Obsessive-compulsive disorder secondary to focal brain lesions: from lesions to networks.

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may develop following brain lesions, but lesion distribution and connectivity patterns are unknown.

Methods: OCD-associated lesions, identified from systematic literature search, were traced on common brain space and compared to control lesions (N=608). Topography was analyzed using brain atlases, and lesion location networks computed using normative functional connectivity (N=1000).

Doctors taking bribes from pharmaceutical companies is common and not substantially reduced by an educational intervention: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial in Pakistan.

Introduction: Incentive-linked prescribing, which is when healthcare providers accept incentives from pharmaceutical companies for prescribing promoted medicines, is a form of bribery that harms patients and health systems globally. We developed a novel method using data collectors posing as pharmaceutical company sales representatives to evaluate private doctors' engagement in incentive-linked prescribing and the impact of a multifaceted educational intervention on reducing this practice in Karachi, Pakistan.

Methods: We made a sampling frame of all doctors running for-profit, primary-care clinics and randomly allocated participants to control and intervention groups (1:1).

Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells Reverse Adipose Tissue Inflammation in Pigs with Metabolic Syndrome and Renovascular Hypertension.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with low-grade inflammation, which can be exacerbated by renal artery stenosis (RAS) and renovascular hypertension, potentially worsening outcomes through pro-inflammatory cytokines. This study investigated whether mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) could reduce fat inflammation in pigs with MetS and RAS. Twenty-four pigs were divided into Lean (control), MetS, MetS + RAS, and MetS + RAS + MSCs.

Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor: An Emerging Marker for Diabetic Retinopathy.

Background:  Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global disease that is strongly associated with both microvascular and macrovascular complications. A significant proportion of individuals with diabetes develop diabetic retinopathy (DR), a microvascular complication that can lead to blindness, particularly in working-age adults. Diabetes adversely affects the entire neurosensory retina, with accelerated neuronal apoptosis and activation or altered metabolism of neuroretinal supporting cells.

Barriers to Performing Essential Surgery at First-Level Hospitals in Pakistan: A Mixed Methods Study.

Introduction: There are numerous reasons for underutilization of the public health sector for surgery in Pakistan. This results in patients being diverted to private hospitals or tertiary care centers in urban areas. Diversions overburden the hospitals and significantly increase out-of-pocket costs for the patients.