Therapeutic and immunomodulatory role of probiotics in breast cancer: A mechanistic review.

Breast cancer has become the most prevalent and noxious type of malignancy around the globe (Giaquinto et al., 2022). Multiple clinical strategies including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy have been in practice to manage breast cancer. Besides the protective roles of conventional remedial approaches, and non-reversible and deteriorative impacts like healthy cell damage, organ failure, etc., the world scientific community is in a continuous struggle to find some alternative biocompatible and comparatively safe solutions. Among novel breast cancer management/treatment options, the role of probiotics has become immensely important. The current review encompasses the prevalence statistics of breast cancer across the globe concerning developed and undeveloped counties, intestinal microbiota linkage with breast cancer, and association of breast microbiome with breast carcinoma. Furthermore, this review also narrates the role of probiotics against breast cancer and their mode of action. In Vivo and In Vitro studies under breast cancer research regarding probiotics are mechanistically explained. The current review systematically explains the immunomodulatory role of probiotics to prevent breast cancer. Last, but not the least, current review concludes the use of probiotics in the treatment of breast cancer through various mechanisms and future recommendations for molecular basis studies.

Belief Salience, Religious Activities, Frequency of Prayer Offering, Religious Offering Preference and Mental Health: A Study of Religiosity Among Muslim Students.

To investigate role of belief salience, participation in religious activities, religious offering preference and prayer offering positively predicts mental health among university students. It is a cross-sectional research design carried out in International Islamic University Islamabad, February 2018 to August 2018. Demographic variables were assessed by collecting information about age, education, marital status, family income and socioeconomic status. Mental Health Inventory-38 was used to measure mental health of the students, and in order to measure religiosity, Religiosity Measure Scale tapping belief salience, religious activities, frequency of prayer offering and religious offering preference was used. The results of the present study were analyzed through SPSS 21v. For computation of the findings, regression analysis and t test were applied. Study found that involvement in religious activities, prayer offering and belief salience positively predicts mental health among university students. Along with that, female students were also found to be highly involved in prayer offerings, religious offering preference and belief salience. However, there were no significant gender differences on participation in religious activities and mental health. It is recommended that development and enhancement of belief salience and religiosity in treatment of Muslim clients with psychological issues may boost their mental health. Therefore, these may be incorporated in treatment models.

Synthesis of sericin-conjugated silver nanoparticles and their potential antimicrobial activity.

Nanoparticles (NPs) are being recognized as antibacterial agents due to their rapidly increasing multidrug resistance in bacterial pathogens. Hence, there is an unmet need to identify the natural antibacterial agent. The present study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of sericin-conjugated silver NPs synthesized by using sericin as a reducing and capping agent. Synthesized NPs were characterized by scanning electron microscope, nanolaser particle size analyzer (BT-90), Fourier-transform infrared analysis, and energy-dispersive X-ray. The biogenic NPs significantly inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli (12-15 mm zone of inhibition), Staphylococcus aureus (14.6-15.4 mm zone of inhibition), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (12.5-18 mm zone of inhibition). The stability of naturally synthesized NPs was examined at various temperatures (i.e., 4°C, 37°C, and 55°C) and pH (i.e., 3, 7, and 11). Temperature variability did not significantly affect the efficacy of NPs. However, NPs performed better at higher pH levels. This study suggested that the sericin-based silver NPs are not only effective against bacteria, but they also maintain the stability at different ranges of temperature and pH. We concluded that the sericin-conjugated silver NPs possess the remarkable antibacterial potential, which suggests their large-scale use as a cheap and stable antimicrobial agent in the future.

Effect of male body mass index on assisted reproduction treatment outcome: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Men with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or over are more likely to have reduced fertility and fecundity rates. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effect of male BMI on IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcome. An electronic search for published literature was conducted in MEDLINE and EMBASE between 1966 and November 2016. Outcome measures were clinical pregnancy rates (CPR) and live birth rates (LBR) per IVF or ICSI cycle. Eleven studies were identified, including 14,372 cycles; nine reported CPR and seven reported LBR. Pooling of data from those studies revealed that raised male BMI was associated with a significant reduction in CPR (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.98, P = 0.03) and LBR (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.95, P = 0.001) per IVF-ICSI treatment cycle. Male BMI could be an important factor influencing IVF-ICSI outcome. More robust studies are needed to confirm this conclusion using standardized methods for measuring male BMI, adhering to the World Health Organization definitions of BMI categories, accounting for female BMI, IVF and ICSI cycle characteristics, including the number of embryos transferred and embryo quality, and use the live birth rate per cycle as primary outcome.

Prevalence and pattern of congenital malformations among neonates in the neonatal unit of a teaching hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and pattern of congenital malformations among neonates in a teaching hospital. METHODS: The prospective hospital-based study was conducted over a period of 18 months in the neonatal unit of Combined Military Hospital, Kharian, from September 2011 to February 2013. All neonates from newborn to 28 days of age admitted to the unit irrespective of their condition comprised the study population. Neonatal examination was done by the Registrar at the time of admission followed by neonatologist/paediatrician. Information regarding gender, weight, gestational age, mode of delivery, consanguinity, maternal age, antenatal visit record and family history were recorded on a predesigned proforma. After clinical examination, if required, relevant investigations like ultrasonography, radiology, echocardiography, laboratory and genetic studies were done to confirm diagnosis. Data was statistically analysed by using SPSS 20. RESULTS: Out of 3,210 total admissions, 226 (7%) neonates were congenitally malformed. Of them, 130 (57.52%) were male and 96 (42.47%) females. Among different body systems affected, anomalies related to the central nervous system were 46 (20.35%) musculoskeletal 42 (18.58%), genitourinary 34 (15.04%), cardiovascular system 30 (13.27%), ear, eye, face, neck 27 (11.94%), digestive system 19 (8.40%), syndromes and skin 14 (6.19%) each. CONCLUSION: Congenital Malformations are not rare in our community and central nervous system is the most commonly affected system. Healthcare managers must stress upon primary prevention in the form of vaccination, nutrition and drugs to decrease preventable share of congenital malformations.

Workplace ostracism and organizational deviance: A self-regulatory perspective.

Grounded in self-regulation theory, this research assesses the relationship between employees' experiences of workplace ostracism and organizational deviance, further exploring the mediating function of procrastination and the buffering role of psychological flexibility. Results based on longitudinal (three-wave) data collected from employees in North American organizations illustrate that workplace ostracism elicits organizational deviance because employees suffer from impaired self-regulation, shown through procrastination. Accordingly, this study identifies procrastination as a way by which workplace ostracism facilitates organizational deviance but highlights that the association between procrastination and deviant behavior is mitigated when employees can actively engage in psychological flexibility. Examining the interplay between these variables may present an opportunity to potentially understand how to curb adverse workplace outcomes by encouraging employees to adapt their behaviors in the pursuit of organizational goals, despite the distracting thoughts and emotions associated with the experience of workplace ostracism.

Fabrication of graphene-oxide and zeolite loaded polyvinylidene fluoride reverse osmosis membrane for saltwater remediation.

Incorporation of inorganic and organic materials in polymer has contributed well towards the development of advanced reverse-osmosis membranes; with greater permeation, and salt rejection potential. We are reporting, Zeolite/GO/PVDF based thin-film composite membranes that were successfully synthesized by solution casting process, an eco-friendly, low-cost, and biocompatible technique. PVDF membranes modified with different ratios of GO/Zeo (0.03, 0.05 and 0.07) were characterized by FTIR, SEM, XRD, TGA, and DSC. Membranes were then tested for its potential for water permeation and salt rejection abilities. As prepared membranes owe better pore-distribution, a moderate degree of crystallinity and high absorption capability that is highly needed for micro-filtration phenomena used for desalination of saline water. The modified membranes exhibited enhanced water permeability up to 28.9 L/m2h as compared to pure PVDF membrane having water permeability flux of 15.6 L/m2h. Salt-rejection ability was found increasing for the membranes (up to 98%) modified with different concentration of GO/Zeo, as compare to pure PVDF membrane (82%). During water permeation and salt rejection studies, no deleterious impact was noted for modified PVDF membranes. This development will entail an efficient approach to furnish high-level performance reverse-osmosis membranes, with greater osmotic-pressure bearing capacity and higher stability.

Bedtime Smart Phone Usage and Its Effects on Work-Related Behaviour at Workplace.

The over usage and over dependency on digital devices, like smartphones, has been considered as a growing international epidemic. The increased dependency on gadgets, especially smartphones for personal and official uses, has also brought many detrimental effects on individual users. Hence it is vital to understand the negative effects of smartphone usage on human. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of bedtime smartphone usage on work performances, interpersonal conflicts, and work engagement, via the mediating role of sleep quality among employees. Using a cross-sectional study design, a questionnaire-based field survey was conducted on 315 employees who participated as respondents. The results confirmed the negative effects of bedtime smartphone usage on sleep quality. Along with it, the effects of sleep quality on work performances, work engagements and interpersonal conflicts were also proven to be statistically significant. Regarding the mediating role of sleep quality, it was empirically evident that sleep quality mediates the relationship between bedtime smartphone usage with work performances and interpersonal conflicts. The findings revealed that bedtime smartphone usage reduces sleep quality among the employees, resulting in lower work performances and engagements while contributing to higher interpersonal conflicts. The findings concluded that smartphone usage before sleep increases the prospects of employees to be less productive, less engaged, and have more workplace conflicts. The findings warrant the continued managerial as well as academic research attention, as the smartphones are now used by many organisations to run businesses as well.

Aesthetic Evaluation Of The Lower Third Of The Face Comparing Cephalometric And Photographic Analysis Considering Nasolabial And Labiomental Angles In Young Adult Pakistani Population.

BACKGROUND: Although the results derived from orthodontic treatment are focused at attaining an aesthetically pleasing soft tissue profile as directed by Angle's paradigm, however hard tissue including bone and tooth dimensions also play a pivotal role in attaining the set goal. This study was focused on evaluating the comparison of photographs and cephalometric radiographic images to dictate the differences that might occur when the same aesthetic evaluation technique is applied. A cross sectional comparative study was carried out at Frontier college of dentistry, Abbottabad and Sharif Medical and Dental College, Lahore from June to November 2020. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 60 subjects were incorporated as part of the study amongst which lateral cephalometric radiographic images and photographs, other diagnostic records such as dental casts were procured. The same analysis was applied to assess the lower third of the face in both the photographs and the radiographs with focus on the Labiomental and nasolabial angles for comparison. RESULTS: The normal value of Nasolabial angle 102.10°±3.126° (NLA2) indicates the relationship of nose and upper lip which is within the normal range for the age group selected. No significant difference was found between the nasolabial angles measured by two separate methods (p-value is 0.67). Mean labiomental angle was found to be 120.70°±6.46°(LNA1) and 121.60°±5.386 degrees °(LMA2) respectively, which was within the normal range for the age group selected. CONCLUSIONS: There is no significant difference in the assessment of lower facial height and aesthetics between lateral cephalometric radiographic images and photographs taken from the camera.

Frequency of IgA Nephropathy Presenting at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of IgAnephropathy presenting at a tertiary care hospital. STUDY DESIGN: Across sectional, observational study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad and Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan, from November 2008 to November 2014. METHODOLOGY: This was a retrospective analysis of renal biopsies for the diagnosis of nephropathy during the study period. Biopsies were stained with fluorescence isothyocyanate (FITC) labelled antibodies against IgG, IgA, IgM, C3, C4 and C1q for fluorescent microscopy. For histopathological examination, the specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Periodic acid Schiff and methanamine silver stains for light microscopy. RESULTS: Out of total 1,658 renal biopsy cases, 142 (8.6%) were diagnosed as IgA nephropathy on light and immunofluorescence microscopy. Majority of IgAnephropathy patients were young (mean age = 33.2) and presented with proteinuria. The frequency rose from 2% in 2008 to 9.4% in 2014. CONCLUSION: IgAnephropathy was present in younger population and has a rising trend in our population.