Basic Findings of Incidence of Breast Cancer in Allied Hospital Faisalabad, Pakistan: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women worldwide. We aimed to know the past trends of age-specific breast cancer incidence rates in Faisalabad city. Methods: A retrospective study was designed at Allied Hospital Faisalabad (AHF), Pakistan from 2014-2018. Overall, 12742 cancer patients presented throughout these years, out of which 3390 were breast cancer cases. Descriptive statistics were computed and the results were presented as counts and percentage for categorical variables. Means and standard errors were computed for the continuous variables. For testing the association among categorical variables, a chi-square test of independence was used and the p-values less than 0.05 are reported as significant. Results: 84.70% patients were diagnosed with invasive breast carcinoma and 15.30% were all other types reported in the Allied Hospital Faisalabad. The incidence of breast cancer was outrageous in the 40-49 year-old age group (1021 patients, 30.12%) and the mean age is 45 in all years. An increase of 34.86% was observed from 2014 to 2018. The comprehensive four-year data (2015 to 2018) were further analyzed for histology, surgery, staging and grading pattern as 2014 files data was insufficient to discuss. The stage III and grade III were most common throughout the years from 2015 to 2018 with 33.9% and 55.71% respectively. Conclusion: Breast cancer is diagnosed more commonly in women than in any other type of cancers in Faisalabad city. There is a need to upgrade the existing hospital facilities to make the women diagnose the cancer at an earlier stage.

Nickel centered pyromellitic acid/pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylic acid bi-linker organic webbing for battery-supercapacitor hybrids.

Metal-organic frameworks are a complex of metal nodes and organic ligands that have attracted widespread interest in technological applications owing to their diverse characteristics. Bi-linker MOFs can prove to be more conductive and efficient than the mono-linker MOFs, however, they have been investigated less often. In this current study two distinct organic ligands i.e., 1,2,4,5-benzene-tetra-carboxylic acid and pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylic acid were used to synthesize a bi-linker nickel MOF. The obtained Ni-P-H MOF having a unique construction was examined for its structural, morphological, and electrochemical properties. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time its potential use was specifically explored as a component in hybrid supercapacitors, as it has not been previously reported for such applications. In standard three-electrode assembly, the electrochemical properties of the Ni-P-H MOF were examined, followed by the fabrication of a Ni-P-H MOF hybrid supercapacitor with activated carbon. This hybridization results in a device with both high energy and power density, making it suitable for a variety of practical applications. To further understand the behavior of this hybrid supercapacitor, a semi-empirical technique was implemented employing Dunn's model. This model allows for the extraction of regression parameters and the quantification of the diffusive/capacitive contributions of the two-cell assembly. Overall, the combination of Ni-PMA-H2pdc MOF//activated carbon in a hybrid supercapacitor holds great potential for advancements in energy storage technology.

Exploring MOF-199 composites as redox-active materials for hybrid battery-supercapacitor devices.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as intriguing porous materials with diverse potential applications. Herein, we synthesized a copper-based MOF (MOF-199) and investigated its use in energy storage applications. Methods were adapted to intensify the electrochemical characteristics of MOF-199 by preparing composites with graphene and polyaniline (PANI). The specific capacity of the synthesized MOF in a three-electrode assembly was significantly enhanced from 88 C g-1 to 475 C g-1 and 766 C g-1 with the addition of graphene and polyaniline (PANI), respectively. Due to the superior performance of (MOF-199)/PANI, a hybrid supercapacitor was fabricated with the structure of (MOF-199)/PANI//activated carbon, which displayed an excellent maximum energy and power density of 64 W h kg-1 and 7200 W kg-1, respectively. The hybrid device exhibited an appreciable capacity retention of 92% after 1000 charge-discharge cycles. Moreover, using Dunn's model, the capacitive and diffusive contributions as well as the k 1 and k 2 currents of the fabricated device were calculated, validating the hybrid nature of the supercapattery device. The current studies showed that MOF-199 exhibits promising electrochemical features and can be considered as potential electrode material for hybrid energy storage devices.

Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Pathway Assessment in Antiphospholipid Antibody-Positive Patients with Livedo.

OBJECTIVE: In antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) nephropathy, activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) contributes to endothelial cell proliferation, a key finding of aPL microvascular disease. Here, we examined mTOR activation in the skin of aPL-positive patients with livedo. METHODS: Three patient groups with livedo were studied: (1) persistently aPL-positive with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); (2) persistently aPL-positive without SLE; and (3) aPL-negative SLE (control). After collecting aPL-related medical history, two 5-mm skin biopsies of livedo were performed on each patient: (1) peripheral (erythematous-violaceous lesion); and (2) central (nonviolaceous area). We stained specimens for phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT) and phosphorylated S6 ribosomal protein (p-S6RP) as mTOR activity markers, CD31 to identify endothelial cells, and Ki-67 to show cellular proliferation. We counted cells in the epidermis and compared mTOR-positive cell counts between peripheral and central samples, and between patient groups, using Freidman test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: Ten patients with livedo reticularis were enrolled: 4 aPL-positive without SLE (antiphospholipid syndrome [APS] classification met, n = 3), 4 aPL-positive SLE (APS classification met, n = 3), and 2 aPL-negative SLE (control). In all aPL-positive patients, epidermal p-AKT and p-S6RP staining were significantly increased in both peripheral and central skin samples when compared to aPL-negative SLE controls; both were more pronounced in the lower basal layers of epidermis. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates increased mTOR activity in livedoid lesions of aPL-positive patients with or without SLE compared to aPL-negative patients with SLE, with more prominent activity in the lower basal layers of the epidermis. These findings may serve as a basis for further investigating the mTOR pathway in aPL-positive patients.

Probing the Performance of Glucose Oxidase Treated Graphene-Based Field Effect Transistors.

Graphene due to its unique properties of biocompatibility has received considerable attention for biosensing applications. Here, we report the effect of glucose oxidase treatment on the graphene devices. Raman spectroscopy and the electrical transport measurements are performed to study the graphene intrinsic characteristics before glucose oxidase treatment. The absence of the defect peak in the Raman spectrum shows high-quality graphene. The modulation in the electrical properties is further investigated by different period of glucose oxidase treatment. Our results illustrate that the mobility of the graphene-based field effect transistor is gradually enhanced with the glucose oxidase treatment time. The enhancement in the electrical performance of graphene FET with the biomolecules could be the suitable route for the bioelectronic devices.

Vascular Manifestations in Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS): Is APS a Thrombophilia or a Vasculopathy?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) is characterized primarily by thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity. Chronic vascular lesions can also occur. While the underlying mechanisms of these vascular lesions are not entirely known, there have been multiple theories describing the potential process of vasculopathy in APS and the various clinical manifestations associated with it. RECENT FINDINGS: Recently, it has been demonstrated that endothelial proliferation in kidneys can be explained by the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex (mTORC) pathway by antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). These data support the existence of an APS-related vasculopathy in different locations which can explain-in part-the different manifestations of APS. This review focuses on the various manifestations of APS as a result of APS-related vasculopathy, as well as pathophysiology, current screening, and treatment options for clinicians to be aware of.

Interaction driven quantum Hall effect in artificially stacked graphene bilayers.

The honeycomb lattice structure of graphene gives rise to its exceptional electronic properties of linear dispersion relation and its chiral nature of charge carriers. The exceptional electronic properties of graphene stem from linear dispersion relation and chiral nature of charge carries, originating from its honeycomb lattice structure. Here, we address the quantum Hall effect in artificially stacked graphene bilayers and single layer graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition. The quantum Hall plateaus started to appear more than 3 T and became clearer at higher magnetic fields up to 9 T. Shubnikov-de Hass oscillations were manifestly observed in graphene bilayers texture. These unusual plateaus may have been due to the layers interaction in artificially stacked graphene bilayers. Our study initiates the understanding of interactions between artificially stacked graphene layers.

Room temperature spin valve effect in NiFe/WS2/Co junctions.

The two-dimensional (2D) layered electronic materials of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have been recently proposed as an emerging canddiate for spintronic applications. Here, we report the exfoliated single layer WS2-intelayer based spin valve effect in NiFe/WS2/Co junction from room temperature to 4.2 K. The ratio of relative magnetoresistance in spin valve effect increases from 0.18% at room temperature to 0.47% at 4.2 K. We observed that the junction resistance decreases monotonically as temperature is lowered. These results revealed that semiconducting WS2 thin film works as a metallic conducting interlayer between NiFe and Co electrodes.