the potential to contaminate the food supply during different stages of production, processing, and storage.

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Smart grids arose as the largest cyber-physical systems with the integration of sophisticated control, computing, and state-of-the-art communications. Like all cyber-physical systems, the smart grids are vulnerable to malicious cyber assaults due to their enormous dependency on communication networks. Various machine learning-based schemes are being investigated in the industry and academia to develop robust defense mechanisms to counter cyber assaults.

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Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic monogenic disorder inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, marked by persistent airway infections in the endobronchial region. This condition leads to the gradual development of bronchiectasis and, ultimately, respiratory failure, emerging as the primary cause of mortality in individuals diagnosed with CF. Diagnosis is done depending on the patient's symptoms and lung radiological findings like chest X-rays and CTs.

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  • SNP-based association studies have changed the biomedical landscape, focusing on the genetic factors influencing susceptibility to enteric fever, which is caused by Salmonella enterica serovar typhi and paratyphi.
  • A study in the Punjabi population examined the PARK2_e01(-697) polymorphism to see if it was linked to an increased risk of typhoid fever using blood samples from patients and healthy controls.
  • The results showed no significant association between the PARK2_e01(-697) polymorphism and susceptibility to typhoid fever, suggesting that further research with larger sample sizes is needed to better understand its potential role in the disease.
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  • Pancreatic cancer (PC) has a high mortality rate and poor prognosis despite treatment advances, highlighting the need for effective biomarkers.
  • This study used bioinformatic analyses to identify the histone lysine demethylases (KDMs) as potential therapeutic targets, finding that higher levels of KDM1A, KDM5A, and KDM5B correlated with improved patient survival.
  • Additionally, these KDMs were linked to immune cell infiltration and various cellular pathways, indicating their potential as biomarkers and targets for developing new treatment strategies against this aggressive disease.
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  • - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes joint inflammation and pain, mainly affecting the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints, with treatment typically combining biological medications and steroids.
  • - An experimental study used gingerol-loaded nanoparticles to improve RA treatment in rats, assessing the effects through various inflammatory markers and gene expression after 21 days of oral administration.
  • - Results showed significant changes in inflammatory gene levels between the treated and control groups, indicating that the gingerol nanoparticles had enhanced therapeutic effects for RA.
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The current research explored the possible protective effect of extract against CCl acute liver toxicity in Sprague Dawley rats. Thirty rats were divided into five groups with six rats in each group. CCl (Carbon tetrachloride) was administered at a dose rate of 2 mL/kg b.

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Prostate cancer is a prevalent carcinoma among males, and conventional treatment options are often limited. Cytotoxic chemotherapy, despite its drawbacks, remains a mainstay. We propose a targeted co-delivery approach using nanoscale delivery units for Oncolytic measles virus (OMV) and vincristine (VC) to enhance treatment efficacy.

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To improve the efficacy of organic solar cells (OSCs), novel small acceptor molecules (CTD1-CTD7) were designed by modification at the terminal acceptors of reference compound CTR. The optoelectronic properties of the investigated compounds (CTD1-CTD7) were accomplished by employing density functional theory (DFT) in combination with time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). The M06 functional along with a 6-311G(d,p) basis set was utilized for calculating various parameters such as: frontier molecular orbitals (FMO), absorption maxima (λ), binding energy (E), transition density matrix (TDM), density of states (DOS), and open circuit voltage (V) of entitled chromophores.

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Biosensors function as sophisticated devices, converting biochemical reactions into electrical signals. Contemporary emphasis on developing biosensor devices with refined sensitivity and selectivity is critical due to their extensive functional capabilities. However, a significant challenge lies in the binding affinity of biosensors to biomolecules, requiring adept conversion and amplification of interactions into various signal modalities like electrical, optical, gravimetric, and electrochemical outputs.

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Objective: To determine the relationship of Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Monocyte Lymphocyte Ratio (MLR), and Neutrophil Monocyte Ratio (NMR) with treatment response in Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) patients during intensive phase treatment (IPT).

Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases (OICD), Dow University of Health Sciences, from February to December 2021. 100 patients were enrolled using purposive sampling technique.

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Philadelphia-positive (Ph+) leukemia is a type of blood cancer also known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), affecting 20-30% of adults diagnosed worldwide and having an engraved prognosis as compared to other types of leukemia. The current treatment regimens mainly rely on tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and bone marrow transplants. To date, several generations of TKIs have been developed due to associated resistance and frequent relapse, with cardiovascular system anomalies being the most devastating complication.

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Calcium carbonate nanoparticles (CaCO) have been found to exhibit unique properties that show their potential to be used in various therapies. Green synthesis of CaCO has been progressively gaining ac-ceptance due to its cost-effectiveness and energy-efficient nature. In the current study, different extracts of were used to synthesize the calcium carbonate nanoparticles the synthesis and characterization of CCNPs were confirmed by using Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

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Our current study reports the successful synthesis of thiolated chitosan-based nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery of 5-Fluorouracil. This process was achieved through the ionic gelation technique, aiming to improve the efficacy of the chemotherapeutic moiety by modifying the surface of the nanoparticles (NPs) with a ligand. We coated these NPs with hyaluronic acid (HA) to actively target the CD44 receptor, which is frequently overexpressed in various solid malignancies, including breast cancer.

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