Screen Time And Its Relationship With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Among Children Attending A Tertiary Care Hospital.

Objective: To estimate the frequency of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and its relationship with screen time and sociodemographic characteristics among children. METHODS: The cross-sectionalstudy was conducted at the National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, in June-July 2022, and comprised children of either gender aged 5-10 years visiting the paediatric outpatient department. Screen time was measured using a pretested questionnaire, while attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was measured using ADHD rating scale IV. The relationship of sociodemographic characteristics and screen time with the disorder was explored through multiple linear regression analysis. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. RESULTS: Of the 247 participants, 126(51%) were boys and 121(49%) were girls. The overall mean age was 7.84±1.87 years. There were 149(60.3%) children at the primary level of education, while 76(30.8%) had no formal education. There were 139(56.3%) children having screen time >2 hours/day with a mean of 3.36±3.14 hours. There were 15(6.1%) children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorderscore >26 with a mean of 11.58±9.27. Boys were more frequently affected by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder compared to girls (p=0.026), and there was a significant positive correlation between screen time and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (p<0.001). Conclusion: The majority of children were found to be spending more than the recommended time on screen. Male gender and screen time were associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Association of breast feeding positioning with musculoskeletal pain in post partum mothers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

During breastfeeding, lactating mothers adopt different positions that can cause musculoskeletal problems. The purpose of this study was to determine common breastfeeding positions and musculoskeletal problems in our population and the association between them. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted on 400 breast feeding mothers from hospitals, universities and community of Rawalpindi and Islamabad using a self structured questionnaire. It was found that 283(70.8%) reported cross cradle hold (opposite arm) breastfeeding position, while 86(21.5%) reported breastfeeding in side lying position. Also 31(7.9%) were those mothers who adopted other different BF positions. Mechanical neck pain was seen in 147(36.8%) women and mechanical low back pain was seen in 88(22.0%) women. When chi square test was applied to find out association between breastfeeding position and musculoskeletal problems p value was 0.989 that there was no significant difference between them.

The therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stem cells in diabetic kidney disease.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) often causes chronic kidney damage despite best medical practices. Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) arises from a complex interaction of factors within the kidney and the whole body. Targeting specific disease-causing agents using drugs has not been effective in treating DKD. However, stem cell therapies offer a promising alternative by addressing multiple disease pathways and promoting kidney regeneration. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offer great promise due to their superior accessibility ratio from adult tissues and remarkable modes of action, such as the production of paracrine anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective substances. This review critically evaluates the development of MSC treatment for DKD as it moves closer to clinical application. Results from animal models suggest that systemic MSC infusion may positively impact DKD progression. However, few registered and completed clinical trials exist, and whether the treatments are effective in humans is still being determined. Significant knowledge gaps and research opportunities exist, including establishing the ideal source, dose, and timing of MSC delivery, better understanding of in vivo mechanisms, and developing quantitative indicators to obtain a more significant therapeutic response. This paper reviews recent literature on using MSCs in preclinical and clinical trials in DKD. Potent biomarkers related to DKD are also highlighted, which may help better understand MSCs' action in this disease progression. KEY MESSAGES: Mesenchymal stem cells have anti-inflammatory and paracrine effects in diabetic kidney disease. Mesenchymal stem cells alleviate in animal models having diabetic kidney disease. Mesenchymal stem cells possess promise for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease.

Meta-analysis shows that mesenchymal stem cell therapy can be a possible treatment for diabetes.

Objective: This meta-analysis includes the systematic literature review and meta-analysis involving clinical trials to assess the efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation for treating T1DM and T2DM. Methods: We searched PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, clinicaltrials.gov, and Cochrane Library for "published" research from their inception until November 2023. Two researchers independently reviewed the studies' inclusion and exclusion criteria. Our meta-analysis included 13 studies on MSC treatment for diabetes. Results: The MSC-treated group had a significantly lower HbA1c at the last follow-up compared to the baseline (MD: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.33 to 1.57, P-value: 0.003< 0.05), their insulin requirement was significantly lower (MD: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.31, P-value: 0.002< 0.05), the level of FBG with MSC transplantation significantly dropped compared to baseline (MD: 1.78, 95% CI: -1.02 to 4.58, P-value: 0.212), the FPG level of the MSC-treated group was significantly lower (MD: -0.77, 95% CI: -2.36 to 0.81, P-value: 0.339 > 0.05), and the fasting C-peptide level of the MSC-treated group was slightly high (MD: -0.02, 95% CI: -0.07 to 0.02, P-value: 0.231 > 0.05). Conclusion: The transplantation of MSCs has been found to positively impact both types of diabetes mellitus without signs of apparent adverse effects.

Meta-analysis highlight the therapeutic potential of stem cells for premature ovarian failure.

Stem cell (SC) transplantation has shown potential as a therapeutic approach for premature ovarian failure (POF). Despite this, no quantitative analysis has been conducted on the efficacy of SC therapy for POF in humans. To address this gap, the present study conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of the transplantation of SC in improving ovarian function among POF patients. A systematic review in this regard by searching PubMed, ScienceDirect, clinicalTrial.gov, and Cochrane's library databases was conducted to identify relevant studies, while associated reviews were also considered. The extracted data included parameters such as estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), follicle count (FC), ovarian weight (OW), number of pregnancies, and live birth. As per the combined effect taking the last follow-up time, the level of FSH and AMH for the SC group was lower than these were at the baseline as (SMD: 1.58, 95% CI: 0.76 to 3.92, P-value: 0.185 > 0.05, I2: 94.03%) and (SMD: 1.34, 95% CI: 0.77 to 1.92, P-value: 0.001 < 0.05, I2: 0%) respectively. While the means of E2 and OW for the SC group was higher than these were at the baseline as (SMD: -0.47, 95% CI: -0.73 to -0.21, P-value: 0.001 < 0.01, I2: 38.23%) and (SMD: -1.18, 95% CI: -2.62 to 0.26, P-value: 0.108 > 0.05, I2: 76.68%) respectively. The overall effect size measured with proportion of pregnancy and live birth at a 5% level of significance expected SC transplantation results were as (combined proportion: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.15, P-value: 0.002 < 0.05, I2: 46.29%) and (SMD: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.15, P-value: 0.003 < 0.05, I2: 1.76%) respectively. Based on the fixed-effects model, the estimated average log odds ratio of Follicles count was 1.0234 (95% CI: 0.1252 to 1.9216). Therefore, the average outcome differed significantly from zero (P-value: 0.0255 < 0.05) due to SC transplantation. These results suggest that using SCs to restore ovarian function may be viable for treating POF. However, larger and better-quality investigations would need to be conducted in the future due to the heterogeneity of the examined studies.

Mentha longifolia assisted nanostructures: An approach to obliterate microbial biofilms.

Microbes maneuver strategies to become incessant and biofilms perfectly play a role in scaling up virulence to cause long-lasting infections. The present study was designed to assess the use of an eco-friendly formulation of functionalized silver nanoparticles generated from Mentha longifolia leaf extract (MℓE) for the treatment of biofilm-producing microbes. Nanoparticles synthesized using MℓE as a reducing agent were optimized at different strengths of AgNO3 (1 mM, 2 mM, 3 mM, and 4 mM). Synthesis of M. longifolia silver nanoparticles (MℓAgNPs) was observed spectrophotometrically (450 nm) showing that MℓAgNPs (4 mM) had the highest absorbance. Various techniques e.g., Fourier transforms Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential (ZP), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to characterize MℓAgNPs. In the present study, the Kirby-Bauer method revealed 4mM was the most detrimental conc. of MℓAgNPs with MIC and MBC values of 0.62 µg/mL and 1.25 µg/mL, 0.03 µg/mL and 0.078 µg/mL, and 0.07 µg/mL and 0.15 µg/mL against previously isolated and identified clinical strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Moreover, the MℓAgNP antibiofilm activity was examined via tissue culture plate (TCP) assay that revealed biofilm inhibition of up to 87.09%, 85.6%, 83.11%, and 75.09% against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumonia, and S. aureus, respectively. Herbal synthesized silver nanoparticles (MℓAgNPs) tend to have excellent antibacterial and antibiofilm properties and are promising for other biomedical applications involving the extrication of irksome biofilms. For our best knowledge, it is the first study on the use of the green-synthesized silver nanoparticle MℓAgNP as an antibiofilm agent, suggesting that this material has antibiotic, therapeutic, and industrial applications.

Assessment of lifestyle changes in combating the COVID-19 pandemic among people of Karachi, Pakistan.

Aim: COVID-19 arose as a pandemic that wreaked havoc all over the world. Study determines lifestyle changes adopted by people of Karachi in response to COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was the cross-sectional study and carried out at public sector hospital and 218 participants were selected through random sampling method. Results: Lifestyle changes a statistically significant difference in nutrition (p = 0.000), physical activity (p = 0.000), workout (p = 0.000), smoking (p = 0.000), sleep hours (p = 0.000), and supplements (p = 0.000) before and during lockdown. Face masks were utilized by 38% of individuals, gloves by 19%, and social isolation was observed by 26%. 11% of participants did not follow any protocols. Conclusion: Study found significant differences in lifestyle habits such as diet, sleep, smoking and physical activity.

COVID-19 pandemic affect every day life of all people. This study results fond that there are different domain of quality life were affected. Nutrition, physical activity and smoking were associated with poor quality of life and these changes affect the mental and physical health of community people. There is need to social and medical support for people affected by COVID-19 pandemic.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for characterization of filtrates of blood serum samples from patients with tuberculosis obtained by 50 kDa filtration devices.

The ability of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to generate spectroscopic fingerprints has made it an emerging tool for biomedical applications. The objective of this study is to confirm the potential use of Raman spectroscopy for early disease diagnosis based on blood serum. In this study, a total of sixty blood serum samples, consisting of forty from diseased patients and twenty (controls) from healthy individuals, was used. Because disease biomarkers, found in the lower molecular weight fraction, are suppressed by higher molecular weight proteins, 50 kDa Amicon ultrafiltration centrifugation devices were used to produce two fractions from whole blood serum consisting of a filtrate, which is a low molecular weight fraction, and a residue, which is a high molecular weight fraction. These fractions were then analyzed, and their SERS spectral data were compared with those of healthy fractions. The SERS technique was utilized on blood serum, filtrate and residue of patients with tuberculosis to identify characteristic SERS spectral features associated with the development of disease, which can be used to differentiate them from healthy samples using silver nanoparticles as a SERS substrate. For further analysis, the effective chemometric technique of principal component analysis (PCA) was used to qualitatively differentiate all the analyzed samples based on their SERS spectral features. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) accurately classified the filtrate portions of healthy and tuberculosis samples with 97% accuracy, 97% specificity, 98% sensitivity, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of 0.74.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy for the characterization of the metabolites of the biodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene carried out by Tsukamurella paurometabola.

Large amount of sulphur is released by the combustion of fossil fuels in the form of SoX which affects human health and leads to acid rain. To overcome this issue, it is essential to eliminate sulphur moieties from heterocyclic organo-sulphur compounds like Dibenzothiophene (DBT) present in the petrol. In this study Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy is used to analyze the desulfurizing activity of Tsukamurella paurometabola bacterial strain. The most prominent SERS peaks observed at 791, 837, 944 and 1032 cm-1, associated to C-S stretching, are solely observed in dibenzothiophene and its metabolite-I (DBTS) but absent in 2-Hydroxybiphenyl (metabolite-II) and extraction sample of supernatant as a result of biodesulfurization. Moreover, the SERS peaks observed at 974 (characteristic peak of benzene ring) and 1015 cm-1 is associated to C-C ring breathing while 1642 and 1655 cm-1 assigned to CC bonds of aromatic ring. These peaks are only observed in 2-Hydroxybiphenyl (metabolite-II) and extraction sample of supernatant as a result of biodesulfurization. Notably, these peaks are absent in the Dibenzothiophene and its metabolite-I which indicate that aromatic ring is carrying sulfur in this fraction. Moreover, multivariate data analytical tools like principal component analysis (PCA) and PCA-loadings are applied to further differentiate between dibenzothiophene and its metabolites that are Dibenzothiophene sulphone (metabolite-I) and 2-Hydroxybiphenyl (metabolite-II).

The promise of autologous and allogeneic cellular therapies in the clinical trials of autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a consortium of developmental conditions. As scientists have not yet identified the exact underlying cause for these disorders, it is not easy to narrow down a singular therapy to propose a reliable cure. The preponderance of research suggests that stem-cell therapy improves aspects of outcome measure scales in patients with ASD; therefore, future studies should give us more confidence in the results. This overview considers the data that have emerged from the small set of published trials conducted using different approaches in stem-cell therapy for ASD, evaluates their results and proposes additional steps that could be taken if this field of endeavor is to be pursued further.