An efficient brain tumor detection and classification using pre-trained convolutional neural network models.

In cases of brain tumors, some brain cells experience abnormal and rapid growth, leading to the development of tumors. Brain tumors represent a significant source of illness affecting the brain. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) stands as a well-established and coherent diagnostic method for brain cancer detection. However, the resulting MRI scans produce a vast number of images, which require thorough examination by radiologists. Manual assessment of these images consumes considerable time and may result in inaccuracies in cancer detection. Recently, deep learning has emerged as a reliable tool for decision-making tasks across various domains, including finance, medicine, cybersecurity, agriculture, and forensics. In the context of brain cancer diagnosis, Deep Learning and Machine Learning algorithms applied to MRI data enable rapid prognosis. However, achieving higher accuracy is crucial for providing appropriate treatment to patients and facilitating prompt decision-making by radiologists. To address this, we propose the use of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) for brain tumor detection. Our approach utilizes a dataset consisting of two classes: three representing different tumor types and one representing non-tumor samples. We present a model that leverages pre-trained CNNs to categorize brain cancer cases. Additionally, data augmentation techniques are employed to augment the dataset size. The effectiveness of our proposed CNN model is evaluated through various metrics, including validation loss, confusion matrix, and overall loss. The proposed approach employing ResNet50 and EfficientNet demonstrated higher levels of accuracy, precision, and recall in detecting brain tumors.

Enhancing performance and sustainability of GGBFS-based self-compacting geopolymer concrete blended with coal bottom ash and metakaolin by using RSM modelling.

This research study is performed on the self-compacting geopolymer concrete (SCGC) combining coal bottom ash (CBA) and metakaolin (MK) as a substitution for GGBFS alone and combined for analysing the fresh properties (slump flow, V-Funnel, and T50 flow), mechanical characteristics (compressive, splitting tensile and flexural strengths) and durability tests (permeability and sulfate attack test). Though, total 195 SCGC samples were made and tested for 28 days. It has been revealed that the consumption of CBA and MK as a substitution for GGBFS alone and combine in the production of SCGC is decreased the workability of SCGC while mechanical characteristics of SCGC are enhanced by utilizing CBA and MK as a substitution for GGBFS alone and combine up to 10%. In addition, the compressive, splitting tensile and flexural strengths were calculated by 59.40 MPa, 5.68 MPa, and 6.12 MPa while using the 5CBA5MK as a substitution for GGBFS in the production of SCGC after 28 days correspondingly. Furthermore, the permeability is decreased by growing the quantity of CBA and MK by the weight of GGBFS alone and jointly in the production of SCGC after 28 days. Besides, the minimum change in length of the SCGC specimen is recorded by 0.062 mm at 7.5MK7.5CBA while the maximum change in length is calculated by 0.11 mm at 10CBA10MK as a substitution for GGBFS at 180 days correspondingly. In addition, the embodied carbon is recorded reduce as the addition of CBA while it is getting higher when the accumulation of MK alone or combined with CBA in SCGC. Besides, response models for prediction were constructed and confirmed using ANOVA at an accuracy rate of 95%. The models' R2 fluctuated from 88 to 99%. It has been observed that the utilization of CBA and MK alone and together up to 10% as substitution for GGBFS in geopolymer concrete provides the best results therefore it is suggested for structural applications.

Effect of graphene oxide on mechanical, deformation and drying shrinkage properties of concrete reinforced with fly ash as cementitious material by using RSM modelling.

The industrial production of cement contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, making it crucial to address and reduce these emissions by using fly ash (FA) as a potential replacement. Besides, Graphene oxide (GO) was utilized as nanoparticle in concrete to augment its mechanical characteristics, deformation resistance, and drying shrinkage behaviours. However, the researchers used Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to evaluate the compressive strength (CS), tensile strength (TS), flexural strength (FS), modulus of elasticity (ME), and drying shrinkage (DS) of concrete that was mixed with 5-15% FA at a 5% increment, along with 0.05%, 0.065%, and 0.08% of GO as potential nanomaterials. The concrete samples were prepared by using mix proportions of design targeted CS of about 45 MPa at 28 days. From investigational outcomes, the concrete with 10% FA and 0.05% GO exhibited the greatest CS, TS, FS, and ME values of 62 MPa, 4.96 MPa, 6.82 MPa, and 39.37 GPa, on 28 days correspondingly. Besides, a reduction in the DS of concrete was found as the amounts of FA and GO increased. Moreover, the development and validation of response prediction models were conducted utilizing analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a significance level of 95%. The coefficient of determination (R2) values for the models varied from 94 to 99.90%. Research study indicated that including 10% fly ash (FA) as a substitute for cement, when combined with 0.05% GO, in concrete yields the best results. Therefore, this approach is an excellent option for the building sector.

Exclusive Solvent-Controlled Regioselective Catalytic Synthesis of Potentially Bioactive Imidazolidineiminodithiones: NMR Analysis, Computational Studies and X-ray Crystal Structures.

Herein, we describe the first consistent regiospecific reaction of isothiocyanates with a variety of substituted N-arylcyanothioformamides in a 1:1 molar ratio to generate a series of imidazolidineiminodithiones decorated with a multitude of functional groups on both aromatic rings. The reaction is carried out at room temperature using a 20 mol% catalytic amount of triethylamine with DMF as the solvent to selectively form the mentioned products with exclusive regioselectivity. The methodology features wide substrate scope, no requirement for chromatography, and good to high reaction yields. The products were isolated by simple ether/brine extraction and the structures were verified by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and high accuracy mass measurements. The first conclusive molecular structure elucidation of the observed regioisomer was established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Likewise, the tautomer of the N-arylcyanothioformamide reactant was proven by X-ray diffraction analysis. Density functional theory computations at the B3LYP-D4/def2-TZVP level in implicit DMF solvent were conducted to support the noted regiochemical outcome and proposed mechanism.

Activity concentration of indoor radon and its short-lived progeny (218Po, 214Pb, and 214Po) and their effect on atmospheric ionization rate in Sana'a, Yemen.

Exposure to ionizing radiation inside houses, especially radionuclides of radon and its progeny, poses serious health risks that can be exacerbated when inhaled as a result of interaction with human lung tissue. Also, air ionization is mainly due to these radionuclides. Therefore, accurate measurements of radon activity concentrations and its short-lived progeny are required to assess dose and environmental pollution and estimate ionization rates in indoor environments. For this purpose, we employed a previously tested and approved reliable method, following the three-count procedure. This method is based on airborne radon progeny sampling on polycarbonate membrane filters and alpha counting using a passive α-dosimetry technique with CR-39 detectors. The method also relies on a PC-based software we developed for solving mathematical equations and calculating all the necessary physical quantities. In this study, the concentrations of radon and individual short-lived radon progeny were measured in 20 houses in Sana'a, Yemen. Measurement conditions and meteorological variables were considered. The average activity concentrations of 222Rn, Equilibrium-Equivalent Concentration (EEC), 218Po, 214 Pb, and 214Po were 73.1 ± 6.0, 29.2 ± 2.4, 44.4 ± 3.6, 30.5 ± 2.5, and 23.2 ± 1.9 Bq.m-3, respectively. The calculated average unattached fractions f1(218Po), f2(214 Pb), and fp were found to be 0.24, 0.04, and 0.07 % respectively. The annual average values of ion-pair production rate caused by 222Rn and their progeny and air ion concentration, were 27.25 ions.cm-3s-1 and 1829 ions.cm-3 respectively. The annual effective dose was estimated to be 1.93 ± 0.16 mSv.y-1, well lower than the recommended 10 mSv.y-1.

Recent developments in the synthesis and applications of terpyridine-based metal complexes: a systematic review.

Terpyridine-based metal complexes have emerged as versatile and indispensable building blocks in the realm of modern chemistry, offering a plethora of applications spanning from materials science to catalysis and beyond. This comprehensive review article delves into the multifaceted world of terpyridine complexes, presenting an overview of their synthesis, structural diversity, and coordination chemistry principles. Focusing on their diverse functionalities, we explore their pivotal roles in catalysis, supramolecular chemistry, luminescent materials, and nanoscience. Furthermore, we highlight the burgeoning applications of terpyridine complexes in sustainable energy technologies, biomimetic systems, and medicinal chemistry, underscoring their remarkable adaptability to address pressing challenges in these fields. By elucidating the pivotal role of terpyridine complexes as versatile building blocks, this review provides valuable insights into their current state-of-the-art applications and future potential, thus inspiring continued innovation and exploration in this exciting area of research.

The Surviving, Not Thriving, Photoreceptors in Patients with ABCA4 Stargardt Disease.

Stargardt disease (STGD1), associated with biallelic variants in the ABCA4 gene, is the most common heritable macular dystrophy and is currently untreatable. To identify potential treatment targets, we characterized surviving STGD1 photoreceptors. We used clinical data to identify macular regions with surviving STGD1 photoreceptors. We compared the hyperreflective bands in the optical coherence tomographic (OCT) images that correspond to structures in the STGD1 photoreceptor inner segments to those in controls. We used adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AO-SLO) to study the distribution of cones and AO-OCT to evaluate the interface of photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). We found that the profile of the hyperreflective bands differed dramatically between patients with STGD1 and controls. AO-SLOs showed patches in which cone densities were similar to those in healthy retinas and others in which the cone population was sparse. In regions replete with cones, there was no debris at the photoreceptor-RPE interface. In regions with sparse cones, there was abundant debris. Our results raise the possibility that pharmaceutical means may protect surviving photoreceptors and so mitigate vision loss in patients with STGD1.

Effect of medication adherence on quality of life, activation measures, and health imagine in the elderly people: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Usually, old age brings a poor quality of life due to illness and frailty. To prolong their lives and ensure their survival, all elderly patients with chronic diseases must adhere to their medications. In our study, we investigate medication adherence for elderly patients and its impact on the general health of the patient. METHODS: We implemented a cross-sectional survey-based study with four sections in April 2022 in Saudi Arabia. Data about the participants' demographic characteristics, the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, Patient Activation Measure (PAM) 13, and EQ-5D-5 L. RESULTS: A total of 421 patients participated in this study, their mean age was 60.4 years, and most of them were males. Most of our population is living independently 87.9%. The vast majority of people have a low adherence record in the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (8-MMAS) classes (score = < 6). Moreover, the average PAM13 score is 51.93 (Level2) indicating a low level of confidence and sufficient knowledge to take action. Our analysis showed a significant correlation between socioeconomic status and medication adherence. Also, there was an association between housing status and medication adherence. On the other hand, we found no correlation between medication adherence and quality of life (QOL) by EQ-5D-5 L. CONCLUSION: Medication adherence is directly affected by living arrangements, as patients who live with a caretaker who can remind them to take their medications at the appropriate times have better medication adherence than those who live alone. Medication adherence was also significantly influenced by socioeconomic status, perhaps as a result of psychological effects and the belief of the lower-salaried population that they would be unable to afford the additional money required to cure any comorbidities that arose as a result of the disease. On the other hand, we did not find any correlation between medication adherence and quality of life. Finally, awareness of the necessity of adherence to medication for the elderly is essential.

Development of a flexible liver phantom for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment planning: a useful tool for training & education.

PURPOSE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common types of liver cancer that could potentially be surrounded by healthy arteries or veins that a surgeon would have to avoid during treatment. A realistic 3D liver model is an unmet need for HCC preoperative planning. METHODS: This paper presents a method to create a soft phantom model of the human liver with the help of a 3D-printed mold, silicone, ballistic gel, and a blender. RESULTS: For silicone, the elastic modulus of seven different ratios of base silicone and silicone hardener are tested; while for ballistic gel, a model using 20% gelatin and 10% gelatin is created for the tumor and the rest of the liver, respectively. It is found that the silicone modulus of elasticity matches with the real liver modulus of elasticity. It is also found that the 10% gelatin part of the ballistic gel model is an excellent emulation of a healthy human liver. CONCLUSION: The 3D flexible liver phantom made from a 10% gelatin-to-water mixture demonstrates decent fidelity to real liver tissue in terms of texture and elasticity. It holds significant potential for improving medical training, preoperative planning, and surgical research. We believe that continued development and validation of such models could further enhance their utility and impact in the field of hepatobiliary treatment planning and education.

COVID-19-induced immune thrombocytopenia management approach: A case report and literature review.

Key Clinical Message: Vincristine therapy can be effective in refractory Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) following COVID-19 vaccination. Our case report highlights the need for further research to establish standard management guidelines for COVID-19-vaccine-associated ITP. Abstract: Adult immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) can occur as a rare complication following several viral infections or a rare adverse event or complication of vaccination. In this paper, we report a case of a 39-year-old male patient with severe refractory ITP that began 4-weeks after receiving his third (booster) dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2, Pfizer-BioNTech). He was given oral dexamethasone 40 mg daily for 4 days followed by prednisone at 1 mg/kg (85 mg daily) for 10 days. In the following weeks, we attempted several other lines of therapy to treat his ITP, including anti-RhD immunoglobulin, which, unfortunately, caused moderate hemolysis requiring packed red blood cell transfusion, intravenous immunoglobulin (given at a subtherapeutic dose of 0.4 g/kg for only 1 day since it was not available), rituximab, and eltrombopag. The patient, unfortunately, showed no response to any of these treatments. This was an indicator to initiate salvage therapy with vincristine 2 mg weekly for 3 weeks. The patient's platelet count started to increase remarkably during the third week of vincristine and normalized after 4 weeks. We review the findings, clinical characteristics, and management approaches that were reported in the literature regarding COVID-19-vaccine-induced ITP. More in-depth research is needed to delineate standard guidelines for the management of such cases. This report underscores the importance of resorting to vincristine and eltrombopag as great options for severe and refractory ITP related to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Study on Regio- and Diastereoselectivity of the 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reaction of Azomethine Ylide with 2-(Benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-3-(aryl)acrylonitrile: Synthesis, Spectroscopic, and Computational Approach.

An unprecedented and efficient three-component 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction using (E)-2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-3-(aryl)acrylonitriles 4a-g and an in situ generated azomethine ylide 3 from isatin and N-methylglycine is described. The reaction exhibits exclusive regioselectivity, resulting in the formation of 3'-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-1'-methyl-2-oxo-4'-(aryl)spiro[indoline-3,2'-pyrrolidine]-3'-carbonitriles regioisomers through exo/endo approaches. The diastereoselectivity of the reaction is highly dependent on the substitution pattern of the phenyl ring in dipolarophiles 4a-g, leading to the formation of exo-/endo-cycloadducts in varying ratios. To understand the stereoselectivity, the transition state structures were optimized using the TS guess geometry with the QST3-based method. The reaction mechanism and regioselectivity were elucidated by evaluating global and local electrophilicity and nucleophilicity descriptors at the B3LYP/cc-pVTZ level of theory, along with considerations based on the HSAB principle. The analysis of global electron density transfer (GEDT) showed that the reactions are polar and electron density fluxes from azomethine ylide 3 toward dipolarophile 4a-g. It was found from the molecular electrostatic potential map (MESP) that at the more favorable transition state, approach of reactants locates the oppositely charged regions over each other resulting in attractive forces between the two fragments. The computational results are consistent with the experimental observations, confirming that the reactions proceed through an asynchronous one-step mechanism.

Patient-reported outcomes after oral cancer reconstructions with radial and ulnar forearm-free flaps.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate patient-reported quality of life and incidence of decision regret in patients undergoing radial (RFFF) and ulnar forearm-free flaps (UFFF) reconstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing either RFFF or UFFF were assessed with the University of Washington Quality of Life (UW-QOL) and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaires, and the Decision Regret Scale (DRS), both before and at least 12 months post-reconstruction. RESULTS: In total, 40 RFFF and 40 UFFF were included. Harvesting time was longer in RFFF (p = 0.043), and the donor-site defect was significantly larger in RFFF than in UFFF (p = 0.044). Patients with UFFF scored better UW-QOL in the appearance, pain, activity, mood, and social functioning domains (p < 0.05). However, the RFFF group excelled in swallowing and chewing domains. The DRS score revealed a significant difference between RFFF and UFFF, with scores of 36.26 versus 27.36, respectively. Moreover, the mean DRS score reduced at 12 months compared with 6 months, significantly superior for UFFF. CONCLUSION: Oral cancer patients reconstructed with UFFF exhibited a better appearance, social domain, and mild decision regret compared with RFFF, indicating that the UFFF may contribute to improving postoperative quality of life in oral cancer patients.

Exploring fluorine-substituted piperidines as potential therapeutics for diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's diseases.

In the current study, a series of fluorine-substituted piperidine derivatives (1-8) has been synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. In vitro and in vivo enzyme inhibitory studies were conducted to elucidate the efficacy of these compounds, shedding light on their potential therapeutic applications. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time, these heterocyclic structures have been investigated against α-glucosidase and cholinesterase enzymes. The antioxidant activity of the synthesized compounds was also assessed. Evaluation of synthesized compounds revealed notable inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase and cholinesterases. Remarkably, the target compounds (1-8) exhibited extraordinary α-glucosidase inhibitory activity as compared to the standard acarbose by several-fold. Subsequently, the potential antidiabetic effects of compounds 2, 4, 5, and 6 were validated using a STZ-induced diabetic rat model. Kinetic studies were also performed to understand the mechanism of inhibition, while structure-activity relationship analyses provided valuable insights into the structural features governing enzyme inhibition. Kinetic investigations revealed that compound 4 displayed a competitive mode of inhibition against α-glucosidase, whereas compound 2 demonstrated mixed-type behavior against AChE. To delve deeper into the binding interactions between the synthesized compounds and their respective enzyme targets, molecular docking studies were conducted. Overall, our findings highlight the promising potential of these densely substituted piperidines as multifunctional agents for the treatment of diseases associated with dysregulated glucose metabolism and cholinergic dysfunction.

Medial sural artery perforator free flap versus radial forearm free flap in oral cavity reconstruction and donor site morbidity.

OBJECTIVE: Radial Forearm Free flap (RFFF) is widely used in head and neck reconstruction, yet its donor site defect remains a significant drawback. The Medial Sural Artery Perforator Free Flap (MSAPFF) is considered an alternative flap to RFFF. This study aims to comprehensively analyze their characteristics, outcomes, and their impact on patient quality of life. METHODS: All patients who underwent oral cavity reconstruction using RFFF and MSAPFF between February 2017 and April 2023 were included in this study. Flap characteristics, outcomes and post-operative complications were recorded and compared. Subjective donor site morbidity, aesthetic and functional results, and quality of life were also analyzed. RESULTS: The study included 76 patients: 37 underwent reconstruction with RFFF, and 39 with MSAPFF. There was no significance difference between the RFFF and MSAPFF regarding the success rate (97.2% vs 97.4%), flap size (4.8 × 8.8 cm2 vs 5 × 9.8 cm2), hospital of stay (15.5 days vs 13.5 days) and recipient site complications (P > 0.05). However, MSAPFF showed larger flap thickness (P = 0.001), smaller arterial caliber (P = 0.008), shorter pedicle length (P = 0.001), and longer harvesting time (P < 0.001). No significant difference was observed between the pre-and postoperative ranges of wrist and ankle movements or in recipient site complications. MSAPFF showed a significant difference in donor site morbidity (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The MSAPFF is an excellent alternative to the RFFF for repairing oral cavity defects, with additional advantage of a well-hidden scar on the posterior calf, a larger flap thickness, accepted pedicle length and arterial caliber. However, one should consider the harvesting time and surgical skills required in comparison to the RFFF. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The study highlights the importance of the MSAPFF as an alternative option for RFFF with less donor site morbidity and high success rate in oral cavity reconstruction and improved patient Quality of life after ablative surgery.

Unraveling the Intraday Variations in the Tear Fluid Proteome.

Purpose: Tear fluid is a complex and dynamic biological fluid that plays essential roles in maintaining ocular homeostasis and protecting against the external environment. Owing to the small sample volume, studying the tear proteome is challenging. However, advances in high-resolution mass spectrometry have expanded tear proteome profiling, revealing >500 unique proteins. Tears are emerging as a noninvasive source of biomarkers for both ocular and systemic diseases; nevertheless, intraday variability of proteins in tear fluid remains questionable. This study investigates intraday variations in the tear fluid proteome to identify stable proteins that could act as candidate biomarkers. Methods: Tear samples from 15 individuals at four time points (10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, and 4 pm) were analyzed using mass spectrometry to evaluate protein variation during these intervals. Technical variation was assessed by analyzing pooled samples and was subtracted from the total variation to isolate biological variability. Results: Owing to high technical variation, low-abundant proteins were filtered, and only 115 proteins met the criteria for further analysis. These criteria include being detected at all four time points in at least eight subjects, having a mean peptide-spectrum match count greater than 5, and having a technical variation less than 0.10. Lactotransferrin, lipocalin-1, and several immunoglobulins were among the 51 stable proteins (mean biological coefficient of variation < 0.10). Additionally, 43 proteins displayed significant slopes across the 4 time points, with 17 increasing and 26 decreasing over time. Conclusions: These findings contribute to the understanding of tear fluid dynamics and further expand our knowledge of the tear proteome.

Vitamin D Status in Patients with Primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome (PAPS): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder, characterised by consistently high levels of antiphospholipid antibodies, thrombosis, and/or pregnancy morbidity. Due to various suspected causes, deficient or insufficient levels of vitamin D in the serum have been reported in patients with PAPS; however, the reports have been sporadic and inconclusive. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively evaluate the serum vitamin D levels in patients with PAPS compared to controls. A protocol was registered in PROSPERO (Registration No. CRD42019132128) and a systematic literature search was conducted through Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases without restricting language and year. Pooled prevalence, mean difference (MD), and odds ratio (OR) along with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were determined by using a random effects model. Study quality was assessed by the Joana Brigg's Institute (JBI) protocol and publication bias was evaluated by a trim and fill funnel plot, Begg's, and Egger's tests. The pooled prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency was found to be 32.2% [95% CI: 16.3-48.2] and 61.5% [95% CI: 40.2-82.8], respectively. Serum levels of vitamin D were considerably lower in the PAPS patients compared to controls (MD: -5.75, 95% CI: -9.73 to -1.77; p = 0.005). Multiple sensitivity analyses showed that the results remained statistically significant, demonstrating the robustness of this meta-analysis. No significant publication bias was detected in determining the MD of serum vitamin D levels in PAPS and controls. In conclusion, PAPS patients had greater rates of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency, higher frequency of thrombosis, and lower serum vitamin D levels than healthy individuals.

Exploring Pyrimidine-Based azo Dyes: Vibrational spectroscopic Assignments, TD-DFT Investigation, chemical Reactivity, HOMO-LUMO, ELF, LOL and NCI-RDG analysis.

Theoretical computations of pyrimidine-based azo dyes were performed by the DFT approach using the B3LYP/6 - 31G(d,p) basis set. The molecules were optimized based on the same basis set by calculating the minimum energy. FMOs, DOS and GCRD were computed for kinetic stability and chemical reactivity of the selected compounds. The MEP surface was studied to locate nucleophilic and electrophilic attack zones. The energy gap was carefully studied for pyrimidine-based azo dyes. Vibrational spectroscopy was studied in the most prominent regions with respect to PED assignments. Similarly, the UV-Vis absorption technique was calculated using the TD-DFT approach in different solvent media. The electronic structure of each atom in a molecule was examined via the electron localization function (ELF) and localized orbital locator (LOL). Non-covalent interactions were explored using reduced density gradient analysis. The combination of experimental and theoretical data allowed us to correlate the structural modifications with the observed photophysical properties, facilitating the design of azo dyes with tailored characteristics. This work contributes to the fundamental understanding of azo dyes and offers a foundation for the development of new materials with enhanced photophysical and electronic properties.

Surgical resection of primary intracardiac sarcomas and outcomes: A review of case reports over 20 years.

Objective: A quarter of all cardiac tumors are malignant, and most (~ 95%) are sarcomas. It is the most aggressive malignant cardiac tumor carrying the worst prognosis. Tumor involvement with the vital intracardiac structures makes it difficult for complete surgical resection. We aimed to study the role of complete surgical resection and its importance in long-term outcomes. Methods: We analyzed published literature from 2002 to 2022 using PubMed. Cases reported adult, intracardiac sarcomas, and received surgical resections were included. We reviewed 132 published case reports, including and analyzed the following variables: demographics, clinical presentations, diagnostic imaging modality, the extent of surgical resection, pathological diagnosis, tumor location, postoperative chemo-radiation therapy, and follow-up (including re-operation, local and distant recurrence). Results: A total of 135 patients are included from 132 articles. The mean age was 46.69 (18-86) and 76 patients were females. The main complaints were dyspnea (70%) and chest pain (32%). Performed investigations were transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in 114/135 (84%), computer tomography (CT) scan 89/135 (66%), trans-esophageal echocardiography (TOE) 22%, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 29%. The most common location was the atrium (left 46%, right 30%). Complete surgical resection was performed in 91 cases (67%), and frozen section was performed in 62 patients (43 positives). Incomplete resections were in 42 cases. Patients who underwent complete surgical resection had mean survival of 14.58 months and median of 10.5 months, compared to incomplete resection patients with 9.12 months and 6.5 months respectively. Conclusion: Our review shows complete surgical resection results in better short- and long-term outcomes in intracardiac sarcoma patients. Furthermore, combining chemo-radiotherapy has additional benefits towards long-term survival.

The Impact of Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship Training Sessions on Knowledge of Healthcare Students of Wah Cantonment, Pakistan.

Promoting awareness regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and stewardship (AMS) is crucial as it results in treatment failures and an economic burden on a country. This study was conducted to determine the baseline knowledge of healthcare students and the impact of conducting training sessions regarding AMR and AMS on the knowledge of healthcare students. This study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design at Wah Medical College, Pakistan, and its subsidiary institutes in 4 months. Two hundred twenty-six healthcare students were selected via stratified sampling through a proportional allocation from 3 academic student groups. Training sessions were conducted and data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23. The median age of the participants was 22 while most were females (54.9%). There was a significant difference in means of AMR score between BScN and AD-BTM student groups and among AD-BTM and MBBS student groups. In the case of AMS scores, the difference in means was significant among all student groups. The training sessions were found effective as the mean AMR and AMS knowledge scores among all the student groups increased significantly after the intervention.

Global Prevalence of Zika and Chikungunya Coinfection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Zika virus (ZIKV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) are arthropod-borne viruses with significant pathogenicity, posing a substantial health and economic burden on a global scale. Moreover, ZIKV-CHIKV coinfection imposes additional therapeutic challenges as there is no specific treatment for ZIKV or CHIKV infection. While a growing number of studies have documented the ZIKV-CHIKV coinfection, there is currently a lack of conclusive reports on this coinfection. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the true statistics of ZIKV-CHIKV coinfection in the global human population. Relevant studies were searched for in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar without limitation in terms of language or publication date. A total of 33 studies containing 41,460 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO under the registration number CRD42020176409. The pooled prevalence and confidence intervals of ZIKV-CHIKV coinfection were computed using a random-effects model. The study estimated a combined global prevalence rate of 1.0% [95% CI: 0.7-1.2] for the occurrence of ZIKV-CHIKV coinfection. The region of North America (Mexico, Haiti, and Nicaragua) and the country of Haiti demonstrated maximum prevalence rates of 2.8% [95% CI: 1.5-4.1] and 3.5% [95% CI: 0.2-6.8], respectively. Moreover, the prevalence of coinfection was found to be higher in the paediatric group (2.1% [95% CI: 0.0-4.2]) in comparison with the adult group (0.7% [95% CI: 0.2-1.1]). These findings suggest that the occurrence of ZIKV-CHIKV coinfection varies geographically and by age group. The results of this meta-analysis will guide future investigations seeking to understand the underlying reasons for these variations and the causes of coinfection and to develop targeted prevention and control strategies.