Comparison of light microscopy and digital microscopy for learning oral pathology practicals among second year dental students.

Background/purpose: Previous studies have shown that digital microscopy is an indispensable tool for teaching oral pathology laboratory course. Despite this, our institute relies solely on recommended/reference book images for oral pathology practicals, neglecting both light and digital microscopy methods. Gathering students' feedback on these methods is essential before considering digital microscopy as part of the oral pathology curriculum.

Leadership competencies for dentists: What do undergraduate students think?

Dentists face difficult situations and challenges every day, but undergraduate dental students in Pakistan are not formally taught leadership skills or assessed for these skills. This study aims to explore the perception of undergraduate dental students on various leadership competencies. A multi-institutional cross-sectional observational study was conducted on undergraduate students in five institutions by using universal sampling technique.

Comparison of virtual clinical scenario and role play in learning oral pathology among dental students.

In oral pathology, virtual clinical scenario illustrating dentist-patient interactions can be utilized by both students and health professionals to deliver/gain knowledge and make clinical diagnosis of oral lesions. Role play is also an educational technique which is designed to engage and motivate students in classrooms. This study aimed to compare usefulness of virtual clinical scenario and role play in learning oral pathology among second-year dental students.

Differential Regulation of Innate Lymphoid Cells in Human and Murine Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) remain a major healthcare burden in Asian countries. In Pakistan alone, it is the most common cancer in males and second only to breast cancer in females. Alarmingly, treatment options for OSCC remain limited.

Development of a murine model of oral carcinogenesis: an accelerated tool for biomarker and anti-tumour drug discovery.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common cancer in Pakistani men and the second most common cancer in women. The objective of our study was to devise a novel accelerated murine model of oral carcinogenesis that can be exploited as a tool to investigate the cancer circuitry involved in OSCC and to identify molecules of diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic significance. A total of 40 healthy male, 6-8 weeks old, 22 ± 2 gram, Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) outbred strain mice were recruited in the experiment.

Expression of miR-31 in saliva-liquid biopsy in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a commonly reported cancer in men and is second only to breast cancer in women in Pakistan.. Investigations for identifying biomarkers of OSCC are essential for diagnostic, therapeutic, or prognostic significance.

Lip and oral cavity cancers (C00-C06) from a mega city of Pakistan: Ten-year data from the Dow Cancer Registry.

Objective: The objective of this report is to provide an overview of lip and oral cavity cancer in Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan.

Methods: This study was undertaken at the Dow Cancer Registry. During 2010-2019, all patients who were residents of Karachi who had been diagnosed with lip and oral cavity cancer were registered and recruited for this study.

Predictors of 30-day readmissions for adrenal insufficiency: A retrospective national database study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe rates and characteristics of non-elective 30-day readmission among patients hospitalized for adrenal insufficiency and to assess predictors of readmission.

Design: We analysed the 2018 National Readmission Database. Adrenal insufficiency hospitalizations were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revisions, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes for principal diagnostic codes of primary adrenal insufficiency, Addisonian crisis, drug-induced adrenocortical insufficiency, and other and unspecified adrenocortical insufficiency.

Quantitative Analyses of Skin Cancer Research in Pakistan.

In order to investigate the current status of skin cancer research output in Pakistan, (PubMed) and national (PakMediNet) scientific databases were searched using variety of keywords to retrieve relevant publications. A strict inclusion criterion was applied to select skin cancer publications for final analyses. Data were recorded by two authors and consistent data were entered into SPSS and Microsoft Excel and analyzed for annual growth rate and frequencies.

Determining the relationship among stress, xerostomia, salivary flow rate, and the quality of life of undergraduate dental students.

Objective: Xerostomia may result in several oral conditions, which ultimately affect oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL). This study aims to evaluate the relationship of stress, xerostomia, salivary flow rate, and OHRQOL among young adults.

Method: We invited 72 participants to complete three validated questionnaires including the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), a shortened version of the Xerostomia Inventory (SXI), and the shortened Oral Health Impact Profile (S-OHIP).

Pan-Cancer Multiomics Analysis of TC2N Gene Suggests its Important Role(s) in Tumourigenesis of Many Cancers.

Background: Role of TC2N in carcinogenesis has been largely unfathomed until recently when it was identified as a novel oncogene in lung cancer. Subsequently, a tumour suppressor role of TC2N was reported in breast cancer. It is therefore highly relevant to investigate TC2N molecular partners/mechanisms on a larger scale including a wider range of tumour types.

Correlation of ABH blood group antigens secretion with Helicobacter pylori infection in Pakistani patients.

Objectives: A and B blood group antigens are fucosylated carbohydrate present on human erythrocytes and body secretions. Their presence in body secretions depends on the expression of a dominant allele of secretor gene FUT2 and is correlated with susceptibility to various infectious and non-infectious diseases. We investigated the correlation of blood group and ABH antigen secretion with Helicobacter pylori infection and gastroduodenal symptoms and analysed the distribution of babA gene among ABH secretors and non-secretors.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension: an update.

Patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of cardiovascular and chronic renal disease. Factors involved in the pathogenesis of both hypertension and type 2 diabetes include inappropriate activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, oxidative stress, inflammation, impaired insulin-mediated vasodilatation, augmented sympathetic nervous system activation, altered innate and adaptive immunity, and abnormal sodium processing by the kidney. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade is a key therapeutic strategy in the treatment of hypertension in type 2 diabetes.

Intensive versus conventional insulin therapy: a randomized controlled trial in medical and surgical critically ill patients.

Objective: The role of intensive insulin therapy in medical surgical intensive care patients remains unclear. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of intensive insulin therapy on mortality in medical surgical intensive care unit patients.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Current acute care of intracerebral hemorrhage.

Intracerebral hemorrhage is the stroke subtype with the highest mortality rate (40% to 50%). Until the hypotheses investigating the amelioration of disease severity factors are completely tested and found to be correct, intracerebral hemorrhage will remain the leading cause of stroke morbidity and mortality in the United States. The acute management of intracerebral hemorrhage with particular emphasis on the evolving areas of probable therapeutic benefit, which are early stabilization, management of mass effect by intraventricular clot removal, and intracranial pressure management, are reviewed.