Frequency and Aberrant CD Marker Profile of Acute Leukaemias.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of different types of acute leukaemia and their subtypes along with associated aberrant CD markers. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Immunology Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from November 2021 to October 2023. METHODOLOGY: All samples received for flow cytometric immunophenotyping with suspicion of acute leukaemia were included in the study. Cells were stained with fluorochrome labelled monoclonal antibodies against lineage-specific cluster of differentiation (CD) markers through a lyse-wash procedure. Acquisition and analysis were done using multi-parameter BD FACS Canto II Flow cytometer and BD FACS Diva software, respectively. Data were entered and analysed using SPSS v 23.0. RESULTS: Over a period of 2 years, a total of 1,115 suspected patients were tested for acute leukaemia. Among them, 728 (65.3%) were males and 387 (34.7%) were females, with mean age 28 ± 21 years, ranging from 1 week to 87 years. Among a total of 875/1115 (78.5%) diagnosed cases of acute leukaemia, AML was the most common leukaemia present in 408/875 (46.6%) patients followed by B-ALL and T-ALL in 384/875 (43.8%) and 70/87 (8%) patients, respectively (p = 0.5712). Aberrant CD markers were detected in 109/875 (12.5%) leukaemias (p = 0.0628). The most common aberrant CD markers in B-ALL were CD13 and CD33 present in 30/384 (7.8%) cases separately. Among AML and T-ALL most common aberrant CD markers were CD7 and CD33 present in 25/408 (6.13%) and 7/70 (10%) cases, respectively. CONCLUSION: Special consideration should be given to the presence of aberrant CD markers when assigning lineages to acute leukaemias. They may be important diagnostic, prognostic, and management tools for institution of immunotherapy. KEY WORDS: Aberrant CD markers, Acute leukaemia, CD Markers, Flow cytometry, Immunophenotyping.

Human epidermal growth receptor polymorphisms (HER1-rs11543848 and HER2-rs1136201) exhibited significant association with breast cancer risk in Pashtun population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Background and Aims: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. The genetic polymorphism in HER (HER1-rs11543848 and HER2-rs1136201) were found to be associated with breast cancer risk in different ethnicities worldwide with inconsistent results. The aim of this research study was to evaluate the association of HER1-rs11543848 and HER2-rs1136201 polymorphisms as a risk of breast cancer in Pashtun population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Methods: A total of 314 women including 164 breast cancer patients and 150 age and gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled from June 2021 to May 2022. All the samples were subjected to DNA extraction followed by Tetra-ARMS-PCR for genotyping and gel electrophoresis. Results: Our results indicated that HER1-rs11543848 risk allele A (p = 0.0001) and heterozygous genotype GA (p = 0.0001) displayed highly significant association with breast cancer, while the homozygous mutant genotype AA indicated association but nonsignificant results (odds ratio [OR] = 2.637, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2258-5.6756, p = 0.0833). Similarly, the HER2-rs1136201 risk allele G (p = 0.0023), the heterozygous genotype AG (p = 0.0530) and homozygous mutant genotype GG showed significant association (OR = 2.5946, 95% CI = 0.9876-6.8165, p = 0.0530) with breast cancer risk. Both the SNPs presented a higher but nonsignificant risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women (OR = 2.242, p = 0.08 and OR = 2.009, p = 0.06). However, both the SNPs showed significant association (p < 0.005) with family history, metastasis, stage, luminal B, and TNBC. Conclusion: In conclusion, HER1-rs11543848 and HER2-rs1136201 polymorphisms are significantly associated with the higher risk of breast cancer in Pashtun population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. These findings advocate for further exploration with larger datasets, offering promising avenues for personalized approaches in breast cancer research and potentially enhancing clinical practices for better risk assessment and targeted management strategies.

Assessment of HER1 (rs11543848) and HER2 (rs1136201) polymorphism and their association with colorectal cancer susceptibility in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a widespread malignancy characterized by uncontrolled growth in the colon or rectum and remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. Various genes polymorphisms have been linked with the risk of CRC, but our study aimed to investigate the association between HER1 (rs11543848) and HER2 (rs1136201) polymorphisms with the risk of CRC in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) population of Pakistan. The association of the selected polymorphisms (rs11543848 and rs1136201) with CRC risk has been investigated in various ethnic groups, but their impact remains unexplored in Pakistan, particularly within the KPK population, highlighting the need of the study in this region. METHODS: In this study 120 CRC patients and 120 healthy controls were enrolled. The DNA was extracted from the blood by salting-out method and genotyping was done using ARMS-PCR. RESULTS: Our investigations provided convincing evidence of a strong association between HER1 (rs11543848) and the risk of CRC. Both the genotypes heterozygous GA (OR = 2.07, CI = 1.18 to 3.64, P = 0.01) and homozygous AA (OR = 6.22, CI = 2.56 to 15.08, P = 0.0001) showed higher risk and significant association with the CRC risk. Similarly, heterozygous genotype AG of HER2 (rs1136201) was significantly associated (OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.78 to 5.58, P = 0.0001) while mutant genotype GG showed higher risk but non-significant association (OR = 3.23, 95% CI = 0.84 to 12.43, P = 0.08) with CRC patients. HER1 (rs11543848) demonstrated a significant association (P = 0.003) with the age at diagnosis in CRC patients, while HER2 (rs1136201) showed a non-significant association (P = 0.434). Both the SNPs were non-significantly associated with gender (P = 0.793 and 0.117), metastasis (P = 0.582 and 0.129), location of the tumor (P = 0.555 and 0.993), tumor grade (P = 0.290 and 0.920), tumor size (P = 0.535 and 0.289) and stages of cancer (P = 0.892 and 0.352). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, both the polymorphisms rs11543848 and rs1136201 displayed susceptibility with CRC in the KPK population. However, further investigations are recommended while using whole exome sequencing on a larger sample size for more precise results.

Differential regulation of hippocampal transcriptome by circulating estrogen.

Estrogen (E2) modulates the synaptic structure and plasticity in the hippocampus. Previous studies showed that E2 fluctuations during various phases of the menstrual cycle produce subtle neurosynaptic changes that impact women's behavior, emotion, and cognitive functions. In this study, we explored the transcriptome of the hippocampus via RNA-seq (RNA-sequencing) between proestrus (PE) and diestrus (DE) stages in young female rats to determine the effect of E2 of PE and DE stages on hippocampal gene expression. We identified 238 genes (at 1.5-fold-change selection criteria, FDR adjusted p-value < 0.05) as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that responded to E2 between PE and DE stages. Functional analysis based on Gene Ontology (GO) revealed that a higher E2 level corresponded to an increase in gene transcription among most of the DEGs, suggesting biological mechanisms operating differentially in the hippocampus of female rats between PE and DE stages in the estrus cycle; while analysis with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database (KEGG) found that the DEGs involving neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, antigen processing, cell adhesion molecules, and presentation were upregulated in PE stage, whereas DEGs in pathways relating to bile secretion, coagulation cascades, osteoclast differentiation, cysteine and methionine metabolism were upregulated in DE stage of the estrus cycle. The high-fold expression of DEGs was confirmed by a follow-up quantitative real-time PCR. Our findings in this current study have provided fundamental information for further dissection of neuro-molecular mechanisms in the hippocampus in response to E2 fluctuation and its relationship with disorders.

Phenol-Furfural Resin/Graphite/Ag-Based Electrically Conductive Adhesive Composites from Waste Bagasse with Enhanced Thermo-Electric Properties.

This study describes the preparation and evaluation of phenol-furfural resin (PFR) from bagasse and its nanocomposites for electrically conductive adhesive (ECA) application. PFR was prepared with furfural extracted from bagasse using a modified acid digestion method. Three different formulations of PFR nanocomposites with conductive nanoparticles, i.e., PFR-silver, PFR-graphite, and PFR-silver + graphite, were prepared using 20, 40, and 60 w/w% of fillers via the impregnation method. The resultant products were characterized using FT-IR, SEM, EDS, and XRD spectroscopy. Electrical conductivity was measured using a four-probe technique, while band gap was calculated via Tauc plots. The results exhibited a significant rise in electrical conductivity of insulating virgin PFR from 2.6 × 10-4 Scm-1 to 8.2 × 10-1 Scm-1 with a 40 and 20 w/w% blend of Ag and graphite in PFR. This synergism was exhibited because graphite and Ag NPs supply excellent junctions for building networks. Both tend to coalesce due to van der Waals forces and high surface energies. Therefore, conductive pathway numbers can be increased, and the contact area can be effectively enlarged. This ternary composite exhibited the lowest bandgap energy value, i.e., 3.1 eV. Thermogravimetric temperature values T0 and Tdeg were increased up to 120 °C and 484 °C, respectively, showing a significant increase in thermal stability. Therefore, the resultant nanocomposite material has good potential to be employed as an ECA in the electronic industry.

Nutritional, pharmaceutical, and functional aspects of rambutan in industrial perspective: An updated review.

Numerous researchers have been motivated to investigate new plant sources as a result of the continued advancement of functional foods and herbal medicines. The rambutan fruit (Nephelium lappaceum L.) with its significant nutritional and bioactive compositions offers therapeutic properties such as anticancer, antiallergic, antiobesity, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antihypercholesterolemic, and antihyperglycemic. Rambutan is high in antioxidants, dietary fibers, and vitamins and minerals. Its parts including fruit peel, pulp, and seed are a great source of bioactive compounds. Rambutan fruit extracts have been found to have cardioprotective and hepatoprotective properties. This review provides an insight into the nutritional as well as therapeutic value, health potential, and utilization of rambutan fruit along with its nonedible parts (seeds and peels). Advanced research and phytochemical screening would also encourage the rambutan fruit as a viable choice for the preparation of medications and functional foods. However, it is necessary to further analyze the functional aspects and nutritional potential of this fruit along with the therapeutic mechanisms and to improve its industrial use as a nutraceutical and functional food product.

Feto-Maternal Outcomes Of Maternal Sepsis: A Snapshot Of The Illness.

BACKGROUND: Maternal sepsis is a life-threatening condition with serious adverse feto-maternal outcomes. This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to study the incidence of common feto-maternal outcomes of maternal sepsis in our hospital. METHODS: Pregnant females with singleton pregnancy as per inclusion/exclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. A detailed medical history was taken and physical and obstetrical examination was done. They were investigated for the cause of their febrile illness and managed as per department protocols. Data was recorded in a pre-designed pro forma. RESULTS: The most common cause of infection was UTI (32; 42.6%) followed by genital infections (20; 26.7%) and respiratory tract infections (15; 20%). In 8 (10.7%) patients, the cause couldn't be found. Only one patient developed sepsis and was admitted to the medical ICU. That pregnancy resulted in PROM and an infant with low birth weight was delivered. Both the mother and the child survived and were discharged from the hospital. There was no mortality in our study group. CONCLUSIONS: Though sepsis was associated with adverse feto-maternal outcomes in our study, the study design prevents us from drawing any conclusions from this study concerning maternal sepsis in our region. Further research is needed to determine the true magnitude of the problem.

Outcome Of B-Lynch Application In Patients With Post-Partum Hemorrhage Following Cesarean Section.

BACKGROUND: The most common cause of post partum hemorrhage after a cesarean section is uterine atony. Aims and Objective: The main aim of this study was to examine the outcomes of the B-Lynch procedure in patients who experienced primary PPH after cesarean section. METHODS: This study spanned one year, from August 2020 to August 2021, at Ayub Teaching Hospital. Patients who developed post-partum hemorrhage after a cesarean section were enrolled in this study and a thorough review of their records was conducted to identify those who received B-Lynch sutures and assess the resulting outcomes. RESULTS: Out of the 87 patients who experienced PPH, 24 (27.6%) patients received the B-Lynch procedure. Among these 24 patients, only two (8.3%) needed hysterectomy, while the remaining 22 successfully recovered after receiving the B-Lynch procedure. CONCLUSIONS: The B-Lynch technique proves to be a safe, effective, and easily applicable method for stopping hemorrhage in patients who experienced significant initial postpartum hemorrhage due to uterine atony.

Potential Use of Microbial Enzymes for the Conversion of Plastic Waste Into Value-Added Products: A Viable Solution.

The widespread use of commercial polymers composed of a mixture of polylactic acid and polyethene terephthalate (PLA-PET) in bottles and other packaging materials has caused a massive environmental crisis. The valorization of these contaminants via cost-effective technologies is urgently needed to achieve a circular economy. The enzymatic hydrolysis of PLA-PET contaminants plays a vital role in environmentally friendly strategies for plastic waste recycling and degradation. In this review, the potential roles of microbial enzymes for solving this critical problem are highlighted. Various enzymes involved in PLA-PET recycling and bioconversion, such as PETase and MHETase produced by Ideonella sakaiensis; esterases produced by Bacillus and Nocardia; lipases produced by Thermomyces lanuginosus, Candida antarctica, Triticum aestivum, and Burkholderia spp.; and leaf-branch compost cutinases are critically discussed. Strategies for the utilization of PLA-PET's carbon content as C1 building blocks were investigated for the production of new plastic monomers and different value-added products, such as cyclic acetals, 1,3-propanediol, and vanillin. The bioconversion of PET-PLA degradation monomers to polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolymers by Pseudomonas and Halomonas strains was addressed in detail. Different solutions to the production of biodegradable plastics from food waste, agricultural residues, and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-accumulating bacteria were discussed. Fuel oil production via PLA-PET thermal pyrolysis and possible hybrid integration techniques for the incorporation of thermostable plastic degradation enzymes for the conversion into fuel oil is explained in detail.

Thiourea Derivatives, Simple in Structure but Efficient Enzyme Inhibitors and Mercury Sensors.

In this study six unsymmetrical thiourea derivatives, 1-isobutyl-3-cyclohexylthiourea (1), 1-tert-butyl-3-cyclohexylthiourea (2), 1-(3-chlorophenyl)-3-cyclohexylthiourea (3), 1-(1,1-dibutyl)-3-phenylthiourea (4), 1-(2-chlorophenyl)-3-phenylthiourea (5) and 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-phenylthiourea (6) were obtained in the laboratory under aerobic conditions. Compounds 3 and 4 are crystalline and their structure was determined for their single crystal. Compounds 3 is monoclinic system with space group P21/n while compound 4 is trigonal, space group R3:H. Compounds (1-6) were tested for their anti-cholinesterase activity against acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase (hereafter abbreviated as, AChE and BChE, respectively). Potentials (all compounds) as sensing probes for determination of deadly toxic metal (mercury) using spectrofluorimetric technique were also investigated. Compound 3 exhibited better enzyme inhibition IC50 values of 50, and 60 µg/mL against AChE and BChE with docking score of -10.01, and -8.04 kJ/mol, respectively. The compound also showed moderate sensitivity during fluorescence studies.

Development, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of miltefosine loaded nanostructured lipid carriers for the treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

The purpose of this study was to enhance the anti-leishmanial efficacy of miltefosine (MTF) and reduce its toxic effects by loading it into nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs). Micro-emulsion technique was used to prepare MTF-loaded NLCs. The optimized NLCs were characterized in terms of various physicochemical parameters including particle size, poly dispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) technique. In vitro and in vivo assays were performed to evaluate the potential of NLCs as an effective nanocarrier system for oral delivery of MTF in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis. The optimized MTF-loaded NLCs exhibited mean particle size of 160.8 ± 5.3 nm with narrow PDI and high incorporation efficiency (IE%) of 96.17 ± 1.3%. MTF-loaded NLCs demonstrated slow release of the incorporated drug as compared to the drug solution. The optimized formulation showed significant decrease in hemolytic potential, 2.5~folds increase in anti-leishmanial efficacy and 6~fold decrease in macrophage cytotoxicity as compared to MTF solution, in vitro. Macrophage uptake study confirmed passive targeting ability of MTF-loaded NLCs. In-vivo analysis demonstrated enhanced anti-leishmanial effect of the MTF-loaded NLCs and better pharmacokinetic profiles with no gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity. NLCs are potential nanocarriers for the oral delivery of MTF with enhanced anti-leishmanial activity, better safety profile and reduced hemolytic potential.

Exploring 3-hydroxyflavone scaffolds as mushroom tyrosinase inhibitors: synthesis, X-ray crystallography, antimicrobial, fluorescence behaviour, structure-activity relationship and molecular modelling studies.

To explore new scaffolds as tyrosinase enzyme inhibitors remain an interesting goal in the drug discovery and development. In due course and our approach to synthesize bioactive compounds, a series of varyingly substituted 3-hydroxyflavone derivatives (1-23) were synthesized in one-pot reaction and screened for in vitro against mushroom tyrosinase enzyme. The structures of newly synthesized compounds were unambiguously corroborated by usual spectroscopic techniques (FTIR, UV-Vis, 1H-, 13C-NMR) and mass spectrometry (EI-MS). The structure of compound 15 was also characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. Furthermore, the synthesized compounds (1-23) were evaluated for their antimicrobial potential. Biological studies exhibit pretty good activity against most of the bacterial-fungal strains and their activity is comparable to those of commercially available antibiotics i.e. Cefixime and Clotrimazole. Amongst the series, the compounds 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14 and 22 exhibited excellent inhibitory activity against tyrosinase, even better than standard compound. Remarkably, the compound 2 (IC50 = 0.280 ± 0.010 µg/ml) was found almost sixfold and derivative 5 (IC50 = 0.230 ± 0.020 µg/ml) about sevenfold more active as compared to standard Kojic acid (IC50 =1.79 ± 0.6 µg/ml). Moreover, these synthetic compounds (1-23) displayed good to moderate activities against tested bacterial and fungal strains. Their emission behavior was also investigated in order to know their potential as fluorescent probes. The molecular modelling simulations were also performed to explore their binding interactions with active sites of the tyrosinase enzyme. Limited structure-activity relationship was established to design and develop new tyrosinase inhibitors by employing 2-arylchromone as a structural core in the future. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Deep Learning Approaches Towards Skin Lesion Segmentation and Classification from Dermoscopic Images - A Review.

BACKGROUND: Automated intelligent systems for unbiased diagnosis are primary requirement for the pigment lesion analysis. It has gained the attention of researchers in the last few decades. These systems involve multiple phases such as pre-processing, feature extraction, segmentation, classification and post processing. It is crucial to accurately localize and segment the skin lesion. It is observed that recent enhancements in machine learning algorithms and dermoscopic techniques reduced the misclassification rate therefore, the focus towards computer aided systems increased exponentially in recent years. Computer aided diagnostic systems are reliable source for dermatologists to analyze the type of cancer, but it is widely acknowledged that even higher accuracy is needed for computer aided diagnostic systems to be adopted practically in the diagnostic process of life threatening diseases. INTRODUCTION: Skin cancer is one of the most threatening cancers. It occurs by the abnormal multiplication of cells. The core three types of skin cells are: Squamous, Basal and Melanocytes. There are two wide classes of skin cancer; Melanocytic and non-Melanocytic. It is difficult to differentiate between benign and malignant melanoma, therefore dermatologists sometimes misclassify the benign and malignant melanoma. Melanoma is estimated as 19th most frequent cancer, it is riskier than the Basel and Squamous carcinoma because it rapidly spreads throughout the body. Hence, to lower the death risk, it is critical to diagnose the correct type of cancer in early rudimentary phases. It can occur on any part of body, but it has higher probability to occur on chest, back and legs. METHODS: The paper presents a review of segmentation and classification techniques for skin lesion detection. Dermoscopy and its features are discussed briefly. After that Image pre-processing techniques are described. A thorough review of segmentation and classification phases of skin lesion detection using deep learning techniques is presented Literature is discussed and a comparative analysis of discussed methods is presented. CONCLUSION: In this paper, we have presented the survey of more than 100 papers and comparative analysis of state of the art techniques, model and methodologies. Malignant melanoma is one of the most threating and deadliest cancers. Since the last few decades, researchers are putting extra attention and effort in accurate diagnosis of melanoma. The main challenges of dermoscopic skin lesion images are: low contrasts, multiple lesions, irregular and fuzzy borders, blood vessels, regression, hairs, bubbles, variegated coloring and other kinds of distortions. The lack of large training dataset makes these problems even more challenging. Due to recent advancement in the paradigm of deep learning, and specially the outstanding performance in medical imaging, it has become important to review the deep learning algorithms performance in skin lesion segmentation. Here, we have discussed the results of different techniques on the basis of different evaluation parameters such as Jaccard coefficient, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. And the paper listed down the major achievements in this domain with the detailed discussion of the techniques. In future, it is expected to improve results by utilizing the capabilities of deep learning frameworks with other pre and post processing techniques so reliable and accurate diagnostic systems can be built.

Induction of tolerance to salinity in wheat genotypes by plant growth promoting endophytes: Involvement of ACC deaminase and antioxidant enzymes.

Plant growth-promoting endophytes (PGPEs) can colonize the internal tissues of plants and are capable of promoting plant growth. These bacteria can improve plant tolerance against various biotic and abiotic stresses via the expression of antioxidant enzymes and the production of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase. Two salt-tolerant PGPEs, Kocuria rhizophila: KF875448 (14ASP) and Cronobacter sakazakii: KM042090 (OF115), with ACC deaminase activity were investigated for their potential to ameliorate plant salinity stress. The wheat varieties Pasban 90 and Khirman were subjected to two levels of salt stress (80 and 160 mM NaCl) under greenhouse conditions by using a completely randomized design. Analyses of plant growth parameters, antioxidant enzyme activities, chlorophyll and plant mineral contents were conducted to investigate the stress tolerance induced by the PGPEs. The ACC utilization by the PGPEs directly relates to the promotion of plant growth due to the lowering of excess ethylene production under salt stress. High levels of NaCl exhibited negative effects in both varieties. However, inoculation with PGPEs increased the morphological traits and antioxidant activities of the plants while decreasing the Na+ contents in all treatments compared to uninoculated treatment. Wheat variety Pasban 90 was more tolerant than Khirman in to salt stress in all the measured morphological and biochemical parameters, while the bacterial strain OF115 performed significantly better in all morphological and biochemical parameters, such as fresh dry weight, root shoot length, proline and chlorophyll contents, compared to strain 14ASP. The K+/Na+ ratio in the tissues of bacterial treated plants was higher than the control, probably in order to maintain the nutrient balance. The results of our study revealed that the inoculation of plants by ACC deaminase-producing PGPEs is a potential tool for the enhancement of plant growth and stress tolerance. Moreover, endophytic bacteria allied with host plants are capable of enduring high saline conditions and can interact with plants in a very efficient way.

Comparing the Effects of Contact-Based Education and Acceptance and Commitment-Based Training on Empathy toward Mental Illnesses among Nursing Students.

Objective: Empathy is an important and valuable tool in therapeutic communication. Improvement barriers of empathy in psychiatric nursing education are associated with challenges, such as stress due to negative attitudes toward psychiatric disorders. The current study aimed at comparing the effects of contact-based education and commitment and acceptance-based training on empathy toward mental illnesses among nursing students. Method: In this clinical trial, 111 nursing students were selected using cluster and quota sampling methods in Mashhad, Iran. They were divided into 3 groups: (1) contact-based education (interpersonal contact among individuals with improved mental illnesses), (2) acceptance and commitment-based training, and (3) control group. The study tool was Jefferson Nurses Empathy Questionnaire, which was completed in 3 stages of pretest, posttest, and follow- up. Data were analyzed by repeated- measures ANOVA. Results: There was no significant difference between contact-based education and acceptance and commitment-based training groups in increasing the average score of total empathy during pretest, posttest, and 1-month follow- up (p = 0/92). However, a significant difference was found between contact-based education and control group (p = 0/004) and between acceptance and commitment-based training and control group (p = 0/02). Conclusion: Both methods of contact-based education and acceptance and commitment-based therapy were effective in increasing the level of empathy into mental illnesses in nursing students.

Congenital hypoplasia of first digital ray of hands as an isolated presentation in four subjects.

Congenital hypoplasia of thumb is rare malformation which is less likely to appear as an isolated entity. Four independent subjects exhibiting various grades of underdeveloped first digital ray were recruited. The affected autopods had narrow palms, medial or valgus inclinations of index fingers and thenar weakness, while the postaxial digits were least affected. According to the classification of hypoplastic thumb by Blauth and Schneider-Sickert (1981), the phenotypes were concordant with types 3 and 4. In one of the subjects there was contralateral preaxial polydactyly. All cases were sporadic and nonsyndromic and parental consanguinity was witnessed in two individuals. Recurrent appearance of similar phenotypes may suggest genetic etiologies which should be elucidated with the help of high-throughput genetic methods.

Hair counts in scalp biopsy of males and females with androgenetic alopecia compared with normal subjects.

BACKGROUND: Hair counts were studied in scalp biopsy specimens of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in male and female patients. We also assessed the normal value of hair count in scalp biopsy specimen from Iranians and compared with published data. METHODS: Thirty subjects with clinically normal scalps, 25 male and 28 female patients with AGA were studied. Vertical and horizontal sections of 4-mm punch biopsy specimens were examined at various levels from the papillary dermis to the subcutis. Hair counts of total, terminal, vellus, anagen and telogen hairs were obtained by ocular micrometer. RESULTS: Hair counts were not significantly different from published data in American Whites but significantly higher in Iranians compared with Koreans (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between male and female patients with AGA. Perifollicular inflammation was lower in both the normal subjects and the patients compared with other studies. CONCLUSION: In AGA patients, total and vellus hairs were lower and terminal to vellus (T:V) ratio was higher than the results of previous studies in Whites (p < 00.1). T:V ratio of control group was significantly higher in this study compared with previous published data. Perhaps the higher ratio than the reported data could means the onset of miniaturization.