bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hepatoprotective activity of melittin on isoniazid- and rifampicin-induced liver injuries in male albino rats
Authors: Naji Khalid Mohammed , Al-Khatib Bushra Yahya , Al-Haj Nora Saif , D’souza Myrene R. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe present study investigated the ameliorative effect of melittin, a major polypeptide in the venom of honeybee (Apis mellifera), on isoniazid-(INH) and rifampicin-(RIF) induced hepatotoxicity in male albino rats.MethodThirty rats (140-200 g) were divided into five groups (n = 6): normal control (NC) received normal saline orally (NaCl, 0.9%; toxic (T) group received INH + RIF (each rat received 100 mg/kg, p.o.); melittin (Mel15, Mel30) groups (each rat received 15 or 30 μg/kg s.c); and normal recovery (NR) group received INH + RIF (each rat received 100 mg/kg, p.o.). Blood and liver samples were collected for biochemical, hematological and histopathological studies respectively.ResultsThe administration of melittin was found to prevent the antitubercular drug-induced alterations in the diagnostic markers; reduced glutathione (GSH), direct bilirubin (DB), total bilirubin (TB), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total serum protein (TSP). Besides, hematological alterations were significantly high in Mel groups when compared to the toxic group. The NR group exhibited lower levels of DB, TB, ALP, LDH and TSP. In addition, treatment with melittin offered protection in the NR group with respect to MDA levels.ConclusionEvidence from this study suggests that melittin is beneficial for the prevention of acute hepatic failure in antitubercular drug-induced hepatoxicity and could be used as a potential therapeutic agent.
Spinal Muscular Atrophy autophagy profile is tissue-dependent: differential regulation between muscle and motoneurons
Authors: Sansa Alba , Hidalgo Ivan , Miralles Maria P. , de la Fuente Sandra , Perez-Garcia M. Jose , Munell Francina , Soler Rosa M. , Garcera Ana 
Published: July 2021

AbstractSpinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neuromuscular genetic disease caused by reduced survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. SMN is ubiquitous and deficient levels cause spinal cord motoneurons (MNs) degeneration and muscle atrophy. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which SMN reduction in muscle contributes to SMA disease is not fully understood. Therefore, studies evaluating atrophy mechanisms in SMA muscles will contribute to strengthening current knowledge of the pathology. Here we propose to evaluate autophagy in SMA muscle, a pathway altered in myotube atrophy. We analized autophagy proteins and mTOR in muscle biopsies, fibroblasts, and lymphoblast cell lines from SMA patients and in gastrocnemius muscles from a severe SMA mouse model. Human MNs differentiated from SMA and unaffected control iPSCs were also included in the analysis of the autophagy. Muscle biopsies, fibroblasts, and lymphoblast cell lines from SMA patients showed reduction of the autophagy marker LC3-II. In SMA mouse gastrocnemius, we observed lower levels of LC3-II, Beclin 1, and p62/SQSTM1 proteins at pre-symptomatic stage. mTOR phosphorylation at Ser2448 was decreased in SMA muscle cells. However, in mouse and human cultured SMA MNs mTOR phosphorylation and LC3-II levels were increased. These results suggest a differential regulation in SMA of the autophagy process in muscle cells and MNs. Opposite changes in autophagy proteins and mTOR phosphorylation between muscle cells and neurons were observed. These differences may reflect a specific response to SMN reduction, which could imply diverse tissue-dependent reactions to therapies that should be taken into account when treating SMA patients.
Comparative transcriptome analysis of Trichoderma reesei reveals different gene regulatory networks induced by synthetic mixtures of glucose and β-disaccharide
Authors: Li Yonghao , Yu Jingze , Zhang Peng , Long Tingting , Mo Yi , Li Jianghong , Li Qian 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe mixture of glucose and β-disaccharide (MGD) synthesized by transglycosylation of glucose as a low-cost soluble carbon source can efficiently induce cellulase production in Trichoderma reesei, which holds potential for the biorefining of lignocellulosic biomass. However, it is not yet fully understood how MGD induces T. reesei cellulase. In this study, transcriptomic analyses were conducted to investigate the molecular basis of MGD for lignocellulose-degrading enzyme production of T. reesei Rut C30 compared with that on lactose. Particular attention was paid to CAZymes, transcription factors, transporters and other protein processing pathways related to lignocellulose degradation. As a result, MGD can elicit transcription of GH5-, GH6- and GH7-encoding cellulases that is up to 1.4-fold higher than that induced by lactose, but GH11- and GH74-encoding xylanases are downregulated by 1.7- and 4.4-fold, respectively. Gene expression profiles suggest that the transcription activators xyr1 and vib1 are significantly upregulated and that the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway is strengthened compared to the case of lactose induction. In addition, hac1-encoding UPR-specific transcription factors are significantly upregulated by MGD, which may be enhanced due to proper folding and processing of nascent proteins. These findings provide a theoretical basis for further understanding the characterization of efficient cellulase production using MGD as an inducer in T. reesei and offer potential strategies for strain improvement.
Sensitivity of quantitative symmetry measurement algorithms for convergent beam electron diffraction technique
Authors: So Hyeongsub , Lee Ro Woon , Hong Sung Taek , Kim Kyou-Hyun 
Published: July 2021

AbstractWe investigate the sensitivity of symmetry quantification algorithms based on the profile R-factor (Rp) and the normalized cross-correlation (NCC) coefficient (γ). A DM (Digital Micrograph©) script embedded in the Gatan digital microscopy software is used to develop the symmetry quantification program. Using the Bloch method, a variety of CBED patterns are simulated and used to investigate the sensitivity of symmetry quantification algorithms. The quantification results show that two symmetry quantification coefficients are significantly sensitive to structural changes even for small strain values of < 1%.
Serum Immunoglobulin E and Serotonin levels in Chronic Supporative Otitis Media Patients with and without treatment
Authors: Khan Shafaque Mehboob , Rafi SM Tariq , Mehjabeen MS Mehjabeen , Khan Hurtimania 
Published: July 2021

Objective: To determine the serum immunoglobulin E and serotonin levels of patients with chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) with and without treatment.
Methods: This is a case-control study carried out in ENT ward of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Karachi Pakistan from May to September 2018.. Sample (n=160) was divided into four groups (40 individuals per group) as G1: control negative (group-1 without any disease), G2: positive control (patients didn’t received medicines), G3: group (patients treated with co-amoxicillin 1000mg per day) and G4: group (patients treated with ciprofloxacin1000mg per day). After treatment period of One week serum immunoglobulin E and serotonin concentrations were evaluated by Elisa method at 450nm. Statistical evaluation was carried out using one-way ANOVA (p<0.05) followed by post hoc (tukey test) for further group comparison. In order to find out correlation between IgE and serotonin with CSOM Pearson’s correlation was applied.
Results: There was no significant (p>0.05) association found between genders with serotonin as well as with IgE levels in CSOM patients. One way ANOVA showed significant difference (p<0.05) for IgE and serotonin levels and post hoc (tukey test) showed significant higher of IgE levels in CSOM patients of G2 positive control (diseased patients) was observed when compared to the control negative group (healthy individuals) and also from treated groups of G3 and G4. This also showed that serotonin levels were significantly low in G2 (positive control) as well as in treated groups of G3 and G4 in contrast with healthy individuals of group G1.
Conclusion: Antibiotics may revert the higher levels of IgE but cannot attenuate the decreased levels of neurotransmitter (serotonin) like healthy individuals, therefore, depression levels of CSOM patients should be monitored, scored and attenuated with proper intervention of antidepressants or counseling.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.2414
How to cite this:Mehboob S, Rafi SMT, Mehjabeen, Khan H. Serum Immunoglobulin E and Serotonin levels in Chronic Supporative Otitis Media Patients with and without treatment. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1414-1418. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.2414
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.
Levels of anti-oxidative molecules and inflammatory factors in patients with vascular dementia and their clinical significance
Authors: Qi Fan-xing , Hu Ying , Li Ya-wei , Gao Juan 
Published: July 2021

Objective: To explore levels of anti-oxidative molecules and inflammatory factors in patients with vascular dementia (VD) and their clinical significance.
Methods: Sixty VD patients admitted in our hospital from January 2016 to January 2019 were classified into an experimental group, while another 60 healthy patients seeking physical examinations in the corresponding period were selected as a control group. Various indexes related to serum inflammatory factors and anti-oxidative molecules were compared among patients in such two groups. For the purpose of comparing anti-oxidative molecular expression levels and inflammatory factor levels in patients with VD of different severities, 60 cases in the experimental group were divided, based on a Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) scale, into patients with mild symptoms (n=20, score: 21~26), patients with moderate symptoms (n=22, score: 10~20) and patients with severe symptoms (n=18, score: 0~9).
Results: By contrast to the control group, levels of inflammatory factors (e.g., TNF-a, CRP and IL-б) in VD patients are all significantly increased and their differences show statistical significance (p<0.05); and, expression levels of anti-oxidative factors, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathion peroxidase (GSH-Px), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR), in the experimental group are apparently below those of the control group (P<0.05). As dementia degree increases, expression levels of serum anti-oxidative molecules in such patients are inclined to drop in a significant way (P<0.05), while inflammatory factor levels tend to go up gradually (P<0.05).
Conclusions: If compared with the normal population, inflammatory factor levels in serum of VD patients are higher; however, expression levels of anti-oxidative molecules become below those of the normal population. Additionally, levels of inflammatory factors and anti-oxidative molecules may change obviously as severity of illness increases. This suggests that inflammation and oxidation play a certain role of auxoaction in VD patients.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.3854
How to cite this:Qi FX, Hu Y, Li YW, Gao J. Levels of anti-oxidative molecules and inflammatory factors in patients with vascular dementia and their clinical significance. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1509-1513. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.3854
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 Oxycodone hydrochloride combined with Dexmedetomidine on quality of recovery and stress response after general anesthesia in patients who had Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
Authors: Wang Guo-rui , Wu Qian , Liu Wen-ping , Jing Yu-mo 
Published: July 2021

Objective: To explore the effect of oxycodone hydrochloride combined with dexmedetomidine on the recovery quality and stress response during anesthesia in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC).
Methods: Ninety patients who had LC in Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated TCM-WM of Hebei from December 2016 to December 2019 were selected and divided into dexmedetomidine group (DEX group), oxycodone hydrochloride group (Q group), dexmedetomidine + oxycodone hydrochloride group (DQ group) by a random number table method, with 30 cases in each group. At the time before anesthesia induction (T0), and immediately (T1), 1 min (T2), 10 min (T3) and 30 minutes (T4) after extubation, the general vital signs of three groups were observed, and plasma cortisol (COR), epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE) and blood glucose (GLU) were measured. The spontaneous respiration recovery time, wake-up time, VAS score of each time period after extubation, extubation quality score, and adverse event rate were recorded.
Results: The vital signs at each time point of extubation, recovery time of spontaneous respiration, wake-up time, and extubation quality of DQ group were better than those of DEX group and Q group (P<0.05). The incidence of agitation, VAS score at T2 and T3, plasma concentrations of Cor, E, NE and Glu at T1, T3 and T4 in DQ group were significantly lower than those in Q group and DEX group (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Oxycodone hydrochloride combined with dexmedetomidine can improve the recovery quality and reduce stress response in patients with LC after anesthesia, and can be safely used in patients with LC.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.3959
How to cite this:Wang G, Wu Q, Liu W, Jing Y. Effect of Oxycodone hydrochloride combined with Dexmedetomidine on quality of recovery and stress response after general anesthesia in patients who had Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1408-1413. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.3959
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.
Is Telemedicine our cup of tea? A nationwide cross-sectional survey regarding doctors’ experience and perceptions
Authors: Alam Laima , Alam Mafaza , Malik Amina Mannan , Faraid Varqa 
Published: July 2021

Objectives: To evaluate the experience and perceptions regarding Telemedicine and the perceived barriers among medical doctors.
Methods: This cross-sectional survey was carried out by enrolling practicing doctors of Pakistan with experience of ≥6 months by sending a validated and piloted questionnaire through email. Data collection was done from 10th October to 9th November 2020 after taking ethical approval from the concerned authorities. Data was analysed using SPSS v. 19.0.
Results: Two-hundred-forty responses were received with a response rate of 63%. Female participants (62.8%) were in majority and most of the participants were working in urban (88.5%) or semi-urban (9%) locality in either teaching (35.9%) or tertiary care hospitals (34.6%). Seventy-three percent of the doctors didn’t receive formal training with more than half of the doctors reporting non-availability of infrastructure and specific hardware. A large number of the participants were concerned regarding the non-availability of regulatory bodies, evaluations and accreditations of the service providers, the risks of malpractice, missed-diagnosis, prescription errors and medico-legal issues. The availability of specific infrastructure was statistically related to the hospital setup, locality and the specialty of the participants. Lack of technological literacy and infrastructure were considered the main constraints for the public in using telemedicine.
Conclusion: Evidence of effectiveness of telemedicine across different fields is inconsistent and lacks technical, legal, cultural and ethical considerations. Inadequate training, low level of technological literacy and lack of infrastructure are the main barriers in implementing tele-health. High-quality evidence based studies are required for practical and long-term policies.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.3970
How to cite this:Alam L, Alam M, Malik AM, Faraid V. Is Telemedicine our cup of tea? A nationwide cross-sectional survey regarding doctors’ experience and perceptions. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1319-1325. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.3970
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.
Is pseudomyopia associated with anxiety and related disorders?
Authors: Kara Halil , Yasar Erdogan , Gurlevik Ugur 
Published: July 2021

Objective: To investigate in detail the exact relationship between Pseudomyopia, also termed accommodative spasm, and psychiatric disorders.
Methods: Twenty-one young people between the ages of 12-18 who were diagnosed with pseudomyopia between March 2019 and July 2020 in the ophthalmology eye clinic of a university hospital, Turkey were included in the study. A difference of at least 2.20 D between refractive error measurements before and after cycloplegic drop was accepted as pseudomyopia. Scl-90-r symptom screening scale was applied to each case. Afterwards, each case was evaluated by k-sads-pl-dsm-5-t semi-structured technique according to age. The relationship between psychiatric disorders in cases of pseudomyopia was examined.
Results: The average age of patients in the study was 15,4 ± 1,9 (12-18), 13 (61,9%) girl and 8 (38,1%) boy. The mean initial refraction was -4,19D ± 2,48D (-1,75D /-8,50D), and the result refraction was +0,38D ± 0,22D (0,25D / -1,00D). The average amount of accommodation was 4,56D ± 2,59D (2,25D / 9,50D). Following the SCL-90-R screening scale and psychiatric evaluation, five generalized anxiety disorders, three obsessive compulsive disorders, three panic disorders, one social anxiety disorder, one posttraumatic stress disorder, one conversion disorder, one major depressive disorder were diagnosed. As a result, 15 (71,4%) of 21 patients were treated with a psychiatric diagnosis. In addition, a positive correlation (p: 0,010-r: 0,621, p: 0,029-r: 0,546) was detected between anxiety- somatization scores and accommodation amount.
Conclusions: It is necessary to request psychiatric consultation in each case of pseudomyopia. Comorbidity of anxiety and depressive disorders is more common in pseudomyopia cases. In addition, as the severity of psychiatric symptoms increases, the amount of accommodation also appears to increase.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.3991
How to cite this:Kara H, Yasar E, Gurlevik U. Is pseudomyopia associated with anxiety and related disorders? Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1514-1518. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.3991
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.
Internal Hernia in Pregnant Woman due to Congenital Transmesenteric Defect
Authors: Xu Yuansheng , Wang Yi , Fang Jinyan 
Published: July 2021

Congenital transmesenteric hernias are uncommon and are a rare cause of bowel obstruction, which is even rarer in pregnant woman. Because of the lack of specific symptoms or reliable sensitive markers, it is difficult to diagnose internal hernia at early stage, therefore resulting in the delay of surgical intervention and a high mortality rate, especially in pregnant woman. We report a case in which a woman presenting at 16 weeks gestation was admitted with symptoms of nausea, vomiting and left upper abdominal pain similar to her first-trimester morning sickness. Nephrolithiasis of the left kidney detected by ultrasound may lead to early incorrect diagnosis. Due to the patient`s concern about known adverse effects of ionizing radiation on the fetus, computed tomography was postponed until abdominal pain worsened, coffee color gastric contents vomited and anus stopped exhaust and defecation 12 hours later. Low dose CT plain scan showed features of small bowel obstruction by an internal hernia. Emergency exploratory laparotomy revealed a mesenteric defect of the left colon with a 30 cm long jejunal herniating distal to 10 cm of the ligament of Treitz. The involved small bowel was strangulated and gangrened, necrotic segmental resection and end to end anastomosis were performed subsequently, and the mesenteric defect was then successfully repaired with sutures.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4116
How to cite this:Yuansheng X, Yi W, Jinyan F. Internal Hernia in Pregnant Woman due to Congenital Transmesenteric Defect. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1540-1544. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4116
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.
Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives of medical students
Authors: Saeed Nadia , Javed Nismat 
Published: July 2021

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and lifestyle of our medical students.
Methods: This observational study was conducted on medical students of Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad from June to August 2020. The GAD-7 and PHQ-9 questionnaires were used for anxiety and depression assessment. Different aspects of changes in lifestyle were evaluated and students were inquired about their views regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The chi-square test was applied to assess the associations between levels of anxiety and depression with student’s responses to the concerns and lifestyle changes. The binomial logistic analysis was used to highlight important predictors of anxiety and depression. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the time spent on various activities before and during the pandemic.
Results: There were 234 participants in the study. The depression and anxiety were detected in 151 (64.5%) and 146 (66.7%) students. The college closure led to a significant increase in sleeping time, sedentary time, and time on gadgets (Z=-4.67, Z=-7.23, Z= -6.72, respectively) on the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The binomial regression analysis identified study years be the significant predictors for the development of depression and anxiety (p<0.05).
Conclusions: Our study emphasizes prioritizing both the physical and mental health of medical students is vital to avoid complications related to the pandemic.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4177
How to cite this:Saeed N, Javed N. Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives of medical students. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1402-1407. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4177
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.