bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lipid extraction and analysis of microalgae strain pectinodesmus PHM3 for biodiesel production
Authors: Kiyani Dania Akram , Maryam Shafia , Amina Sundus Jabeen , Ahmad Abdullah , Chattha Muhammad Waqas Alam , Janjua Hussnain Ahmed
Published: July 2023

The current study is focused on the lipid extract of microalgae; Pectinodesmus strain PHM3 and its general analysis in terms of chemical contents. Combinations of both chemical and mechanistic approaches were applied to obtain the maximum yield of lipids which was recorded to be 23% per gram through continuous agitation using Folch solution. The extraction methods used in this study included: Bligh and Dyers method, Continuous agitation method, Extraction using Soxhlet and Acid base extraction method. Lipid quantification of ethanol and Folch solution lipid extract was performed through gravimetric methods and qualification was done through Fourier Transmission Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas Chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS). Phytochemical analysis identified other compounds in ethanol extract and the results confirmed the presence of steroids, coumarins, tannins, phenols and carbohydrates. Transesterification of lipids showed 7% per gram dry weight yield of Pectinodesmus PHM3. GC-MS studies of extracted biodiesel suggested that 72% of biofuels was in the form of dipropyl ether, ethyl butyl ethers, methyl butyl ether and propyl butyl ether. Lipid processing of acid-base extract showed that oily nature of lipid shifted to a more precipitated form which is a common observation when mixture of lipids is converted to phosphatides.
Construction and characterization of a novel miniaturized filamentous phagemid for targeted mammalian gene transfer
Authors: Wong Shirley , Jimenez Salma , Slavcev Roderick A.
Published: July 2023

Background

As simplistic proteinaceous carriers of genetic material, phages offer great potential as targeted vectors for mammalian transgene delivery. The filamentous phage M13 is a single-stranded DNA phage with attractive characteristics for gene delivery, including a theoretically unlimited DNA carrying capacity, amenability to tropism modification via phage display, and a well-characterized genome that is easy to genetically modify. The bacterial backbone in gene transfer plasmids consists of elements only necessary for amplification in prokaryotes, and, as such, are superfluous in the mammalian cell. These problematic elements include antibiotic resistance genes, which can disseminate antibiotic resistance, and CpG motifs, which are inflammatory in animals and can lead to transgene silencing.

Results

Here, we examined how M13-based phagemids could be improved for transgene delivery by removing the bacterial backbone. A transgene cassette was flanked by isolated initiation and termination elements from the phage origin of replication. Phage proteins provided in trans by a helper would replicate only the cassette, without any bacterial backbone. The rescue efficiency of “miniphagemids” from these split origins was equal to, if not greater than, isogenic “full phagemids” arising from intact origins. The type of cassette encoded by the miniphagemid as well as the choice of host strain constrained the efficiency of phagemid rescue.

Conclusions

The use of two separated domains of the f1 ori improves upon a single wildtype origin while still resulting in high titres of miniphagemid gene transfer vectors. Highly pure lysates of miniaturized phagemids could be rapidly obtained in a straightforward procedure without additional downstream processing.
Machine learning algorithms for diagnosis of hip bone osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis study
Authors: Rahim Fakher , Zaki Zadeh Amin , Javanmardi Pouya , Emmanuel Komolafe Temitope , Khalafi Mohammad , Arjomandi Ali , Ghofrani Haniye Alsadat , Shirbandi Kiarash
Published: July 2023

Background

Osteoporosis is a significant health problem in the skeletal system, associated with bone tissue changes and its strength. Machine Learning (ML), on the other hand, has been accompanied by improvements in recent years and has been in the spotlight. This study is designed to investigate the Diagnostic Test Accuracy (DTA) of ML to detect osteoporosis through the hip dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) images.

Methods

The ISI Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, CINAHL, Science Direct, PROSPERO, and EMBASE were systematically searched until June 2023 for studies that tested the diagnostic precision of ML model-assisted for predicting an osteoporosis diagnosis.

Results

The pooled sensitivity of univariate analysis of seven studies was 0.844 (95% CI 0.791 to 0.885, I2 = 94% for 7 studies). The pooled specificity of univariate analysis was 0.781 (95% CI 0.732 to 0.824, I2 = 98% for 7 studies). The pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 18.91 (95% CI 14.22 to 25.14, I2 = 93% for 7 studies). The pooled mean positive likelihood ratio (LR+) and the negative likelihood ratio (LR−) were 3.7 and 0.22, respectively. Also, the summary receiver operating characteristics (sROC) of the bivariate model has an AUC of 0.878.

Conclusion

Osteoporosis can be diagnosed by ML with acceptable accuracy, and hip fracture prediction was improved via training in an Architecture Learning Network (ALN).
Prognosis and local treatment strategies of breast cancer patients with different numbers of micrometastatic lymph nodes
Authors: Luo Shiping , Fu Wenfen , Lin Jingyi , Zhang Jie , Song Chuangui
Published: July 2023

Background

Lymph node micrometastasis is an important prognostic factor in breast cancer, but patients with different numbers of involved lymph nodes are all divided into the same N1mi stage without distinction. We designed this study to compare the prognosis and local treatment recommendations of N1mi breast cancer patients with different numbers of micrometastatic lymph nodes.

Patients and methods

A total of 27,032 breast cancer patients with T1-2N1miM0 stage from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2004–2019) who underwent breast surgery were included in this retrospective study. Patients were divided into three groups for prognosis comparison according to the number of micrometastatic lymph nodes: N1mi with 1 (Nmi = 1), 2 (Nmi = 2), or more (Nmi ≥ 3) involved lymph nodes. We explored the characteristics and survival outcomes of the population receiving different local treatments, including different axillary surgery types and whether receiving radiotherapy or not. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were used to compare the overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) in different groups. Stratified analyses and interaction analyses were also applied to explore the predictive significance of different involved lymph nodes numbers. Propensity score matching (PSM) method was utilized to balance the differences between groups.

Results

Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that nodal status was an independent prognostic factor. After adjustment for other prognostic factors, there was a significant difference in prognosis between Nmi = 1 group and Nmi = 2 group [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.145, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.047–1.251, P = 0.003], and patients with Nmi ≥ 3 group had a significantly poorer prognosis (adjusted HR 1.679, 95% CI 1.589–2.407; P < 0.001). The proportion of N1mi patients only underwent sentinel lymph nodes biopsy (SLNB) gradually increased from 2010 (Ptrend < 0.001). After adjusting for other factors, N1mi patients who underwent axillary lymph nodes dissection (ALND) was associated with significant survival benefit than SLNB (adjusted HR 0.932, 95%CI 0.874–0.994; P = 0.033), the same goes for receiving radiotherapy (adjusted HR 1.107, 95%CI 1.030–1.190; P = 0.006). Further stratified analysis showed that in the SLNB subgroup, radiotherapy was associated with a significant survival benefit (HR 1.695, 95%CI 1.534–1.874; P < 0.001), whereas in the ALND subgroup, there was no significant prognostic difference with or without radiotherapy (HR 1.029, 95%CI 0.933–1.136; P = 0.564).

Conclusion

Our study indicates that the increasing number of lymph node micrometastases was associated a worse prognosis of N1mi breast cancer patients. In addition, ALND does provide a significant survival benefit for these patients, while the benefit from local radiotherapy may be of even greater importance.
Research on the interaction of astragaloside IV and calycosin in Astragalus membranaceus with HMGB1
Authors: Ye Junyi , Huang Yong , Jiang Xuewa , Shen Pingping , Zhang Chaofeng , Zhang Jian
Published: July 2023

Background

High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1), a lethal late inflammatory mediator, contributes to the pathogenesis of diverse inflammatory and infectious diseases. Astragaloside IV and calycosin as active ingredients in Astragalus membranaceus, possess potent regulatory ability on HMGB1-induced inflammation, however, the interaction between these two phytochemicals and HMGB1 has not been elucidated yet.

Methods

To further investigate the interaction of astragaloside IV, calycosin with HMGB1 protein, surface plasma resonance (SPR) and a series of spectroscopic methods, including UV spectra, fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), were used. Molecular docking was also carried out to predict the atomic level’s binding modes between two components and HMGB1.

Results

Astragaloside IV and calycosin were found to be able to bind HMGB1 directly and affect the secondary structure and environment of the chromogenic amino acids of HMGB1 to different extents. In silico, astragaloside IV and calycosin showed a synergistic effect by binding to the two independent domains B-box and A-box in HMGB1, respectively, where hydrogen and hydrophobicity bonds were regarded as the crucial forces.

Conclusion

These findings showed that the interaction of astragaloside IV and calycosin with HMGB1 impaired its proinflammatory cytokines function, providing a new perspective for understanding the mechanism of A. membranaceus in treating aseptic and infectious diseases.
Evaluation of Proenkephalin A 119–159 for liberation from renal replacement therapy: an external, multicenter pilot study in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury
Authors: von Groote Thilo , Albert Felix , Meersch Melanie , Koch Raphael , Gerss Joachim , Arlt Birte , Sadjadi Mahan , Porschen Christian , Pickkers Peter , Zarbock Alexander ,   the RICH investigators
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Recent evidence suggests an association of plasma Proenkephalin A 119–159 (penKid) with early and successful liberation from continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury. However, these exploratory results are derived from a monocentric trial and therefore require external validation in a multicenter cohort.

Methods

Data and plasma samples from the “Effect of Regional Citrate Anticoagulation versus Systemic Heparin Anticoagulation During Continuous Kidney Replacement Therapy on Dialysis Filter Life Span and Mortality Among Critically Ill Patients With Acute Kidney Injury—A Randomized Clinical Trial” (RICH Trial) were used for this validation study. PenKid was measured in all plasma samples available at CRRT initiation and at day 3 of CRRT. Patients were categorized into low and high penKid groups with a cutoff at 100 pmol/l. Competing-risk time-to-event analyses were performed. Competing risk endpoints were successful and unsuccessful liberation from CRRT, the latter meaning death or initiation of a new RRT within one week of discontinuation of primary CRRT. Then penKid was compared to urinary output.

Results

Low pre-CRRT penKid levels at CRRT initiation were not associated with early and successful liberation from CRRT compared to patients with high pre-CRRT penKid levels [subdistribution hazard ratio (sHR) 1.01, 95% CI 0.73–1.40, p = 0.945]. However, the landmark analysis on day 3 of ongoing CRRT demonstrated an association between low penKid levels and successful liberation from CRRT (sHR 2.35, 95% CI 1.45–3.81, p < 0.001) and an association between high penKid levels and unsuccessful liberation (sHR 0.46, 95% CI 0.26–0.80, p = 0.007). High daily urinary output (> 436 ml/d) was even stronger associated with successful liberation (sHR 2.91, 95% CI 1.80–4.73, p < 0.001) compared to penKid.

Discussion

This study suggests that penKid may be a competent biomarker to monitor the recovery of kidney function during CRRT. This is in line with previous findings and investigated this concept in a multicenter cohort. Again, low penKid was associated with early and successful CRRT liberation, but was outperformed by high daily urinary output. The findings of this study now warrant further evaluation in prospective studies or a randomized controlled trial.

Trial registration The RICH Trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02669589. Registered 01 February 2016.
Extremely elevated creatine kinase associated with rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury in a patient with Huntington’s disease: a case report
Authors: Kozik Isabelle , Wikerd Zachary
Published: July 2023

Background

Rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury is a serious condition that can progress to acute renal failure if not promptly identified and treated. Rhabdomyolysis occurs when serum creatine kinase levels approach > 1000 U/L (five times the normal upper limit). The chance of acute kidney injury increases as the levels of creatine kinase increase. Although Huntington’s disease is associated with muscle atrophy, elevated baseline creatine kinase levels in these patients have not been routinely reported.

Case presentation

A 31-year-old African American patient presented to the emergency department after he was found unconscious from a fall attributed to the progression of his Huntington’s disease. On admission, he had an extremely high creatine kinase level of 114,400 U/L and was treated with fluids, electrolyte balance, and dialysis. However, his condition progressed to acute renal failure and he later developed posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, requiring transfer to the intensive care unit with placement on continuous renal replacement therapy. Eventually, his kidney function recovered and he was discharged home with 24/7 care by his family for persistent impairments related to his Huntington’s disease.

Conclusions

This case report underscores the importance of promptly recognizing elevated creatine kinase levels in patients with Huntington’s disease due to the risk of developing rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury. If not aggressively treated, the condition of these patients is likely to progress to renal failure. Anticipating the progression of rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury is paramount to improving clinical outcomes. Additionally, this case identifies a potential link between the patient’s Huntington’s disease and his abnormally elevated creatine kinase, a finding not described in the literature of rhabdomyolysis-induced kidney injuries to date and an important consideration for future patients with similar comorbidities.
Barycentric Lagrange interpolation method for solving Love’s integral equations
Authors: Shoukralla E. S. , Ahmed B. M.
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we present a new simple method for solving two integral equations of Love’s type that have many applications, especially in electrostatic systems. The approach of the solution is based on an innovative technique using matrix algebra for the barycentric Lagrange interpolation. The unknown function is expressed through the product of four matrices. The kernel is interpolated twice, so we get it in the product of five matrices. Additionally, we derive an equivalent linear algebraic system to the solution by substituting the matrix-vector barycentric interpolated unknown function together with the double interpolated kernel into both sides of the integral equation. Thus, there was no need to employ the collocation method. The obtained results converge strongly with the approximate analytical solutions, in addition to being uniformly approximated, continuous, and even, which proves the validity of the solution by the presented method.
Therapeutic treatments for diabetes mellitus-induced liver injury by regulating oxidative stress and inflammation
Authors: Bae Chun-Sik , Lee Youngchan , Ahn Taeho
Published: July 2023

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease that affects all systems in the body, including the liver. Numerous studies have reported that chronic DM etiology and pathogenesis complications implicate oxidative stress, generating reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide anions and free radicals. In addition, pro-inflammatory reactions are also underlying functions closely related to oxidative stress that further exacerbate pathological DM states. The liver is especially susceptible to hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and the related inflammation. Thus, anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation therapies are promising strategies for treating liver damage. This review summarizes therapeutic treatments attenuating the generation of oxidative stress and pro-inflammation, which also cause DM-induced liver injury. Although the treatments have several impediments to be solved, these remedies may have clinically important implications under the absence of effective drugs for the damaged liver in DM patients.
Green lithium: photoelectrochemical extraction
Authors: Li Zhongxiao , Li Zhen , Huang Hao , Yao Yunduo , Khan Bilawal , Zhu Ye , Huang Kuo-Wei , Lai Zhiping , He Jr-Hau
Published: July 2023

Lithium (Li) is an essential element in modern energy production and storage devices. Technology to extract Li from seawater, which contains ~ 230 billion tons of Li, offers a solution to the widespread concern regarding quantitative and geographical limitations of future Li supplies. To obtain green Li from seawater, we propose an unassisted photoelectrochemical (PEC) Li extraction system based on an III-V-based triple-junction (3J) photoelectrode and a Li-ion selective membrane with only sunlight as an input. A light-harvesting/catalysis decoupling scheme yielded a 3J photoelectrode with excellent light-harvesting and catalysis reaction capabilities and superb stability over the 840 h of the extraction process. It allows the system to successfully enrich seawater Li by 4,350 times (i.e., from 0.18 ppm to 783.56 ppm) after three extraction stages. The overall reaction of the unassisted PEC green Li extraction system achieved 2.08 mg kJ−1 of solar-to-Li efficiency and 3.65% of solar-to-hydrogen efficiency.

Graphical Abstract

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) lithium extraction device is designed to explore lithium from seawater for the first time. The PEC cell with a triple-junction (InGaP/GaAs/Ge) photoelectrode and light-harvesting/catalysis decoupling scheme is constructed, offering a suitable operating potential and superb stability to the membrane-based extraction process in the seawater. The device can successfully enrich lithium by 4,350 times (from 0.18 to 783.56 ppm).
Automated Matching of Patients to Clinical Trials: A Patient-Centric Natural Language Processing Approach for Pediatric Leukemia
Authors: Kaskovich Samuel , Wyatt Kirk D. , Oliwa Tomasz , Graglia Luca , Furner Brian , Lee Jooho , Mayampurath Anoop , Volchenboum Samuel L.
Published: July 2023

PURPOSE

Matching patients to clinical trials is cumbersome and costly. Attempts have been made to automate the matching process; however, most have used a trial-centric approach, which focuses on a single trial. In this study, we developed a patient-centric matching tool that matches patient-specific demographic and clinical information with free-text clinical trial inclusion and exclusion criteria extracted using natural language processing to return a list of relevant clinical trials ordered by the patient's likelihood of eligibility.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Records from pediatric leukemia clinical trials were downloaded from ClinicalTrials.gov. Regular expressions were used to discretize and extract individual trial criteria. A multilabel support vector machine (SVM) was trained to classify sentence embeddings of criteria into relevant clinical categories. Labeled criteria were parsed using regular expressions to extract numbers, comparators, and relationships. In the validation phase, a patient-trial match score was generated for each trial and returned in the form of a ranked list for each patient.

RESULTS

In total, 5,251 discretized criteria were extracted from 216 protocols. The most frequent criterion was previous chemotherapy/biologics (17%). The multilabel SVM demonstrated a pooled accuracy of 75%. The text processing pipeline was able to automatically extract 68% of eligibility criteria rules, as compared with 80% in a manual version of the tool. Automated matching was accomplished in approximately 4 seconds, as compared with several hours using manual derivation.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this project represents the first open-source attempt to generate a patient-centric clinical trial matching tool. The tool demonstrated acceptable performance when compared with a manual version, and it has potential to save time and money when matching patients to trials.
Targeting the Androgen Signaling Axis in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Dai Charles , Dehm Scott M. , Sharifi Nima
Published: July 2023

Activation of the androgen receptor (AR) and AR-driven transcriptional programs is central to the pathophysiology of prostate cancer. Despite successful translational efforts in targeting AR, therapeutic resistance often occurs as a result of molecular alterations in the androgen signaling axis. The efficacy of next-generation AR-directed therapies for castration-resistant prostate cancer has provided crucial clinical validation for the continued dependence on AR signaling and introduced a range of new treatment options for men with both castration-resistant and castration-sensitive disease. Despite this, however, metastatic prostate cancer largely remains an incurable disease, highlighting the need to better understand the diverse mechanisms by which tumors thwart AR-directed therapies, which may inform new therapeutic avenues. In this review, we revisit concepts in AR signaling and current understandings of AR signaling-dependent resistance mechanisms as well as the next frontier of AR targeting in prostate cancer.
Lateral Transorbital Endoscope-Assisted Approach to the Cavernous Sinus
Authors: Bander Evan D. , Carnevale Joseph A. , Tosi Umberto , Godfrey Kyle J. , Schwartz Theodore H.
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Surgical access to the cavernous sinus (CS) poses a unique challenge to the neurosurgeon given the concentration of delicate structures in the confines of a very small anatomic space. The lateral transorbital approach (LTOA) is a minimally invasive, keyhole approach that can provide direct access to the lateral CS.

METHODS:

A retrospective review of CS lesions treated by a LTOA at a single institution was performed between 2020 and 2023. Patient indications, surgical outcomes, and complications are described.

RESULTS:

Six patients underwent a LTOA for a variety of pathologies including a dermoid cyst, schwannoma, prolactinoma, craniopharyngioma, and solitary fibrous tumor. The goals of surgery (ie, drainage of cyst, debulking, and pathological diagnosis) were achieved in all cases. The mean extent of resection was 64.6% (±34%). Half of the patients with preoperative cranial neuropathies (n = 4) improved postoperatively. There were no new permanent cranial neuropathies. One patient had a vascular injury repaired endovascularly with no neurological deficits.

CONCLUSION:

The LTOA provides a minimal access corridor to the lateral CS. Careful case selection and reasonable goals of surgery are critical to successful outcome.
Change in macular thickness after uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery using optical coherence tomography in a tertiary care hospital
Authors: Dad Mehboob , Tahir Muhammad Ali , Cheema Alyscia , Nawaz Hina Nasreen
Published: July 2023

Objectives: To determine the change in macular thickness after uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery using optical coherence tomography in a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: This study was conducted at Department of Ophthalmology Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Karachi, for 6 months from 10th Dec 2019 to 10th June 2020. Sample size calculation of 52 eyes was done by using open epi software. Patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria that is age ranging from 50 to 75 years, either gender with senile cataract having no preexisting ocular or systemic disease and those giving consent were included in this study. Patients with any comorbidity ocular trauma, having pre-existing ocular diseases such as active ocular infection, glaucoma, maculopathy or retinopathy were excluded from study. Patients with secondary cataract also excluded from study. After complete history, all patients underwent detailed ophthalmologic examination and Pre-surgery macular thickness recorded by using swept source OCT (DRI-OCT-2 Triton; Topcon). Surgery was performed and intraocular lens was implanted in all cases. Post procedure Macular thickness was measured using swept source OCT at 1st postoperative day, 1st month and 6th month after surgery.

Results: The mean age of patients was 62.06 ± 5.1 years. Total of 52 eyes diagnosed with senile cataract were included in this study. There were 30 (57.7%) males and 22(42.3%) females. The mean preoperative central foveal thickness was 201.3±24.8μm. The postoperative central foveal thickness was 200.3±25.2μm (153–265μm) at day 1st of surgery, 224.1 ± 53.8 μm (151–458 μm) at 1st month and 212.4±28.3μm (167–255μm) 6th month after surgery. The mean preoperative BCVA was 0.70 ± 0.43 (0.1–1.7) logMAR. The postoperative mean BCVA was 0.26 ± 0.42 (0.00–3.10) logMAR at 1st day, 0.07± 0.10 (0.000.7) logMAR at 1st month and 0.05 ± 0.10 (0.00–0.3) logMAR at 6th month.

Conclusion: In our study we found an increase in macular thickness but there was no loss of BCVA from changes of macular thickness after surgery and the mean BCVA increased progressively in postoperative period.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.4775

How to cite this: Dad M, Tahir MA, Cheema A, Nawaz HN. Change in macular thickness after uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery using optical coherence tomography in a tertiary care hospital. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(5):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.4775

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Effect of laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision combined with immunotherapy and its impact on immune function and tumor markers in elderly patients with colon cancer
Authors: Zhang Tao , Lin Qian , Liu Zhi , Yang Hua
Published: July 2023

Objective: To determine the effect of laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision combined with immunotherapy and its impact on immune function and tumor markers in elderly patients with colon cancer.

Methods: This is a clinical comparative study. Eighty elderly patients with colon cancer hospitalized in the No.2 Hospital of Baoding from May 2020 to May 2022 were randomly divided into two groups, with 40 cases in each group. Patients in the study group received laparoscopic complete mesocolic resection combined with ubenimex orally. While patients in the control group received routine open surgery. The surgical indexes, surgical complications, and the changes of immune molecules and tumor markers before and after treatment were compared between the two groups.

Results: The amount of intraoperative bleeding, retention time of drainage tube and postoperative length of stay in the hospital in the study group were significantly better than those in the control group (p=0.000). The incision length of the study group was significantly shorter than that of the control group, the number of lymph nodes removed during the operation was significantly higher than that of the control group, and the incidence of surgical complications was significantly lower than that of the control group (p<0.05). After treatment, the levels of immune molecules in the study group were remarkably higher than those in the control group (p<0.05), while the levels of tumor markers were much lower than those in the latter group (p=0.000).

Conclusion: Laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision combined with immunotherapy exhibits a superior therapeutic effect to traditional open surgery in elderly patients with colon cancer, and is worthy of clinical promotion.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.7090

How to cite this: Zhang T, Lin Q, Liu Z, Yang H. Effect of laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision combined with immunotherapy and its impact on immune function and tumor markers in elderly patients with colon cancer. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(5):---------.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.7090

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Exploring the value of early laboratory indicators combined with pancreatitis activity scoring system in assessing the severity and prognosis of acute pancreatitis
Authors: Xu Fang , Hu Xin , Li Shu-ling
Published: July 2023

Objective: To investigate the value of early laboratory indicators combined with the pancreatitis activity scoring system in assessing the severity and prognosis of acute pancreatitis (AP).

Methods: This is a retrospective study. A total of 160 patients with AP admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University from February 2021 to February 2023 were enrolled and classified into three categories: mild acute pancreatitis (MAP), moderate severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP), and severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), with 80 cases with MAP and MSAP as the control group and 80 cases with SAP as the experimental group. The differences of inflammatory markers, blood routine, biochemical markers, coagulation markers and PASS score within 24 hours after admission were compared between the two groups, and independent risk factors for predicting AP severity were analyzed. Moreover, the diagnostic efficacy and prognostic value of independent risk factors were evaluated.

Results: The PASS score as well as CRP, PCT, IL-6, WBC, N, AST, DD and PT were higher in the experimental group than in the control group. Logistic regression analysis suggested that PASS, IL-6, PCT and WBC were independent risk factors for predicting severity of AP. In addition, PASS had the highest diagnostic efficacy.

Conclusion: Early elevation of PASS, IL-6, PCT and WBC in patients suffering from AP is of great significance in predicting SAP. PASS score combined with IL-6, PCT and WBC has important value in evaluating the severity and prognosis of AP.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.7543

How to cite this: Xu F, Hu X, Li S. Exploring the value of early laboratory indicators combined with pancreatitis activity scoring system in assessing the severity and prognosis of acute pancreatitis. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(5):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.7543

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Vocal health of parents of children with hearing assistive devices
Authors: Qayyum Uzma , Mumtaz Nazia , Saqulain Ghulam
Published: July 2023

Background & Objectives: VH (Vocal health) is the need of the hour. VH of parents of children with hearing assistive devices (HAD) reveals a literature gap, during the habilitation process of their children. To explore the vocal health of parents of children with hearing assistive devices.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Riphah International University from September to December 2021. Study recruited N=384 parents of Hearing Impaired children (HIC) using HAD for at least two years, of both genders and aged 2-9 years using convenience sampling. Voice-related quality of life (V-RQOL), and vocal health Index (VHI) -10 were used for data collection. Data was analyzed on SPSS Version 25. Descriptive statistics, Anova and t-test were utilized to see difference between means of groups. P<0.05 shows significant-results.

Results: Parents of children using hearing assistive devices had excellent V-RQOL score in 350(91.14%) parents. There was no significant difference in V=RQOL as regards type of hearing assistive device use (p=0.102), laterality of device use (p=0.918) and degree of hearing loss (p=0.143). However, type of hearing loss revealed significant difference (p=0.021). Also VHI score revealed significantly (p=0.008) lower means in parents of children with cochlear implants.

Conclusion: Current study concludes that the parents raising hearing impaired children with hearing assistive devices, possess good vocal health as determined by VHI and V-RQOL scores with only a very small number of parents reporting vocal symptoms.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.7570

How to cite this: Qayyum U, Mumtaz N, Saqulain G. Vocal health of parents of children with hearing assistive devices. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(5):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.7570

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse using colpocleisis: A case series
Authors: Elbiss Hassan , Al-Baghdadi Omaema
Published: July 2023

Objective: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common condition. With increasing lifespan and emphasis on quality of life worldwide, older women with POP may prefer surgical treatment, including colpocleisis. We reviewed the outcome of POP in a case series of colpocleisis.

Methods: This study was conducted between 2006 and 2011. Patients had confirmed POP on examination and underwent partial and total colpocleisis. We compared patients’ demographic characteristics, POP severity and surgical outcomes.

Results: In total, 55 patients were included. The patients were aged 78.9 + 6.7 years and had body mass index (BMI) of 26.9 ± 4.2. Among the total, 44 (80%) and 11 patients (20%) underwent partial and total colpocleisis respectively. Patients undergoing partial colpocleisis had procidentia less often than those undergoing total colpocleisis (18% v 64%, p=0.01). Mean blood loss and operative time were 157.6 ml ± 119.0 and 65.1 ± 20.3 minutes respectively. Partial colpocleisis had less blood loss (mean 135.7 v 227.2 ml, p=0.02) and shorter operative time (mean 62.6 v 75.0 min, p=0.18).

Conclusion: Partial compared to total colpocleisis was associated with shorter operative time and less blood loss. Colpocleisis is a suitable surgical treatment for POP in elderly women who do not wish to preserve the vagina for sexual intercourse.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.7600

How to cite this: Elbiss HM, Al-Baghdadi O. Surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse using colpocleisis: A case series. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(5):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.7600

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Comparison of percutaneous balloon compression and microvascular decompression in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia
Authors: Li Zhenyong , Xie Zhuqing , Tang Guoqiang , Jin Shihui
Published: July 2023

Objective: To compare the effect of percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) and microvascular decompression (MVD) in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (TN).

Methods: Data of 98 patients with TN, admitted to Chenzhou First People’s Hospital from May 2020 to May 2022, were retrospectively collected. Patients were divided into two groups based on the surgical method. A total of 53 patients treated with PBC comprised the PBC-group and 45 patients treated with MVD comprised the MVD-group. The immediate pain relief, long-term efficacy, surgical complications, and masticatory muscle strength of the two groups were compared and analyzed.

Results: There was no significant difference in the immediate pain relief and long-term e efficacy, between the two groups (P>0.05). Complication rate in the PBC-group was significantly lower than that in the MVD-group (3.77% vs 17.78%, P<0.05). Medical records within 14 days after the operation showed that the incidence of facial numbness and masticatory muscle weakness in the PBC-group were 37.74% and 28.30% respectively, significantly higher than those in MVD-group (4.44% and 2.22%) (P<0.05). These symptoms gradually improved three months after the surgery, and were almost completely resolved after six months.

Conclusions: Compared with MVD, PBC has the same effect in the treatment of TN. PBC is a minimally invasive, safe, and effective method with a low complication rate. Although masticatory muscle strength is slightly impacted by PBC, it gradually recovers within six months after the operation.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.8049

How to cite this: Li Z, Xie Z, Tang G, Jin S. Comparison of percutaneous balloon compression and microvascular decompression in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(5):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.5.8049

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Research Roundup
Authors: Mcgloin Claudia
Published: July 2023

In this regular feature, aesthetic nurse Claudia McGloin presents a brief synopsis of a range of recently published articles on medical aesthetics. Research roundup aims to provide an overview, rather than a detailed summary and critique, of the papers selected. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided at the end of each study summary
EU Eyes Boost from Underwater Mining
Authors: Knight Helen
Published: July 2023

Minerals worth up to €100bn targeted through inland lake exploration
Quest for Oxygen Dose Accuracy
Authors: Knight Helen
Published: July 2023

Camcon’s fluid control system seeks to boost safety and cut costs
Rethink for Nuclear Suits
Authors: Nathan Stuart
Published: July 2023

Iron Man-inspired gear to replace PVC design
3D Printing to Aid New Circuit Build
Authors: Knight Helen
Published: July 2023

Use in microwave and terahertz set to improve radars and sensors
Partnership in Air Race Series
Authors: Nathan Stuart
Published: July 2023

Electric aircraft set to take part in new trials
Engineering Needs Immigration
Authors: Jan Alexander
Published: July 2023

Workers from overseas, of varying skill levels, will still be needed long after Brexit – it is vital that the Government gets the numbers right
A Positive Shift in Perceptions
Authors: Ghani Nusrat
Published: July 2023

Bringing more youngsters from diverse backgrounds into engineering and smashing gender stereotypes means anyone can succeed
Aston Martin Vantage: Beauty and the Beast
Authors: Pickering Chris
Published: July 2023

An all-new design brings the baby Aston Martin bang up to date, writes
BEEAs Winner
Authors: Grylls Bethan
Published: July 2023

THE BRITISH ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARDS NAMES AESSEAL AS ‘BEST OF THE BEST’ AS IT SCOOPS GRAND PRIX AWARD.
Bridging the Gap to the Future
Authors: Tyler Neil
Published: July 2023

When it comes to engineering outreach, AESSEAL puts its money where its mouth is and proved a worthy Grand Prix Winner.
Bringing AI to the Edge
Authors: Verkest Diederik
Published: July 2023

Today, AI requires powerful, energy-guzzling processors that sit at the heart of the cloud. Bring AI to the sensors at the edge and you could solve that power problem, as Diederik Verkest explains
Safety First and Last
Authors: Tyler Neil
Published: July 2023

According to Arm, without safety there is no future for autonomous driving.
Making 5G a Reality
Authors: Tyler Neil
Published: July 2023

Much hype surrounds 5G, so how accurate are the claims that the commercialisation of 5G is imminent?
Renoprotective Effects of Anthocyanins Against Uric AcidInstigated Injury: Mini Review with a Special Emphasis on Purple Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Anthocyanins
Authors: Mahendra Agung Nova , Jawi I Made , Astawa Nyoman Mantik , Astawa Putu , Sutirta-Yasa I Wayan Putu
Published: July 2023

Anthocyanins are ubiquitous phytoconstituents found in a wide array of natural products. Purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is an important source of anthocyanins, a group of flavonoids with various medicinal benefits. One of the medicinal benefits of anthocyanins is their protection against the detrimental effects of stressors such as uric acid. On the other hand, hyperuricemia and its associated effects are considered significant challenges in human health. Since kidneys are essential organs in uric acid handling and uric acid is associated with kidney disease, this review focuses on re-appraising the role of purple sweet potato anthocyanins as renoprotectors against uric acid-related pathobiology. Future studies regarding the potential of these anthocyanins as renoprotectors are also discussed.
Antioxidant Activity, Phenolic And Flavonoid Content of Passion Fruit Seed Oil
Authors: Malik Abd. , Amaliah Rifka , Zahra Vathimah , Ahmad Aktsar Roskiana
Published: July 2023

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims.) is a tropical plant that grows widely in South East Asian region, including on Sulawesi Island. The plant is important in the food sector and for medicinal purposes. The fruits of the Passion plant are made as a popular syrup beverage in Makassar produced by several companies. The production process results in an unusable seed containing potential natural oil. Passion Seed Oil (PSO) has several benefits in health and cosmetics. The oil contains chemically active compounds such as phenolic and flavonoids with antioxidant activities. This study was performed by comparison of several solvents acetone, ethyl acetate, chloroform, methanol, and n-hexane. The antioxidant activity, total phenolic and flavonoid content of all extracts were then examined by the researchers. The potential antioxidant activity of PSO was shown by a methanol extract of 71.67 µg/mL. The highest flavonoid content was ethyl acetate extract of 35.40 mg RE/g crude extract, and phenolic was acetone extract of 193.80 mg GAE/g crude extract.
Chemical and Biological Profiling of Three Ferulic Acids Alkyl Esters Isolated from Jatropha pandurifolia (Family: Euphorbiaceae) Stem Bark.
Authors: Jahan Nisrat , Shaari Khozirah , Islam Sk Nazrul , Azam ATM Zafrul , Zohora Fatema-Tuz- , Ahsan Monira
Published: July 2023

The study's objectives include phytochemical profiling and biological (antioxidant, thrombolytic and cytotoxic) analysis of pure chemicals from Jatropha pandurifolia stem bark ethyl acetate extract. Five different compounds including octacosanyl cis ferulate (1), hexacosyl (E)-ferulate (2) triacontyl ferulate (3), β-sitosterol (4) and stigmasterol (5) are elucidated. Their structures determine through 1HNMR analysis and comparison to published data, while three ferulic acid alkyl esters (1-3) were isolated for the first time from J. pandurifolia. Compounds 1, 2, and 3 all have significant thrombolytic potential with respective values of 68.92% ±1.17 (**P<0.01), 66.56% ±2.35 (**P<0.01) and 70.81%±0.98 (**P<0.01) with comparison to standard streptokinase (73.6%±0.76). When compared to BHT (6.82± 0.99 μg/ml) the IC50 (DPPH assay) values were 16.26±1.07 (**P<0.01), 14.12±1.23 (**P<0.01), and 13.16±1.70 μg/ml (**P<0.01). Comparing the three compounds to the reference vincristine sulphate (LC50: 0.52±0.18 μg/ml), of compound 1 (1.56±0.35 μg/ml) (**P<0.01), compound 2 (1.3±0.78 μg/ml) (**P<0.01) and compound 3 (1.29±0.33 μg/ml) (**P<0.01). The results can therefore be interpreted as a concept of isolated molecules having potential for application in additional pharmaceutical research.
Inaccurate Examination of Neck Lump as Regional Metastasis of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in Children: A Case Report
Authors: Irawan Hendry , Adiputra Putu Anda Tusta
Published: July 2023

Background: Malignancy of the thyroid in children was a rare finding and the most pathological finding was papillary thyroid carcinoma. Thyroid carcinoma in children can present with neck lumps or enlarged neck lymph nodes. However, enlarged neck lymph nodes can be a mark of disruption immune system or lymph nodes’ malignancy or metastases from another organ. Case: An eight-year-old girl came to surgical oncology policlinic Prof. Dr. I.G.N.G. Ngoerah general hospital with a tumor on her right neck below the ear lobe and a scar from surgery on her right neck. Previously, she was done surgery on the right neck lump without cytomorphological examination at a regional hospital and it was a papillary thyroid carcinoma. She was referred to Prof. Dr. I.G.N.G. Ngoerah general hospital. She had done total thyroidectomy and right radical neck dissection with sternocleidomastoid muscle removal. The pathological examination was papillary thyroid carcinoma with four metastasis lymph nodes from nine lymph nodes. She had done radioactive iodine and take levothyroxine daily for hormonal suppression. After radioactive iodine therapy, she did not have any malignancy in the surgical field. Conclusion: In children, enlarged neck lymph nodes must be considered as a metastasis lesion of the thyroid. Although thyroid carcinoma is rare in children, we can do fine needle aspiration biopsy to evaluate the origin of enlargement. It can reduce the increase in cancer staging and the risk of metastasis.
Deep audio embeddings for vocalisation clustering
Authors: Best Paul , Paris Sébastien , Glotin Hervé , Marxer Ricard
Published: July 2023

The study of non-human animals’ communication systems generally relies on the transcription of vocal sequences using a finite set of discrete units. This set is referred to as a vocal repertoire, which is specific to a species or a sub-group of a species. When conducted by human experts, the formal description of vocal repertoires can be laborious and/or biased. This motivates computerised assistance for this procedure, for which machine learning algorithms represent a good opportunity. Unsupervised clustering algorithms are suited for grouping close points together, provided a relevant representation. This paper therefore studies a new method for encoding vocalisations, allowing for automatic clustering to alleviate vocal repertoire characterisation. Borrowing from deep representation learning, we use a convolutional auto-encoder network to learn an abstract representation of vocalisations. We report on the quality of the learnt representation, as well as of state of the art methods, by quantifying their agreement with expert labelled vocalisation types from 8 datasets of other studies across 6 species (birds and marine mammals). With this benchmark, we demonstrate that using auto-encoders improves the relevance of vocalisation representation which serves repertoire characterisation using a very limited number of settings. We also publish a Python package for the bioacoustic community to train their own vocalisation auto-encoders or use a pretrained encoder to browse vocal repertoires and ease unit wise annotation.