Publications by authors named "Tipu Sultan"

Unlike many conventional manufacturing techniques, 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing (3DP/AM) fabrication creates builds with unprecedented degrees of structural and geometrical complexities. However, uncertainties in 3DP/AM processes and material attributes could cause geometric and structural quality issues in resulting builds and products. Evaluating the sensitivity of process parameters and material properties for process optimization, quality assessment, and closed-loop control is crucial in practice.

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  • The text discusses a specific gene, bhlhe22, which plays a crucial role in retinal and brain development by encoding a transcription factor involved in neural differentiation.
  • Researchers identified eleven individuals from nine families with variants in this gene linked to a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by speech limitations, severe motor impairments, intellectual disabilities, and other neurological symptoms, including agenesis of the corpus callosum.
  • Genetic analysis revealed that some individuals had harmful missense variants in a critical region of the gene, while others had a recurring frameshift mutation, suggesting that these genetic changes lead to severe cognitive and motor deficits associated with this newly recognized disorder.
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  • Two-dimensional TiC MXene is gaining attention as a lithium-ion battery electrode due to its excellent ion transport and lithium absorption capabilities.
  • A molecular dynamics simulation study shows that TiC MXene exhibits better tensile strength and elasticity along zigzag directions, while armchair-oriented TiC MXene demonstrates greater fracture strain under certain conditions.
  • The study highlights that temperature and strain rate affect the material's mechanical properties differently, and the presence of carbon vacancies significantly weakens the elastic modulus of TiC MXene.
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Additive manufacturing/three-dimensional printing (AM/3DP) processes promise a flexible production modality to fabricate a complex build directly from its digital design file with minimal postprocessing. However, some critical shortcomings of AM/3DP processes related to the build quality and process repeatability are frequently experienced and reported in the literature. In this study, an real-time nondestructive monitoring framework based on the dispersive properties of phononic crystal artifacts (PCAs) to address such quality challenges is described.

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Objective: To unravel the clinical and genetic specifications of Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL).

Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Pediatric Neurology Children Hospital and University of Child Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan from March 2017 to March 2022. The primary outcome was to measure genotype-phenotype correlation by segregation of phenotypes according to genotype.

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Dissecting biological pathways highlighted by Mendelian gene discovery has provided critical insights into the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and neurodegeneration. This approach ultimately catalyzes the identification of potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Here, we identify as a new gene implicated in PD and childhood neurodegeneration.

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Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing lipase 8 (PNPLA8), one of the calcium-independent phospholipase A2 enzymes, is involved in various physiological processes through the maintenance of membrane phospholipids. Biallelic variants in PNPLA8 have been associated with a range of paediatric neurodegenerative disorders. However, the phenotypic spectrum, genotype-phenotype correlations and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood.

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Loss-of-function mutations in the TLDc family of proteins cause a range of severe childhood-onset neurological disorders with common clinical features that include cerebellar neurodegeneration, ataxia and epilepsy. Of these proteins, oxidation resistance 1 (OXR1) has been implicated in multiple cellular pathways related to antioxidant function, transcriptional regulation and cellular survival; yet how this relates to the specific neuropathological features in disease remains unclear. Here, we investigate a range of loss-of-function mouse model systems and reveal that constitutive deletion of leads to a rapid and striking neuroinflammatory response prior to neurodegeneration that is associated with lysosomal pathology.

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  • Biallelic variants in the ZBTB11 gene are linked to a rare intellectual developmental disorder known as MRT69, which shows a variety of clinical symptoms.
  • The study focused on analyzing clinical and genetic traits of 29 individuals (ages 2-50) with these variants, finding diverse neurodevelopmental issues and complex movement disorders among the patients.
  • Results revealed that many patients had abnormal movements (like ataxia and dystonia) and cataracts, with one patient showing improvement from deep brain stimulation, contributing 13 new genetic variants to the understanding of ZBTB11-related disorders.
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  • In-process quality monitoring for Continuous Manufacturing (CM) of pharmaceuticals uses ultrasonic characterization to perform rapid, non-invasive assessments of Critical Quality Attributes (CQA) during Real-time Release (RTR) testing.
  • The study introduces a Deep Neural Network-based Machine Learning (ML) framework that addresses limitations of traditional modeling by accurately predicting CQAs like defect states, compression force levels, and amounts of disintegrant from ultrasonic data.
  • The effectiveness of this ML-driven approach is validated through experiments using a robotic handling rig, showcasing its potential for cost-effective, automated real-time monitoring systems in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
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  • Inherited glycosylphosphatidylinositol deficiency disorders (IGDs) are rare genetic conditions linked to pathogenic changes in GPI-AP genes, affecting multiple body systems and often presenting with severe neurological symptoms.
  • A study analyzed 83 individuals from 75 families with IGDs, revealing that core symptoms include developmental delays (90%), seizures (83%), and motor issues (64%), along with significant brain imaging findings like cerebral atrophy in 75% of cases.
  • The research highlights a wide range of phenotypic diversity, with no single dysmorphic feature being very common, and notes that individuals with certain genetic variants experience seizures earlier, indicating differences in prognosis based on genetic factors.
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Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of preoperative analgesics on inferior alveolar nerve blocks (IANB) during root canal treatment in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis of the mandibular molars.

Methods: This study was a randomized, double-blinded, superiority trial with a parallel study design. A total of 120 subjects with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis were randomly assigned to one of four groups: group A (con- trol, Vitamin E, Evion 400 mg), group B (Diclofenac sodium, Voltral SR100 100 mg), group C (Piroxicam, Feldene 20 mg), and group D (Tramadol, Tramal 50 mg).

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Loss-of-function mutation of ABCC9, the gene encoding the SUR2 subunit of ATP sensitive-potassium (KATP) channels, was recently associated with autosomal recessive ABCC9-related intellectual disability and myopathy syndrome (AIMS). Here we identify nine additional subjects, from seven unrelated families, harbouring different homozygous loss-of-function variants in ABCC9 and presenting with a conserved range of clinical features. All variants are predicted to result in severe truncations or in-frame deletions within SUR2, leading to the generation of non-functional SUR2-dependent KATP channels.

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Background: The VPS13 family of proteins has been implicated in lipid transport and trafficking between endoplasmic reticulum and organelles, to maintain homeostasis of subcellular membranes. Recently, pathogenic variants in each human VPS13S gene, have been linked to distinct human neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disorders. Within the VPS13 family of genes, VPS13D is known to be implicated in mitochondria homeostasis and function.

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  • The protein ACBD6 is important for lipid and protein acylation, but its exact role and effects of its defects on human health remain unclear.
  • Researchers found 45 individuals from 28 families with harmful mutations in ACBD6, leading to a variety of severe developmental and movement disorders.
  • Model organisms like zebrafish and Xenopus were used in studies to better understand ACBD6's function in protein modification and its localization in peroxisomes, which could help explain the associated disease symptoms.
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A compressed pharmaceutical oral solid dosage (OSD) form is a strongly micro-viscoelastic material composite arranged as a network of agglomerated particles due to its constituent powders and their bonding and fractural mechanical properties. An OSD product's Critical Quality Attributes, such as disintegration, drug release (dissolution) profile, and structural strength ("hardness"), are influenced by its micro-scale properties. Ultrasonic evaluation is direct, non-destructive, rapid, and cost-effective.

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encodes a conserved membrane protein that stabilizes the junctions of the tubular endoplasmic reticulum network playing crucial roles in diverse biological functions. Recently, homozygous variants in were shown to cause a neurodevelopmental disorder (OMIM#618090) in four patients displaying developmental delay, epilepsy and nonspecific brain malformations including corpus callosum hypoplasia and variable impairment of cerebellum. We sought to delineate the molecular and phenotypic spectrum of -related disorder.

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  • Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are conditions that disrupt nervous system development, with epilepsy being a common feature among them.
  • The study involved eight consanguineous families in Pakistan with recessively inherited NDD and epilepsy, utilizing MRI, EEG, and exome sequencing to analyze genetic variants associated with the disorders.
  • Findings included the identification of four novel genetic variants linked to NDD and epilepsy, with implications for treatment and better understanding of the disorders in these families.
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  • Quality issues in compressed oral solid dosage forms (OSD), like tablets, occur despite established processes, particularly affecting disintegration and drug release profiles tied to the formulation's composition.
  • A novel ultrasonic characterization technique is proposed to assess the relationship between the properties of the OSD materials—like elastic wave speeds and attenuation profiles—and the levels of disintegrants and compression forces used.
  • This method facilitates rapid, non-destructive testing that can improve efficiency in continuous manufacturing and real-time release testing in pharmaceuticals.
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Purpose: Missense variants clustering in the BTB domain region of RHOBTB2 cause a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with early-onset seizures and severe intellectual disability.

Methods: By international collaboration, we assembled individuals with pathogenic RHOBTB2 variants and a variable spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders. By western blotting, we investigated the consequences of missense variants in vitro.

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Comprehensive medical evaluation is important for patients with SRS to identify associated medical conditions and provide timely interventions. Clinicians should remain vigilant for potential neurological manifestations in SRS patients.

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In the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, real-time in situ quality monitoring for detecting defects at an early stage is a desirable ability, especially in high-rate production, to minimize downstream quality-related issues, financial losses, and timeline risks. In this study, we focus on the early detection of crack formation in compressed oral solid dosage (OSD) forms at its onset before complete delamination and/or capping in downstream processing. The detection of internal tablet cracks related to local micro-stress/strain states, internal granularity (texture), and micro-structure failures is rather unlikely by traditional testing methods, such as the USP reference standards for friability, fracturing, or hardness testing.

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  • Advances in molecular diagnostics have shown that certain genetic variants linked to neurodegenerative diseases can also cause severe neurodevelopmental disorders when inherited in a biallelic manner.* -
  • The study focuses on TOR1A-associated arthrogryposis multiplex congenita 5 (AMC5), revealing a range of clinical symptoms across a cohort of 57 individuals, including severe flexion contractures, developmental delays, and various motor issues.* -
  • The research identified a phenotypic spectrum from mild symptoms to severe disabilities, with a notable survival rate of 71% and a median mortality age of 1.2 months, mainly due to complications like respiratory failure.*
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Due to their constituent powders, the materials of advanced compressed oral solid dosage (OSD) forms are micro-composites and strongly visco-elastic at macro- and micro-length scales. The disintegration, drug release, and mechanical strength of OSD forms depend on its micro-texture (such as porosity) and micro-scale physical/mechanical properties. In the current work, an algorithmic ultrasonic characterization framework for extracting the micro-visco-elastic properties of OSD materials is presented, and its applicability is demonstrated with a model material.

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Background: There is dearth of information on the spectrum of neurological disorders among children less than 18 years of age. The aim of this study is to identify the commonly presenting neurological disorders among children aged ≤ 18 years in Pakistan.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at three tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan.

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