Ultrasonographic assessment of optic nerve: does it help in lupus-induced optic neuropathy?

Objective: Evaluating the potential role of neuromuscular ultrasonography (NMUS) in assessing optic nerve affection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), compared with healthy controls and other conventional strategies in diagnosing optic neuropathy.

Methods: We conducted an observational cross-sectional study comparing patients with SLE and a healthy group. We measured the optic nerve diameter (OND) and optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and calculated the OND/ONSD ratio and side-to-side difference.

Threonine and tyrosine kinase (TTK) mRNA and protein expression in breast cancer; prognostic significance in the neoadjuvant setting.

Aims: Threonine and tyrosine kinase (TTK) is up-regulated in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), yet its expression in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) remains unexplored. This investigation aims to assess TTK protein expression in treatment-naïve pre-treatment cores and paired pre- and post-NACT breast cancer (BC) cohorts, as well as its correlation with microcephaly 1 (MCPH1) protein expression.

Methods And Results: Transcriptomic data were sourced from the Gene Expression Omnibus microarray database for mRNA expression analysis.

Integrative application of licorice root extract and melatonin improves faba bean growth and production in Cd-contaminated saline soil.

Background: Globally, salinity poses a threat to crop productivity by hindering plant growth and development via osmotic stress and ionic cytotoxicity. Plant extracts have lately been employed as exogenous adjuvants to improve endogenous plant defense mechanisms when grown under various environmental stresses, such as salinity. This study investigated the potential of melatonin (Mt; 0, 50, and 100 mM) as an antioxidant and licorice root extract (LRE; 0.

Multi-target directed ligands inspired natural products as an effective approach for the treatment of complex chronic health disorders.

Complex diseases involve multifaceted etiological components, which limit the effectiveness of conventional targeted therapies. Therefore, standard medicinal treatments often face significant challenges and failures when addressing these disease conditions. Furthermore, the growing interest in multidrug resistance (MDR), the occurrence of adverse drug reactions related to use traditional approaches, and the limited clinical efficacy of single-target drug therapy have increased the demand for innovative drug treatments.

Diagnostic interobserver variability of atypia assessment in columnar cell lesions among a group of expert breast pathologists in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, on behalf of the UK national coordinating committee for breast pathology.

Aims: Atypical ductal hyperplasia and flat epithelial atypia (FEA) have defined diagnostic criteria, yet there is variation in the interpretation of these criteria, particularly when the atypia is present in a background of columnar cell lesions (CCLs). This study focuses upon cases which are especially challenging or difficult to classify reproducibly according to existing criteria.

Methods And Results: Thirteen breast pathology experts were asked to classify 10 challenging cases with CLLs as atypical or non-atypical.

Effectiveness of intra-oral botulinum toxin injection in comparison to the extra-oral approach on pain and quality of life in patients with myofascial pain: a randomized clinical trial.

Objective: To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of the ultrasound-guided intra-oral and extra-oral transcutaneous injection techniques on the clinical outcome variables in patients with myofascial trigger points within the masseter muscle.

Materials And Methods: This prospective randomized trial included 42 patients diagnosed with myofascial pain. Patients were randomly allocated into one of two groups based on the technique of trigger point injection: intraoral and extraoral injection technique groups.

Proton beam and carbon ion radiotherapy in skull base chordoma: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression with trial sequential analysis.

Chordomas are rare, locally aggressive tumors that have a high rate of recurrence, especially at the skull base. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to analyze the efficacy and safety of proton beam therapy (PBT) and carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) for skull base chordoma. We conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and Ovid up to November 26, 2023, following the PRISMA statement.

Management of monochorionic diamniotic twin gestation affected by Type-II selective fetal growth restriction: cost-effectiveness analysis.

Objective: Monochorionic twin gestations affected by Type-II selective fetal growth restriction (sFGR) are at increased risk of intrauterine fetal demise, extreme preterm birth, severe neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) and neonatal death of one or both twins. In the absence of a consensus on the optimal management strategy, we chose to evaluate which strategy was cost-effective in the setting of Type-II sFGR.

Methods: A decision-analytic model was used to compare expectant management (EM), bipolar cord occlusion (BCO), radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (FLP) for a hypothetical cohort of 10 000 people with a monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy affected by Type-II sFGR.

Early Recognition and Management of Flecainide Toxicity: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Flecainide acetate is classified as a class IC antiarrhythmic medication according to the Vaughan-Williams classification, primarily used to manage both ventricular and supraventricular tachycardia. It is commonly employed for pharmacological cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and is frequently used in the "pill-in-the-pocket" approach for on-demand rhythm control. Despite its efficacy, flecainide is associated with significant adverse effects, including cardiac arrest, dysrhythmias, and heart failure.

Artificial intelligence neural network and fuzzy modelling of unsteady Sisko trihybrid nanofluids for cancer therapy with entropy insights.

The main objective of the current endeavor is to monitor hypothetical processes utilizing a Sisko tri-hybrid fluid over a rotating disk with entropy generation suspended in Darcy-Forchheimer porous medium. Electro Magneto Hydro Dynamics (EMHD), non-linear thermal radiation and exponential and thermal- space dependent heat source/sink coefficients are considered with the intent of conceiving an Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method with shooting procedures integrated with a combination of an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) and Reptile Search Algorithm (RSA). Then, ANFIS-RSA, is used to predict the Nusselt number, skin friction co-efficient in radial and tangential velocities.

CYP3A4*1B and CYP3A5*3 SNPs significantly impact the response of Egyptian candidates to high-intensity statin therapy to atorvastatin.

Background: A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is a variation in the DNA sequence that results from the alteration of a single nucleotide in the genome. Atorvastatin is used to treat hypercholesterolemia. It belongs to a class of drugs called statins, which lower elevated levels of total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).

Stereotactic Radiosurgery Dose Reduction for Melanoma Brain Metastases Patients on Immunotherapy or Target Therapy: A Single-Center Experience.

Background And Objectives: Better local control but higher rates of adverse radiation events (ARE) have been reported when combining American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)-guideline-suggested dose (SD) stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) with immunotherapy or targeted therapy for melanoma brain metastases. The objective of this study is to explore the efficacy and safety of lower prescription doses compared with ASTRO guidelines for single-fraction SRS for patients with melanoma metastases who are concurrently receiving immunotherapy or targeted therapy.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, single-center study on 194 patients who underwent SRS between 2009 and 2022.

Current Perspectives in Pre- and Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Diagnosis and Management: An Expert Statement for the Gulf Region.

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) significantly impacts the quality of life, causing substantial morbidity and increased mortality, as well as escalating healthcare costs. While PN can have various causes, the most common form, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, poses considerable risks for potential complications. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) affects over 50% of people with prediabetes and diabetes.

Comparative analysis of stereotactic radiosurgery outcomes for supratentorial hemangioblastomas in von hippel-lindau disease and sporadic cases: A multi-center international study.

Background: Hemangioblastomas (HBs) are rare, benign central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms that rarely occur in the supratentorial. Resection with the goal of gross total resection (GTR) is often considered the primary treatment. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been utilized more commonly in unresectable or partially resected cases.

The association between tobacco use and COVID-19 diagnoses in three Nordic countries: a pooled analysis.

Previous research has suggested an unexpected negative association between smoking and susceptibility to COVID-19. This study, drawing on population-based data from three Nordic countries-Sweden, Norway, and Finland-aims to investigate this association further, capitalizing on diversity introduced by different containment measures. The objective of this research was to examine the association between cigarette smoking and snus (smokeless tobacco) use and the risk of confirmed COVID-19 infection.

Stereotactic radiosurgery for arteriovenous malformations in pediatric patients: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Intracranial arteriovenous malformations are the most common cause of intracranial hemorrhages in pediatric patients. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been used extensively to treat these lesions. The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to report treatment outcomes and long-term complications.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Intracranial Cavernous Malformations: International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society, Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Practice Guidelines.

Objective: The International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society aims to establish evidence-based guidelines for single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in treating intracranial cavernous malformations.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines, searching electronic databases up to January 2024 to assess SRS's impact on post-treatment hemorrhage rates. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) and confidence intervals were used to quantify this effect, along with assessments of lesion volume changes, seizure outcomes, and SRS-related adverse effects.

Walker-Warburg syndrome: A case report of congenital muscular dystrophy with hydrocephalus.

Walker-Warburg Syndrome is a genetically heterogeneous disease with autosomal recessive inheritance characterized by brain and eye deformities, profound mental retardation, congenital muscular dystrophy, and early death. This case study demonstrates a mutation on chromosome 12q14 in the TMEM5 gene (RXYLT1; 605862), which encodes a transmembrane protein with glycosyltransferase function. We present a case of a full-term male baby delivered by Cesarean section due to macrocephaly.

Revisiting surgical margins for invasive breast cancer patients treated with breast conservation therapy - Evidence for adopting a 1 mm negative width.

Clinical trials have demonstrated conclusively the non-inferiority of breast-conserving surgery followed by breast radiation therapy (BCT) compared with mastectomy for the treatment of early-stage invasive breast cancer (BC). The definition of the required surgical margin to ensure adequate removal of the cancer by BCT to obtain an acceptable low local recurrence (LR) rate remains controversial. Meta-analyses published by Houssami et al.

Biological effective dose as a predictor of local tumor control in stereotactic radiosurgery treated parasellar meningioma patients.

Introduction: The radio-surgical literature increasingly uses biological effective dose (BED) as a replacement for absorbed dose to analyze outcome of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). There are as yet no studies which specifically investigate the association of BED to local tumor control in para-sellar meningioma.

Methods: we did a retrospective analysis of patients underwent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for para-sellar meningioma during the period of 1995-2022.

In Vivo Antischistosomicidal and Immunomodulatory Effects of Dietary Supplementation with .

Bilharziasis is a widespread trematode parasite that poses a severe public health burden. Dandelion () has several pharmacological and traditional properties critical for treating several hepatic disorders. The present study was designed to assess the potential efficacy of root (TOR) dietary supplementation with or without praziquantel (PZQ) against liver and intestinal disorders in mice infected with .