Tailored Metabolic Workup for Urolithiasis - The Debate Continues.

Urolithiasis is one of the commonest afflictions of the urinary tract. Stones are of various chemical compositions, some share some common etiology; but most are specific to the structure and composition of stone. In view of highly recurrent nature of this condition, it is logical to have strategies for prevention.

FacetGist: Collective Extraction of Document Facets in Large Technical Corpora.

Given the large volume of technical documents available, it is crucial to automatically organize and categorize these documents to be able to understand and extract value from them. Towards this end, we introduce a new research problem called Facet Extraction. Given a collection of technical documents, the goal of Facet Extraction is to automatically label each document with a set of concepts for the key facets (, application, technique, evaluation metrics, and dataset) that people may be interested in.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Dental Surgeons in managing Child Patients.

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of dental surgeons in the city of Karachi providing treatment to pediatric patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of dental surgeons in the city of Karachi providing treatment to pediatric patients. A cluster-sampling technique was used and 200 dental surgeons from six different dental institutions were selected.

In Situ Protein Binding Assay Using Fc-Fusion Proteins.

This protocol describes an in situ protein-protein interaction assay between tagged recombinant proteins and cell-surface expressed synaptic proteins. The assay is arguably more sensitive than other traditional protein binding assays such as co-immunoprecipitation and pull-downs and provides a visual readout for binding. This assay has been widely used to determine the dissociation constant of binding of trans-synaptic adhesion proteins.

Use of the Health Belief Model for the Assessment of Public Knowledge and Household Preventive Practices in Karachi, Pakistan, a Dengue-Endemic City.

Background: Prevention is most effective in reducing dengue infection risk, especially in endemic countries like Pakistan. Evaluation of public awareness and health beliefs regarding dengue fever (DF) is important for devising disease control strategies. This study assessed dengue knowledge, health beliefs, and preventive practices against DF in different socioeconomic groups of Karachi, Pakistan.

Role of LRRTMs in synapse development and plasticity.

Leucine-rich-repeat transmembrane neuronal proteins (LRRTMs) are a family of four synapse organizing proteins critical for the development and function of excitatory synapses. The genes encoding LRRTMs and their binding partners, neurexins and HSPGs, are strongly associated with multiple psychiatric disorders. Here, we review the literature covering their structural features, expression patterns in the developing and adult brains, evolutionary origins, and discovery as synaptogenic proteins.

Total laryngectomy for management of chronic aspiration pneumonia in a myopathic dog.

A 5-month-old female pit bull terrier dog evaluated for ataxia, progressive regurgitation, and recurrent aspiration pneumonia had markedly elevated creatine kinase activity, non-inflammatory generalized myopathy, and severe esophageal dysmotility. A narrow-field total laryngectomy was performed. The dog is doing well 30 months after surgery, and no longer has episodes of aspiration pneumonia, despite intermittent regurgitation.

Structural Determinants Defining the Allosteric Inhibition of an Essential Antibiotic Target.

Dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHDPS) catalyzes the first committed step in the lysine biosynthesis pathway of bacteria. The pathway can be regulated by feedback inhibition of DHDPS through the allosteric binding of the end product, lysine. The current dogma states that DHDPS from Gram-negative bacteria are inhibited by lysine but orthologs from Gram-positive species are not.

Emerging trends of antimicrobial resistance in Helicobacter pylori isolates obtained from Pakistani patients: The need for consideration of amoxicillin and clarithromycin.

Objective: To present antimicrobial susceptibility profile of helicobacter pylori isolated from gastric biopsies of dyspeptic patients.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2008 to May 2013 at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, and comprised patients with suspected peptic ulcer disease who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Multiple gastric antral biopsies were taken.

Patient-Reported Safety Events in Chronic Kidney Disease Recorded With an Interactive Voice-Inquiry Dial-Response System: Monthly Report Analysis.

Background: Monitoring patient-reported outcomes (PROs) may improve safety of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

Objective: Evaluate the performance of an interactive voice-inquiry dial-response system (IVRDS) in detecting CKD-pertinent adverse safety events outside of the clinical environment and compare the incidence of events using the IVDRS to that detected by paper diary.

Methods: This was a 6-month study of Stage III-V CKD patients in the Safe Kidney Care (SKC) study.

Troponin T in Patients with Traumatic Chest Injuries with and without Cardiac Involvement: Insights from an Observational Study.

Background: Serum troponin T (TnT) is a common marker of myocardial injury. However, its implication in the absence of clinical evidence of cardiac reason is not well established.

Aims: The aim of this study was to identify the implications of positive TnT in traumatic chest injury (TCI) patients regardless of the cardiac involvement.

Complex molecular and functional outcomes of single versus sequential cytokine stimulation of rat microglia.

Background: Microglia are the "professional" phagocytes of the CNS. Phagocytosis is crucial for normal CNS development and maintenance, but it can be either beneficial or detrimental after injury or disease. For instance, white matter damage releases myelin debris that must be cleared by microglia in order for re-myelination to occur.

High prevalence of typhoidal Salmonella enterica serovars excreting food handlers in Karachi-Pakistan: a probable factor for regional typhoid endemicity.

Background: Typhoid fever is the persistent cause of morbidity worldwide. Salmonella enterica serovar's carriers among food handlers have the potential to disseminate this infection on large scale in the community. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of typhoidal S.

Reactive oxygen species and anti-proteinases.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) cause damage to macromolecules such as proteins, lipids and DNA and alters their structure and function. When generated outside the cell, ROS can induce damage to anti-proteinases. Anti-proteinases are proteins that are involved in the control and regulation of proteolytic enzymes.

Is chlorhexidine-gluconate superior than Povidone-Iodine in preventing surgical site infections? A multicenter study.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine gluconate scrubs in preventing surgical site infections.

Methods: The randomised controlled clinical trial was conducted from May 2012 to April 2013 in two public-sector hospitals of Pakistan; one each in Karachi and Islamabad. Patients undergoing clean or clean contaminated surgeries were included and were randomly assigned to one of the two groups: group I comprised patients whose skin was preoperatively disinfected using 10% povidone-iodine, and in group II by 2% chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% alcohol.

Impact and predictors of noncircular left ventricular outflow tract shapes on estimating aortic stenosis severity by means of continuity equations.

Determining aortic stenosis (AS) severity is clinically important. Calculating aortic valve (AV) area by means of the continuity equation assumes a circular left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT). The full impact of this assumption in calculating AV area is unknown.

Oral Health Related Awareness and Practices among Pregnant Women in Bagalkot District, Karnataka, India.

Background: Cumulative evidence in the dental literature strongly supports the fact that poor oral hygiene practices and inadequate attention toward oral health during pregnancy have an impact on developing the fetus and significant adverse postnatal effects. Available literature suggests that the research is deficit in assessing knowledge and practices related to exposure to radiation, use of medication and safe period for dental treatment during pregnancy. Assessing the knowledge and practices among pregnant women could be a valuable tool for policy makers to improve the oral health.

Understanding administrative abdominal aortic aneurysm mortality data.

Objective: Administrative data in the form of Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and the Scottish Morbidity Record (SMR) have been used to describe surgical activity. These data have also been used to compare outcomes from different hospitals and regions, and to corroborate data submitted to national audits and registries. The aim of this observational study was to examine the completeness and accuracy of administrative data relating to abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair.

Comparison of perinatal outcome in growth restricted fetuses retaining normal umbilical artery Doppler flow to those with diminished end-diastolic flow.

Background: Intrauterine growth restriction /retardation (IUGR) is defined as birth weight below the 10th percentile for a given gestational age. Placental insufficiency is the primary cause of intrauterine growth retardation in normally formed fetuses and can be identified using umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry which is a non-invasive technique. The objective of this study was to compare perinatal outcome in growth restricted fetuses retaining normal umbilical artery Doppler flow to those with diminished or severely reduced/absent end-diastolic flow.

Reverse takotsubo cardiomyopathy with use of male enhancers.

Reverse takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a rare heart failure condition characterized by systolic dysfunction of the basal segments of the left ventricle in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease. We present a case of a 54-year-old man with an overdose of Extenze (a male enhancer pill containing yohimbine) who was hospitalized with heart failure due to reverse takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Finger necrosis due to cryoglobulinemic vasculitis in association with membranous nephropathy.

Cryoglobulinemic vasculitis is a small vessel vasculitis that has been associated with chronic infections and autoimmune, lymphoproliferative, and neoplastic disorders. When no significant etiological factors are identified, it is called essential mixed cryoglobulinemia. A detailed and thorough laboratory investigation is required to exclude all possible causes of cryoglobulin formation.

Agreement between orthodontist and patient perception using Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need.

Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to assess the agreement between orthodontist and patient perception regarding the Aesthetic Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN-AC) at pre-orthodontic treatment levels. The secondary objective was to determine how well the subjective assessment of malocclusion (IOTN-AC) correlated with the normative Dental Health Component of the IOTN (IOTN-DC).

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on patients between the ages of 16 and 25, presenting for initiation of orthodontic treatment with no history of prior orthodontic treatment.

Subclinical nutritional rickets among adolescents in Kaghan Valley.

Objective: To determine the occurrence of subclinical rickets and its causing factors among adolescent students of schools in Kaghan Valley, Pakistan.

Study Design: Observation cross-sectional study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Department of Biochemistry and Health Sciences, Hazara University, Mansehra, Ayub Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad, from March to April 2012.

Utility of extended FAST in blunt chest trauma: is it the time to be used in the ATLS algorithm?

Introduction: The clinical significance of extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (EFAST) for diagnosis of pneumothorax is not well defined.

Objectives: To investigate the utility of EFAST in blunt chest trauma (BCT) patients.

Study Design: A single blinded, prospective study.