Social dimensions of climate-induced flooding in Jakarta (Indonesia): The role of non-point source pollution.

Because of its low-lying location, urbanization, and inadequate infrastructure, Jakarta (Indonesia) has experienced an increase in annual flooding events, rising from an average of five significant floods per year in the 1990s to over 20 annually (2010-2020). With climate change exacerbating extreme weather events, Jakarta encounters escalating risks of flooding. Although the recurrent flooding is exacerbated by non-point source (NPS) of pollution such as urban runoff and agricultural discharge that contribute to 40% of total pollutants leading to flood-related issues in Jakarta, none has investigated this research gap. To reflect its novelty, this work explores the implications of climate change on the annual flooding in Jakarta by focusing on NPS and analyzes their impacts from social perspectives. This work also underscores the implications of flooding on livelihoods, health, and social cohesion in Jakarta. Focus group discussion with affected residents was used to shed light on the coping strategies employed in response to recurrent floods, ranging from community-based initiatives to reliance on informal networks. The empirical findings show that the implications of flooding extend beyond physical damages. Displacement of communities, loss of livelihoods, disruption of essential services, and increased health risks are among the social impacts experienced by local residents. Vulnerable populations, including low-income communities residing in informal settlements, bear their consequences. Economic losses from flooding amount to USD 500 million annually, impacting over 1 million residents. However, recent interventions have led to a 15% reduction in peak flood levels and a 20% reduction in flood duration in affected areas. Community resilience has also improved, with a 25% increase in flood insurance coverage and a 20% rise in community response initiatives. Overall, this study highlights that climate change exacerbates annual flooding in Jakarta, significantly impacting vulnerable communities through NPS pollution. Addressing the challenges requires integrated approaches combining effective pollution control, resilient infrastructure, and community engagement to mitigate social and long-term environmental impacts. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Climate-induced flooding disproportionately affects vulnerable communities in Jakarta. Non-point source pollution from urban runoff contributes to the severity of flooding in Jakarta. Waterborne diseases, disruption of livelihoods, and reduced access to clean water are major concerns identified in the study. The study highlights the importance of community-based adaptation strategies to mitigate the impact of flooding and pollution.

Dissolving Microneedles Patch: A Promising Approach for Advancing Transdermal Delivery of Antischizophrenic Drug.

OBJECTIVE: Microneedles (MNs) are minimally invasive transdermal drug delivery systems capable of penetrating the stratum corneum to overcome the barrier properties. The primary objective of this research was to prepare dissolving microneedle patches (DMNP) loaded with quetiapine (QTP). METHODS: DMNP were fabricated employing the solvent casting technique, utilizing various polymer feed ratios including polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 (PVP-K30), and polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) polymers. The loaded DMNP with QTP underwent a comprehensive characterization process encompassing assessments for compatibility, thickness, insertion potential, morphology, thermal behavior, X-ray diffraction, ex-vivo permeation, skin irritation, and histopathological changes. RESULTS: FTIR studies confirmed the compatibility of QTP with the microneedle patch composites. The thickness of the drug-loaded DMNP ranged from 0.67 mm to 0.97 mm. These microneedles exhibited an impressive penetration depth of 480 µm, with over 80% of the needles maintaining their original shape after piercing Parafilm-M. SEM analysis of the optimized DMNP-2 revealed the formation of sharp-tipped and uniformly surfaced needles, measuring 570 µm in length. Remarkably, the microneedles did not elicit any signs of irritation upon application of the prepared DMNP. The DMNP-2 showcased an impressive cumulative ex-vivo permeation of QTP, reaching 17.82 µg/cm2/hr. Additionally, histopathological assessment of vital organs in rabbits attested to the safety profile of the formulated microneedle patches. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the developed microneedle patch represents a promising strategy for enhancing the transdermal delivery of QTP. This innovative approach has the potential to increase patient compliance, offering a more efficient and patient-friendly method of administering QTP.

Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Their Association With Coronary Artery Disease in Pakistani Adults.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), especially coronary artery disease (CAD), are a major health burden, and their incidence is rising in countries like Pakistan. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research was to assess the prevalence and association of cardiovascular risk factors with CAD in Pakistani adults. METHODOLOGY: The research was carried out from January 2023 to December 2023 at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad and Shifa International Hospital Islamabad, Pakistan, using a cross-sectional design. Based on predefined criteria, 320 individuals who were Pakistani nationals and over the age of 18 years old were included. Those having a history of congenital heart disease, pregnancy, significant comorbidities, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were excluded. Medical, lifestyle, and demographic data were collected, and clinical evaluations were carried out by qualified healthcare workers. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and relevant statistical tests. A p<0.05 was statistically significant. RESULTS: The study investigated cardiovascular risk factors and demographic traits in 320 adult Pakistanis. The majority of participants (n=181; 56.56%) were male and aged between 18 and 45. University education was predominant (n=170; 53.13%). Specifically, 147 participants (45.94%) had dyslipidemia, 74 (23.12%) had diabetes mellitus, and 112 (35.0%) had hypertension. Diabetes mellitus (OR: 9.60, 95% CI: 4.52-20.38, p<0.001), dyslipidemia (OR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.29-2.75, p=0.001), and hypertension (OR: 2.67, 95% CI: 1.72-4.15, p<0.001) showed significant correlations with CAD. Poor socioeconomic status (OR: 3.00, 95% CI: 1.31-6.89, p=0.009) and genetic propensity (OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.02-3.92, p=0.040) were also significantly associated with CAD. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights diabetes as strongly linked to CAD in Pakistani adults, while socioeconomic status emerges as a significant predictor.

Finite element modeling of stress distribution and safety factors in a Ti-27Nb alloy hip implant under real-world physiological loading scenarios.

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most successful orthopaedic interventions globally, with over 450,000 procedures annually in the U.S. alone. However, issues like aseptic loosening, dislocation, infection and stress shielding persist, necessitating complex, costly revision surgeries. This highlights the need for continued biomaterials innovation to enhance primary implant integrity and longevity. Implant materials play a pivotal role in determining long-term outcomes, with titanium alloys being the prominent choice. However, emerging evidence indicates scope for optimized materials. The nickel-free ß titanium alloy Ti-27Nb shows promise with excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties. Using finite element analysis (FEA), this study investigated the biomechanical performance and safety factors of a hip bone implant made of nickel-free titanium alloy (Ti-27Nb) under actual loading during routine day life activities for different body weights. The FEA modelled physiological loads during walking, jogging, stair ascent/descent, knee bend, standing up, sitting down and cycling for 75 kg and 100 kg body weights. Comparative analyses were conducted between untreated versus 816-hour simulated body fluid (SBF) treated implant conditions to determine in vivo degradation effects. The FEA predicted elevated von Mises stresses in the implant neck for all activities, especially stair climbing, due to its smaller cross-section. Stresses increased substantially with a higher 100 kg body weight compared to 75 kg, implying risks for heavier patients. Safety factors were reduced by up to 58% between body weights, although remaining above the desired minimum value of 1. Negligible variations were observed between untreated and SBF-treated responses, attributed to Ti-27Nb's excellent biocorrosion resistance. This comprehensive FEA provided clinically relevant insights into the biomechanical behaviour and integrity of the Ti-27Nb hip implant under complex loading scenarios. The results can guide shape and material optimization to improve robustness against repetitive stresses over long-term use. Identifying damage accumulation and failure risks is crucial for hip implants encountering real-world variable conditions. The negligible SBF effects validate Ti-27Nb's resistance to physiological degradation. Overall, the study significantly advances understanding of Ti-27Nb's suitability for reliable, durable hip arthroplasties with low revision rates.

Characterization of anaerobic biotransformation of hexachlorocyclohexanes by novel microbial consortia enriched from channel and river sediments.

The microbial biotransformation of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) by novel anaerobic microbial consortia enriched from sediments of an industrial effluent channel and the river Ravi in Pakistan was examined. The anaerobic consortia were capable of biotransforming α-, ß-, γ-, and δ-HCH through reductive dichloroelimination, resulting in the formation of benzene and monochlorobenzene. Concerning γ-HCH biotransformation by the channel and river cultures, isotopic fractionations for carbon (εC) were - 5.3 ± 0.4 (‰) and - 10.6 ± 1.2 (‰), while isotopic fractionations for chlorine (εCl) were - 4.4 ± 0.4 (‰) and - 7.8 ± 0.9 (‰), respectively. Furthermore, lambda values (Λ), representing the correlation of δ13C and δ37Cl fractionation, were determined to be 1.1 ± 0.1 and 1.3 ± 0.1 for γ-HCH biotransformation, suggesting a reductive dichloroelimination as the initial step of HCH biotransformation in both cultures. Amplicon sequencing targeting the 16S rRNA genes revealed that Desulfomicrobium populations were considerably increased in both cultures, indicating their possible involvement in the degradation process. These findings suggest that Desulfomicrobium-like populations may have an important role in biotransformation of HCH and novel anaerobic HCH-degrading microbial consortia could be useful bioaugmentation agents for the bioremediation of HCH-contaminated sites in Pakistan.

Enhanced wheat productivity in saline soil through the combined application of poultry manure and beneficial microbes.

BACKGROUND: Soil salinity is one of the major menaces to food security, particularly in dealing with the food demand of the ever-increasing global population. Production of cereal crops such as wheat is severely affected by soil salinity and improper fertilization. The present study aimed to examine the effect of selected microbes and poultry manure (PM) on seedling emergence, physiology, nutrient uptake, and growth of wheat in saline soil. A pot experiment was carried out in research area of Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Saline soil (12 dS m- 1 w/w) was developed by spiking using sodium chloride, and used in experiment along with two microbial strains (i.e., Alcaligenes faecalis MH-2 and Achromobacter denitrificans MH-6) and PM. Finally, wheat seeds (variety Akbar-2019) were sown in amended and unamended soil, and pots were placed following a completely randomized design. The wheat crop was harvested after 140 days of sowing. RESULTS: The results showed a 10-39% increase (compared to non-saline control) in agronomic, physiological, and nutritive attributes of wheat plants when augmented with PM and microbes. Microbes together with PM significantly enhanced seedling emergence (up to 38%), agronomic (up to 36%), and physiological (up to 33%) in saline soil as compared to their respective unamended control. Moreover, the co-use of microbes and PM also improved soil's physicochemical attributes and enhanced N (i.e., 21.7%-17.1%), P (i.e., 24.1-29.3%), and K (i.e., 28.7%-25.3%) availability to the plant (roots and shoots, respectively). Similarly, the co-use of amendments also lowered the Na+ contents in soil (i.e., up to 62%) as compared to unamended saline control. This is the first study reporting the effects of the co-addition of newly identified salt-tolerant bacterial strains and PM on seedling emergence, physiology, nutrient uptake, and growth of wheat in highly saline soil. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that co-using a multi-trait bacterial culture and PM could be an appropriate option for sustainable crop production in salt-affected soil.

Anti-pruritic effect of L-carnitine against chloroquine-induced pruritus mediated via nitric oxide pathway.

BACKGROUND: Pruritus, or itching, is a distressing symptom associated with various dermatological and systemic diseases. L-carnitine (ßeta hydroxy-γ-tri methyl amino-butyric acid), is a naturally occurring substance, it controls numerous physiological processes. The present research aims to identify L-carnitine for its anti-pruritic effect via nitric oxide-dependent mechanism. METHODS: Chloroquine-induced pruritus serves as an experimental model to investigate possible therapeutic interventions. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of L-carnitine in combating oxidative stress, nitric oxide, and inflammatory cytokines in a chloroquine-induced pruritus model. RESULTS: L-carnitine treatment significantly reduced scratching behavior compared to the disease group (***P < 0.001 vs. chloroquine group), indicating its antipruritic potential. The markers of oxidative stress, GST, GSH, Catalase, and LPO were dysregulated in the disease model, but administration of L-carnitine restored GST, GSH, and Catalase levels and decreased LPO levels (***P < 0.001 vs. chloroquine group), thereby alleviating oxidative stress. L-carnitine also reduced nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, suggesting that it modulates nitric oxide signaling pathways involved in pruritus. In addition, L-carnitine lowered levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), inflammatory marker nuclear factor kappa B (p-NFκB) and also reduces an inflammatory enzyme, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), determined by ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) (***P < 0.001 vs. chloroquine group). It downregulates nNOS mRNA expression confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the therapeutic effects of L-carnitine in alleviating chloroquine-induced pruritus.

Retraction: Influence of chemical composition on the amount of second phases precipitates and transformation temperatures of TiNiPdCu shape memory alloys prepared through novel powder metallurgy route.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1039/D3RA05513B.].

Carveol mitigates the development of the morphine anti-nociceptive tolerance, physical dependence, and conditioned place preference in mice.

Emergence of analgesic tolerance and dependence to morphine is frequently the limiting factor in the use of this agent in the management of pain. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of the natural compound carveol (CV) against morphine antinociceptive tolerance, dependence and conditioned place preference (CPP) in mice. Behavioural paradigms included hot plate and tail-flick (for tolerance), observation of withdrawal signs (for dependence) while biochemical tests involved the assays for mRNA expression, nitrite levels, antioxidants, and immunohistochemistry studies. Behavioural tests indicated that treatment with CV significantly attenuated the morphine analgesic tolerance, physical dependence and CPP in mice. It was observed during biochemical analysis that CV-treated animals exhibited reduced mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and NR2B (an NMDA subtype). In addition, decreased levels of nitrite were observed in mouse hippocampus following CV treatment than morphine administration only. Further, CV enhanced the neuronal innate antioxidants including Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST), glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT), while curtailed lipid peroxidase (LPO) levels in mice brain tissues. Moreover, CV exerted significant anti-inflammatory effects as evidenced by reduced expression of TNF-α and p-NF-κB in these animals than with morphine treatment only. Together, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects might confer needed neuro-protection following morphine administration. These observations warrant further investigations of the beneficial role of CV as a novel agent in overcoming the development of tolerance and physical dependence following morphine use.

Dynamics of Malaria Incidence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: Unveiling Rapid Growth Patterns and Forecasting Future Trends.

BACKGROUND: Malaria remains a formidable worldwide health challenge, with approximately half of the global population at high risk of catching the infection. This research study aimed to address the pressing public health issue of malaria's escalating prevalence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, Pakistan, and endeavors to estimate the trend for the future growth of the infection. METHODS: The data were collected from the IDSRS of KP, covering a period of 5 years from 2018 to 2022. We proposed a hybrid model that integrated Prophet and TBATS methods, allowing us to efficiently capture the complications of the malaria data and improve forecasting accuracy. To ensure an inclusive assessment, we compared the prediction performance of the proposed hybrid model with other widely used time series models, such as ARIMA, ETS, and ANN. The models were developed through R-statistical software (version 4.2.2). RESULTS: For the prediction of malaria incidence, the suggested hybrid model (Prophet and TBATS) surpassed commonly used time series approaches (ARIMA, ETS, and ANN). Hybrid model assessment metrics portrayed higher accuracy and reliability with lower MAE (8913.9), RMSE (3850.2), and MAPE (0.301) values. According to our forecasts, malaria infections were predicted to spread around 99,301 by December 2023. CONCLUSIONS: We found the hybrid model (Prophet and TBATS) outperformed common time series approaches for forecasting malaria. By December 2023, KP's malaria incidence is expected to be around 99,301, making future incidence forecasts important. Policymakers will be able to use these findings to curb disease and implement efficient policies for malaria control.

Updated review on analysis of long non-coding RNAs as emerging diagnostic and therapeutic targets in prostate cancers.

Despite advancements, prostate cancers (PCa) pose a significant global health challenge due to delayed diagnosis and therapeutic resistance. This review delves into the complex landscape of prostate cancer, with a focus on long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Also explores the influence of aberrant lncRNAs expression in progressive PCa stages, impacting traits like proliferation, invasion, metastasis and therapeutic resistance. The study elucidates how lncRNAs modulate crucial molecular effectors, including transcription factors and microRNAs, affecting signaling pathways such as androgen receptor signaling. Besides, this manuscript sheds light on novel concepts and mechanisms driving PCa progression through lncRNAs, providing a critical analysis of their impact on the disease's diverse characteristics. Besides, it discusses the potential of lncRNAs as diagnostics and therapeutic targets in PCa. Collectively, this work highlights state of art mechanistic comprehension and rigorous scientific approaches to advance our understanding of PCa and depict innovations in this evolving field of research.

Adsorption of Eosin B from Wastewater onto the Prepared Porous Anion Exchange Membrane.

This research describes the fabrication of the porous trimethylamine (TMA)-grafted anion exchange membrane (AEM) over a phase inversion process. The synthesis of the generated AEM was verified using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The fabricated porous AEM showed 240% water uptake (WR), 1.45 mg/g ion exchange capacity (IEC), and a 9.0% linear expansion ratio (LER) at 25 °C. It exhibited a porous structure and higher thermal stability. It was utilized to remove eosin B (EB) from wastewater via the process of adsorption. The adsorption capacity of EB increased with time and the starting concentration of EB while decreasing with temperature and the AEM dosage. Adsorption isotherm investigation results showed that EB adsorption onto the porous AEM followed the Langmuir isotherm because the value of correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.992) was close to unity. Because the correlation coefficient was close to one, it was determined through adsorption kinetic experiments that the adsorption of EB on the produced porous AEM was suitable for a pseudo-second-order model. Thermodynamic study about process of EB adsorption on the porous AEM revealed that there was an exothermic (ΔH° = -16.60 kJ/mol) and spontaneous process.

Injectable Chitosan-Methoxy Polyethylene Glycol Hybrid Hydrogel Untangling the Wound Healing Behavior: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation.

Wound healing, particularly for difficult-to-treat wounds, presents a serious threat and may lead to complications. Currently available dressings lack mucoadhesion, safety, efficacy, and, most importantly, patient compliance. Herein, we developed a unique, simple, and inexpensive injectable chitosan-methoxy polyethylene glycol (chitosan-mPEG) hybrid hydrogel with tunable physicochemical and mechanical properties for wound healing. The detailed physicochemical and rheological characterization of the chitosan-mPEG hydrogel has revealed chemical interaction between available -NH2 groups of chitosan and -COOH groups of mPEG acid, which, to our perspective, enhanced the mechanical and wound healing properties of hybrid chitosan and mPEG hydrogel compared to solo chitosan or PEG hydrogel. By introducing mPEG, the wound healing ability of hydrogel is synergistically improved due to its antibacterial feature, together with chitosan's innate role in hemostasis and wound closure. The detailed hemostasis and wound closure potential of the chitosan-mPEG hydrogel were investigated in a rat model, which confirmed a significant acceleration in wound healing and ultimately wound closure. In conclusion, the developed chitosan-mPEG hydrogel met all the required specifications and could be developed as a promising material for hemostasis, especially wound management, and as an excellent candidate for wound healing application.

A comprehensive review on the applications of ferrite nanoparticles in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Various conventional treatments including endocrine therapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and chemotherapy have been used for several decades to treat breast cancer; however, these therapies exhibit various life-threatening and debilitating adverse effects in patients. Additionally, combination therapies are required for prompt action as well as to prevent drug resistance toward standard breast cancer medications. Ferrite nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly gaining momentum for their application in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Spinel ferrites are particularly used against breast cancer and have shown in vitro and in vivo better efficacy as compared to conventional cancer therapies. Magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents, magnetic particle imaging tracers, cell separation, and immune assays are some aspects related to the diagnosis of breast cancer against which different ferrite NPs have been successfully evaluated. Moreover, citrate-coated nickel ferrite, Mg/Zn ferrites, poly amidoamine dendrimers, cobalt ferrites, graphene oxide cobalt ferrites, doxorubicin functionalized cobalt ferrites, chitosan-coated zinc ferrites, PEG-coated cobalt ferrite, and copper ferrite NPs have demonstrated antiproliferative action against different breast cancer cells. Oxaliplatin-loaded polydopamine/BSA-copper ferrites, functionalized cobalt and zinc ferrites of curcumin, oxaliplatin-copper ferrite NPs, tamoxifen/diosgenin encapsulated ZnO/Mn ferrites, and fabricated core-shell fibers of doxorubicin have been developed to increase the bioavailability and anti-proliferative effect and decrease the toxicity of anticancer drugs. These ferrite NPs showed an anticancer effect at different doses in the presence or absence of an external magnetic field. The present review covers the in-depth investigations of ferrite NPs for the diagnosis and management of breast cancer.

Microbes-assisted phytoremediation of lead and petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated water by water hyacinth.

An experiment was carried out to explore the impact of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs)-degrading microbial consortium (MC) on phytoremediation ability and growth of water hyacinth (WH) plants in water contaminated with lead (Pb) and PHs. Buckets (12-L capacity) were filled with water and WH plants, PHs (2,400 mg L-1) and Pb (10 mg L-1) in respective buckets. Plants were harvested after 30 days of transplanting and results showed that PHs and Pb substantially reduced the agronomic (up to 62%) and physiological (up to 49%) attributes of WH plants. However, the application of MC resulted in a substantial increase in growth (38%) and physiology (22%) of WH plants over uninoculated contaminated control. The WH + MC were able to accumulate 93% Pb and degrade/accumulate 72% of PHs as compared to initial concentration. Furthermore, combined use of WH plants and MC in co-contamination of PHs and Pb, reduced Pb and PHs contents in water by 74% and 68%, respectively, than that of initially applied concentration. Our findings suggest that the WH in combination with PHs-degrading MC could be a suitable nature-based water remediation technology for organic and inorganic contaminants and in future it can be used for decontamination of mix pollutants from water bodies.

Phytoremediation by aquatic macrophytes is a promising technique for the cleanup of environmental toxins from wastewater. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the integrated use of water hyacinth (WH) plants and a newly developed multi-trait microbial consortium for the simultaneous remediation of organic (i.e., petroleum hydrocarbons) and inorganic (i.e., lead) pollutants from the contaminated water. Findings of this study provide the basic but important information on the combined use of WH and microbes for remediation of mix pollution from water bodies.

Expression of concern: Influence of chemical composition on the amount of second phases precipitates and transformation temperatures of TiNiPdCu shape memory alloys prepared through novel powder metallurgy route.

Expression of concern for 'Influence of chemical composition on the amount of second phases precipitates and transformation temperatures of TiNiPdCu shape memory alloys prepared through novel powder metallurgy route' by Abid Hussain et al., RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 29376-29392, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3RA05513B.

Correction: Khan et al. Therapeutic Effects of Saponins for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer by Ameliorating Inflammation and Angiogenesis and Inducing Antioxidant and Apoptotic Effects in Human Cells. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 10665.

In the original publication by Khan et al [...].

Prognostic value of whole-body dynamic 18F-FDG PET/CT Patlak in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the significance of interim whole-body dynamic 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) Patlak parameters for predicting the prognosis of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. To estimate the predictive value of the whole-body dynamic 18F-FDG PET/CT Patlak parameter for 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) and 2-year overall survival (OS). Methods: This study reports the findings of 67 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). These patients underwent interim whole-body dynamic 18F-FDG PET/CT scans from June 2021 to January 2023 at the Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. The predictive values of maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax), maximum of net glucose uptake rate (Kimax) and the predictive model combining Kimax and interim treatment response on the prognosis of patients was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests were used for survival analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to screen for independent prognostic risk factors. Results: After a median follow-up of 18 months, 21 patients (31.3%) experienced disease recurrence or death. The cut-off values for the SUVmax and the Kimax were 6.1 and 0.13 µmol min-1·ml-1, respectively. Ann Arbor stage, IPI, SUVmax, Kimax and interim treatment response were associated with PFS and OS in the univariate analysis. However, only Kimax and interim treatment response were independent influences on PFS and OS in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Interim whole-body dynamic 18F-FDG PET/CT Patlak imaging has significant prognostic value in patients with DLBCL. Among them, the interim dynamic parameter Kimax showed the best predictive value for prognosis compared with the interim SUVmax and interim treatment response. The predictive model established by Kimax and the interim treatment response allowed for the accurate stratification of the prognostic risk of DLBCL.

Influence of chemical composition on the amount of second phases precipitates and transformation temperatures of TiNiPdCu shape memory alloys prepared through novel powder metallurgy route.

The chemical composition of TiNiPdCu high temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMAs) affects their microstructure and martensitic transformations. In TiNiPdC HTSMAs, second phase precipitates were found. Extremely high densities of nanoscale precipitates of TiPdCu and Ti2Pd of particle size 0.8-4.4 µm were found to be produced by the TiNiPdCu alloys. It was found that the TiPdCu-type precipitates were favoured by the preferential migration of Cu atoms towards the heterogeneous nucleation sites, which in turn favoured the fine Ti2Pd-type precipitates. Due primarily to their high-temperature stability, these precipitates significantly strengthened the resistance against transformation-induced plasticity and creep deformation, especially at high loads and high temperatures. High concentrations of these nanoscaled precipitates led to a significant rise in transformation temperatures by 12% and a small decrease in thermal hysteresis by 30%. It was anticipated that the current research findings will have a significant positive impact on the creation of HTSMAs that maintain their benefits of simplicity of manufacture. The HTSMAs developed in current research are beneficial for high temperature sensors and actuators at optimum cost.

The prevalence of prostate cancer in Pakistan: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Prostate cancer is a significant public health issue, ranking as the second most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men. In Pakistan, the prevalence of prostate cancer varies significantly across published articles. This study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of prostate cancer and its associated risk factors in Pakistan. Methods: MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science, Google Scholar, and local databases were searched from inception until March 2023, using key search terms related to the prevalence of prostate cancer. We considered a random-effects meta-analysis to derive the pooled prevalence and relative risks with 95% CIs. Two investigators independently screened articles and performed data extraction and risk of bias analysis. We also conducted meta-regression analysis and stratification to investigate heterogeneity. This study protocol was registered at PROSPERO, number CRD42022376061. Results: Our meta-analysis incorporated 11 articles with a total sample size of 184,384. The overall pooled prevalence of prostate cancer was 5.20% (95% CI: 3.72-6.90%), with substantial heterogeneity among estimates (I2 = 98.5%). The 95% prediction interval of prostate cancer was ranged from 1.74%-10.35%. Subgroup meta-analysis revealed that the highest pooled prevalence of prostate cancer was in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (8.29%; 95% CI: 6.13-10.74%, n = 1), followed by Punjab (8.09%; 95% CI:7.36-8.86%, n = 3), while the lowest was found in Sindh (3.30%; 95% CI: 2.37-4.38%, n = 5). From 2000 to 2010 to 2011-2023, the prevalence of prostate cancer increased significantly from 3.88% (95% CI: 2.72-5.23%) to 5.80% (95% CI: 3.76-8.24%). Conclusions: Our meta-analysis provides essential insights into the prevalence of prostate cancer in Pakistan, highlighting the need for continued research and interventions to address this pressing health issue.