Chronic stress intensify PTZ-induced seizures by triggering neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is a paroxysmal abnormal hypersynchronous electrical discharge characterized by recurrent seizures. It affects more than 50 million people worldwide. Stress is the leading cause of neurodegeneration and can produce seizures that may lead to or aggravate epilepsy. Inflammation plays a vital role in epilepsy by modulating oxidative stress, and levels of neuroinflammatory cytokines including NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-1ß. METHODS: Stress-induced changes in behavior were evaluated in mice by employing behavioral assessment tests such as an elevated plus maze, light-dark box, open field test, tail suspension test, Y-maze, novel object recognition test, and Morris water maze in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) kindled mice. Behavioral changes in all these paradigms including seizure score, latency, and frequency showed an increase in symptoms in PTZ (35 mg/kg) induced seizures in stressed mice (RS-PTZ) as compared to PTZ, Stress, and normal animals. RESULTS: The Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results confirmed increased in serum cortisol levels. Histological examinations showed neurodegenerative changes in the hippocampus and cortex regions. The spectrophotometric evaluation showed an increase in oxidative stress by decreasing antioxidant production i.e. reduced glutathione, glutathione -s- transferase, and catalase (CAT), and increasing oxidant levels such as maloaldehyde and nitric oxide. Immunohistochemistry results showed increased expression of NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-1ß in the cortex and hippocampus of mice brains. CONCLUSIONS: Results from the study conclude that stress increases the likelihood of eliciting an epileptic attack by increasing the level of reactive oxygen species and neuroinflammation.

Optimizing water relations, gas exchange parameters, biochemical attributes and yield of water-stressed maize plants through seed priming with iron oxide nanoparticles.

Drought poses significant risks to maize cultivation by impairing plant growth, water uptake and yield; nano priming offers a promising avenue to mitigate these effects by enhancing plant water relations, stress tolerance and overall productivity. In the current experiment, we tested a hypothesis that seed priming with iron oxide nanoparticles (n-Fe2O3) can improve maize performance under water stress by improving its growth, water relations, yield and biochemical attributes. The experiment was conducted on a one main plot bisected into two subplots corresponding to the water and drought environments. Within each subplot, maize plants were raised from n-Fe2O3 primed seeds corresponding to 0 mg. L- 1 (as control treatment), 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg. L- 1 (as trial treatments). Seed priming with n-Fe2O3 at a concentration of 75 mg. L- 1 improved the leaf relative water content, water potential, photosynthetic water use efficiency, and leaf intrinsic water use efficiency of maize plants by 13%, 44%, 64% and 17%, respectively compared to control under drought stress. The same treatments improved plant biochemical attributes such as total chlorophyll content, total flavonoids and ascorbic acid by 37%, 22%, and 36%, respectively. Seed priming with n-Fe2O3 accelerated the functioning of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and POD and depressed the levels of leaf malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide significantly. Seed priming with n-Fe2O3 at a concentration of 75 mg. L- 1 improved cob length, number of kernel rows per cob, and 100 kernel weight by 59%, 27% and 33%, respectively, under drought stress. Seed priming with n-Fe2O3 can be used to increase maize production under limited water scenarios.

In vivo evaluation of efficacy and safety of Coagulansin-A in treating arthritis.

The current study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of Coag-A through in vivo analysis in CFA induced mice model. Treatment of CFA induced arthritis in mice with Coagulansin-A (10 mg/kg i.p. daily for 28 days), a withanolide obtained from Withania coagulans, as well as standard drug treatment with Dexamethasone (5 mg/kg i.p) was provided. The effect of Coag-A on body weight, relative organ weight, hematology, serum biochemistry, survival rate, oxidative stress markers, and antioxidant enzymes was evaluated. The liver and kidney histopathology were also assessed to ascertain its safety profile. Treatment of arthritic mice with Coag-A considerably improved body weight, relative organ weight of liver, kidney, and spleen, ameliorated hematology and serum biochemistry, and increased survival and antioxidant potential. Coag-A was found to be safer with fewer adverse effects showing hepato-protective, nephroprotective, and anti-inflammatory effect. It also significantly (p < 0.001) improved histopathology of CFA-induced mice when compared with Dexa. In conclusion, compared to dexamethasone, Coag-A has demonstrated a greater therapeutic benefit and fewer side effects in the treatment of arthritis against the CFA-induced model.

Optimal surgical approach for mid-transverse colon cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The incidence of cancer colon has increased dramatically. In addition, the database lacks a review to analyze the outcomes of surgeries for mid-transverse colon cancer with several recent controversial studies. We aimed to compare the outcomes of extended hemicolectomy versus transverse colectomy for mid-transverse colon cancer. METHOD: PubMed, Scopes, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were searched for eligible studies from inception to 1 December 2022 and a systematic review and meta-analysis were done to detect. RESULTS: According to eligibility criteria, 8 studies (2237 patients) were included in our study. The pooled results of the included studies showed no difference in the 5-year OS, 3-year DFS and 5-year DFS between the two types of surgery (5-year OS, RR = 1.15, 95% CI 0.94-1.39, P = 0.17), (3-year OS, RR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.88-1.06, P = 0.42) and (5-year DFS, RR = 1.21, 95% CI 0.91-1.62, P = 0.20). In addition to that, the recurrence rate and the incidence of complications were similar in the two groups (Recurrence rate, RR = 1.08, 95% CI 0.62-1.89, P = 0.79) and (Complications, RR = 1.07, 95% CI 0.74-1.54, P = 0.72). However, the number of LN harvest and the time of the operation were more in case of extended hemicolectomy. CONCLUSION: Despite harvesting less LN, transverse colectomy has similar oncological outcomes to extended hemicolectomy for mid-transverse colon cancer. In addition to that, there was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two surgeries.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic potential of Coagulansin-A: in vitro and in vivo studies.

The current work was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic potential of Coagulansin-A (Coag-A) using mouse macrophages and arthritic mice. In the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells, the effects of Coag-A on the release of nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and pro-inflammatory cytokines were analyzed. In addition, the mediators involved in the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathways were evaluated by the RT-qPCR and western blotting. Coag-A did not show significant cytotoxicity in the RAW 264.7 cells in the tested concentration range (1-100 µM). Coag-A significantly inhibited the production of NO, ROS, and key pro-inflammatory cytokines. The anti-inflammatory effects of Coag-A might be through inhibiting the NF-κB pathway and activating the Nrf2 pathway. In the arthritic mouse models, behavioral studies and radiological and histological analyses were performed. We found that the i.p. injection of Coag-A dose-dependently (1-10 mg/kg) reduced the Carrageenan-induced acute inflammation in the mice. In Complete Freund's Reagent-induced arthritic mouse model, Coag-A (10 mg/kg) showed significant anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects in terms of the arthritic index, hematological parameters, and synovium inflammation. After the Coag-A treatment, the bone and tissue damage was ameliorated significantly in the arthritic mice. Moreover, immunohistochemistry of mouse paw tissues revealed a significant reduction in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the NF-κB pathway, confirming Coag-A's therapeutic potential and mechanism.

Insights into phytonutrient profile and postharvest quality management of jackfruit: A review.

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.), also known as 'vegetarian's meat', is an excellent source of carbohydrates, protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and several phytochemicals. It is a climacteric fruit that exhibits an increase in ethylene biosynthesis and respiration rate during fruit ripening. The market value of jackfruit is reduced due to the deterioration of fruit quality during storage and transportation. There is a lack of standardized harvest maturity index in jackfruit, where consequently, fruit harvested at immature or overmature stages result in poor quality ripe fruit with short storage life. Other factors responsible for its short postharvest life relate to its highly perishable nature, chilling sensitivity and susceptibility to fruit rot which result in significant qualitative and quantitative losses. Various postharvest management techniques have been adopted to extend the storage life, including cold storage, controlled atmosphere storage, modified atmosphere packaging, edible coatings, chemical treatment, and non-chemical alternatives. Diversified products have been prepared from jackfruit to mitigate such losses. This comprehensive review highlights the nutritional profile, fruit ripening physiology, pre and postharvest quality management, and value addition of jackfruit as well as the way forward to reduce postharvest losses in the supply chain.

Antioxidants improve ß-cypermethrin degradation by alleviating oxidative damage and increasing bioavailability by Bacillus cereus GW-01.

Microbial degradation of pesticide residues has the potential to reduce their hazards to human and environmental health. However, in some cases, degradation can activate pesticides, making them more toxic to microbes. Here we report on the ß-cypermethrin (ß-CY) toxicity to Bacillus cereus GW-01, a recently described ß-CY degrader, and effects of antioxidants on ß-CY degradation. GW-01 exposed to ß-CY negatively affected the growth rate. The highest maximum specific growth rate (µm) appeared at 25 mg/L ß-CY. ß-CY induced the oxidative stress in GW-01. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalyse (CAT), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were significantly higher than that in control (p < 0.01); but they are decreased as growth phase pronged, which is contrary to the ß-CY degradation by GW-01 cells obtaining from various growth phase. Ascorbic acid (Vc), tea polyphenols (TP), and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) improved the degradation through changing the physiological property of GW-01. TP and AMP prompted the expression of gene encoding ß-CY degradation in GW-01, while Vc does the opposite. Biofilm formation was significantly inhibited by ß-CY, while was significantly enhanced by certain concentrations of TP and AMP (p < 0.05); while cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) was negatively associated with ß-CY concentrations from 25 to 100 mg/L, and these 4 antioxidants all boosted the CSH. Cells grown with ß-CY had lower levels of saturated fatty acids but increased levels of some unsaturated and branched fatty acids, and these antioxidants alleviated the FA composition changes and gene expression related with FA metabolism. We also mined transcriptome analyses at lag, logarithmic, and stationary phases, and found that ß-CY induced oxidative stress. The objective of this study was to elaborate characteristics in relation to the microbial resistance of pesticide poisoning and the efficiency of pesticide degradation, and to provide a promising method for improving pesticide degradation by microbes.

Environmental performance measurement in arts and cultural organisations: Exploring factors influencing organisational changes.

Arts and Cultural Organisations (ACOs) have received significant attention over the last few years regarding their environmental performance. ACOs are often non-profit organisations, relying on government funding to implement various programmes to support societal development. Funding dependence can shift ACOs' focus from creating socio-cultural value to being more commercially driven. This paper explores factors influencing organisational changes in ACOs related to environmental performance measurement. Stakeholders in ACOs based in Nottingham, England, were interviewed and participated in a workshop to validate and collect additional data. Our research uncovered five interrelated factors that influence organisational change: the role of funding bodies; local policies and networks; organisational culture and leadership; lack of resources; and building proprietary-tenant relationships. This paper contributes to understanding ACOs responses to measuring environmental performance and the challenges they face as they move from measuring to implementation. Implications are explored for how funding is allocated and understood in terms of moving beyond merely measuring the carbon footprint of activities. ACOs' funding dependence indicates a focus on carbon measurement, omitting a more holistic approach towards the environment and sustainability.

Synergistic Influence of Yeast Extract and Calcium Oxide Nanoparticles on the Synthesis of Bioactive Antioxidants and Metabolites in Swertia chirata In Vitro Callus Cultures.

The challenges in the production of metabolites of medicinal potential from wild plants include low yields, slow growth rates, seasonal variations, genetic variability and regulatory as well as ethical constraints. Overcoming these challenges is of paramount significance and interdisciplinary approaches and innovative strategies are prevalently applied to optimize phytoconstituents' production, enhance yield, biomass, ensure sustainable consistency and scalability. In this study, we investigated the effects of elicitation with yeast extract and calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaONPs) on in vitro cultures of Swertia chirata (Roxb. ex Fleming) Karsten. Specifically, we examined the effects of different concentrations of CaONPs in combination with different concentrations of yeast extract on various parameters related to callus growth, antioxidant activity, biomass and phytochemical contents. Our results showed that elicitation with yeast extract and CaONPs had significant effects on the growth and characteristics of callus cultures of S. chirata. The treatments involving yeast extract and CaONPs were found to be the most effective in increasing the contents of total flavonoid contents (TFC), total phenolic contents (TPC), amarogentin and mangiferin. These treatments also led to an improvement in the contents of total anthocyanin and alpha tocopherols. Additionally, the DPPH scavenging activity was significantly increased in the treated samples. Furthermore, the treatments involving elicitation with yeast extract and CaONPs also led to significant improvements in callus growth and characteristics. These treatments promoted callus response from an average to an excellent level and improved the color and nature of the callus from yellow to yellow-brown and greenish and from fragile to compact, respectively. The best response was observed in treatments involving 0.20 g/L yeast extract and 90 ug/L CaONPs. Overall, our findings suggest that elicitation with yeast extract and CaONPs can be a useful strategy for promoting the growth, biomass, phytochemical contents and antioxidant activity of callus cultures of S. chirata in comparison to wild plant herbal drug samples.

Chemodiversity, Biological Activities and Molecular Docking Studies of Leptadenia pyrotechnica (Forssk.) Decne: A Comprehensive Approach to Validate Its Medicinal Use.

Leptadenia pyrotechnica (Forssk.) Decne is growing in Cholistan desert, and is known for its laxative, analgesic, anabolic and astringent, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antitumor, hypolipidemic and antiatherosclerotic properties. The present study disclosed the metabolic picture of L. pyrotechnica and validates its folk uses. LP-H fraction constitute 25.79±0.11 mgGAE/g extract and 20.64±0.33 mgRE/g extract of phenolic and flavonoid content, respectively, followed by LP-E (23.15±0.33 mgGAE/g extract and 19.40±0.13 mgRE/g extract), however, LP-E exhibited the highest free radical scavenging (DPPH: 21.05±0.45mgTE/g and ABTS: 68.12±0.53 mgTE/g) and metal reducing (FRAP: 44.93±1.66, CUPRAC: 117.42±1.28 mgTE/g, respectively) activities. The total antioxidant capacity in Phosphomolybdenum assay (1.52±0.14 mmolTE/g) and ferrous ion chelating (11.57±0.29 mgEDTAE/g) activities were observed highest for LP-H extract. In cholinesterase's inhibitory assays, the LP-E and LP-W extracts exhibited inhibitory values as 2.43 and 2.40±0.07 mgGALAE/g extract, respectively against AChE, while against BChE the LP-H displayed the highest value as 5.98±0.44 mgGALAE/g extract. The LP-H fraction also showed the highest inhibition potential (7.72±0.14 mmol ACAE/g and 0.55±0.01 mmol ACAE/g, respectively) against α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes, while, in tyrosinase inhibitory assay, all the fractions exhibited significant activities in the range of 59.35±0.29 to 55.18±0.49 mgKAE/g extract. RP-UHPLC/MS analysis of LP-M disclosed the presence of 57 metabolites of various classes. A multivariate analysis and molecular docking study was also carried out to establish relationships between the metabolites and the biological activities, which finally validate the use of L. pyrotechnica as herbal medicine or component nutraceutical, food and cosmetic industry.

Rasagiline Pharmacokinetics in CYP1A2 Variant Healthy Smokers & Non-smokers in Different Doses.

Objectives: Rasagiline, a drug for Parkinson's disease is metabolized by CYP1A2 enzyme. The objective of the study was to investigate the influence of cytochrome P450 1A2 variants and smoking status of healthy individuals on the pharmacokinetics of rasagiline. Methods: A comparative, open label, interventional, single oral dose, pharmacokinetic study was performed on 108 healthy volunteers in UHS & UVAS, Lahore. Data collection was initiated in June 2016 and ended in January 2018. It was divided in three phases with 1, 2 and 5mg of rasagiline given to a group of 36 volunteers in each phase. Volunteers were sub-divided into six groups of AA smokers, AA non-smokers, AC smokers, AC non-smokers, CC smokers & CC non-smokers on the basis of genotyping and smoking status. Serial blood sampling was performed at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 & 12 hours after administration of rasagiline tablets. Plasma concentrations were determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method. Pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters were calculated using software (APO) pharmacological analysis. Results: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant difference between AA and CC groups. Multiple group comparison with post hoc Tukey's revealed that AA-smokers had significantly less tmax (p<0.001), t1/2 (p<0.012), AUC (p<0.008) and highest Cl (p<0.001) as compared to CC-smokers. The trend was same across all three doses. Conclusion: The study concludes that the systemic metabolism of rasagiline is significantly increased in CYP1A2*AA variants while smoking status did not show consistent difference in PK parameters.

Strain tuning of the Curie temperature and valley polarization in two dimensional ferromagnetic WSe2/CrSnSe3heterostructure.

Magnetic proximity effect can be used to tailor the magnetic ground state and valley polarization in the monolayer of transition metal dichalcogenides. Thus, we explore the effect of biaxial tensile and compressive strain on valley polarization in the WSe2/CrSnSe3heterostructures with different stacking orders systematically. The indirect band gaps in the two most stable stackings; hollow (0.27 eV) and top (0.33 eV) were further enhanced to 0.35 eV under tensile strain while suppressed to almost 0.13 eV under compressive strain. The heterostructures had a FM ground state with a total magnetic moment per unit cell of 6µBin pristine as well as strained structures. In hollow stacking and compressively strained structures, we obtained a perpendicular magnetocrystalline anisotropy, while the top stacking and tensile strain structures had small in-plane anisotropy. An enhancement was found in Curie temperature from 73 K in pristine to 128 K in a 6% tensile strained structure. The valley splittings found in pristine hollow (4 meV) and top (9 meV) stacked heterostructures were further enhanced to 29 meV and 22 meV at 5% compressive strain respectively. This enhancement was attributed to the increased spatial dependence of the charge density along K+and K-directions of the Brillouin zone, which give rise to the different local dipolar fields at these valleys. Our results suggest that strain could be an effective way to control or tune the valley splitting in WSe2/CrSnSe3heterostructures.

Comprehensive Comparative Analysis of the GATA Transcription Factors in Four Rosaceae Species and Phytohormonal Response in Chinese Pear (Pyrus bretschneideri) Fruit.

The GATA gene family is one of the most important transcription factors (TFs). It extensively exists in plants, contributes to diverse biological processes such as the development process, and responds to environmental stress. Although the GATA gene family has been comprehensively and systematically studied in many species, less is known about GATA genes in Chinese pears (Pyrus bretschneideri). In the current study, the GATA gene family in the four Rosaceae genomes was identified, its structural characteristics identified, and a comparative analysis of its properties was carried out. Ninety-two encoded GATA proteins were authenticated in the four Rosaceae genomes (Pyrus bretschneideri, Prunus avium, Prunus mume, and Prunus persica) and categorized into four subfamilies (Ⅰ-Ⅳ) according to phylogeny. The majority of GATA genes contained one to two introns and conserved motif composition analysis revealed their functional divergence. Whole-genome duplications (WGDs) and dispersed duplication (DSD) played a key role in the expansion of the GATA gene family. The microarray indicated that, among P. bretschneideri, P. avium, P. mume and P. persica, GATA duplicated regions were more conserved between Pyrus bretschneideri and Prunus persica with 32 orthologous genes pairs. The physicochemical parameters, duplication patterns, non-synonymous (ka), and synonymous mutation rate (ks) and GO annotation ontology were performed using different bioinformatics tools. cis-elements respond to various phytohormones, abiotic/biotic stress, and light-responsive were found in the promoter regions of GATA genes which were induced via stimuli. Furthermore, subcellular localization of the PbGATA22 gene product was investigated, showing that it was present in the nucleus of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) epidermal cells. Finally, in silico analysis was performed on various organs (bud, leaf, stem, ovary, petal, and sepal) and different developmental stages of fruit. Subsequently, the expression profiles of PbGATA genes were extensively expressed under exogenous hormonal treatments of SA (salicylic acid), MeJA (methyl jasmonate), and ABA (abscisic acid) indicating that play important role in hormone signaling pathways. A comprehensive analysis of GATA transcription factors was performed through systematic biological approaches and comparative genomics to establish a theoretical base for further structural and functional investigations in Rosaceae species.

Flavonoids and type 2 diabetes: Evidence of efficacy in clinical and animal studies and delivery strategies to enhance their therapeutic efficacy.

Diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder develops due to the overproduction of free radicals where oxidative stress could contribute it. Possible factors are defective insulin signals, glucose oxidation, and degradation of glycated proteins as well as alteration in glutathione metabolism which induced hyperglycemia. Previous studies revealed a link between T2DM with oxidative stress, inflammation and insulin resistance which are assumed to be regulated by numerous cellular networks such as NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, MAPK, GSK3 and PPARγ. Flavonoids are ubiquitously present in the nature and classified according to their chemical structures for example, flavonols, flavones, flavan-3-ols, anthocyanidins, flavanones, and isoflavones. Flavonoids indicate poor bioavailability which could be improved by employing various nano-delivery systems against the occurrences of T2DM. These bioactive compounds exert versatile anti-diabetic activities via modulating targeted cellular signaling networks, thereby, improving glucose metabolism, α -glycosidase, and glucose transport or aldose reductase by carbohydrate metabolic pathway in pancreatic ß-cells, hepatocytes, adipocytes and skeletal myofibres. Moreover, anti-diabetic properties of flavonoids also encounter diabetic related complications. This review article has designed to shed light on the anti-diabetic potential of flavonoids, contribution of oxidative stress, evidence of efficacy in clinical, cellular and animal studies and nano-delivery approaches to enhance their therapeutic efficacy. This article might give some new insights for therapeutic intervention against T2DM in near future.

Tetramethylpyrazine from adlay (Coix lacryma-jobi) biotransformation by Bacillus subtilis and its quality characteristics.

Adlay, as a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used in nourishing foods, which are rich in a variety of nutrients (special biological compounds). The study was designed to optimize the fermentation parameters of dehulled, polished and broken adlay fermented by Bacillus subtilis BJ3-2 with regard to tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) yield and fibrinolytic enzyme activity. Then the proximate and bioactive components of B. subtilis-fermented adlay were evaluated. Box-Behnken design results showed that the TMP yield was 6.93 mg/g DW (dried weight) of B. subtilis-fermented polished adlay, which was about 136 times higher than that of B. subtilis-fermented soybean (BSB). The fibrinolytic enzyme activity was 2236.17 U/g in B. subtilis-fermented dehulled adlay, and slightly less than in BSB. B. subtilis-fermented adlay contained higher fat, free amino acids and fatty acids contents but lower protein and starch contents than raw adlay. Except for coixol and coixan, the levels of γ-aminobutyric acid, triterpenes, phenolics, flavonoids and coixenolide in B. subtilis-fermented adlay increased by 14.05, 2.02, 2.31 and 1.36 times, respectively. The contents of phenolic acids including caffeic, gallic, catechinic and chlonogenic acids in the free phenolic extracts significantly increased (p < 0.05). The results demonstrated that the biotransformation of high-yield TMP, fibrinolytic enzyme and other bioactive components of B. subtilis-fermented adlay products was realized. B. subtilis-fermented adlay could be a promising value-added food, and that is more suitable for human consumption.

The Integrated Clinical Anatomy Program at Alfaisal University: an innovative model of teaching clinically applied functional anatomy in a hybrid curriculum.

Anatomy has historically been a cornerstone in medical education regardless of specialty. It is essential for physicians to be able to perform a variety of tasks, including performing invasive procedures, examining radiological images, performing a physical examination of a patient, etc. Medical students have to be prepared for such tasks, and we can assist this by changing the way that we educate students in medical schools. Thus, newer medical curricula need to be designed according to needs of future physicians. In this report, we describe a unique program called the Integrated Clinical Anatomy Program (ICAP). The ICAP was developed at the College of Medicine of Alfaisal University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Here, we describe the unique features of this program, including the structure and facilities of the Anatomy Resource Center. The Anatomy Resource Center plays a pivotal role in engaging the students for faculty-directed structured laboratory sessions as well as peer-assisted uniform student-centered learning. The ICAP has shown great promise, as reflected by early results from a nationwide progress test. Students from all years of the Alfaisal University medical school scored significantly higher than the national average on the anatomy and physiology component of the nationwide progress test examination, with P values of 0.0179 and 0.0015, respectively. We believe that the ICAP can be used as a model for teaching clinically applied functional anatomy to medical students in a hybrid curriculum around the world.

Constitutional Reforms In Pakistan: Turning Around The Picture Of Health Sector In Punjab Province.

consequences of 2011 reforms on the future roles demarcation between the federation and provinces for steering the health sector. The objective of this assessment study was to conduct an institutional appraisal of the provincial health department in Punjab to mark the achievements, problem areas and issues, as well as to formulate the recommendations in the post-devolution scenario. It was an in-depth literature review comprising papers found on PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar, reports published by the government departments, independent research works, academic papers, and documents produced by the development agencies in Pakistan, covering 18th constitutional amendment and its implications on health sector. Following 18th amendment, the Punjab Government formulated health sector strategy (2012-2017) which is being implemented in a phased approach. All districts have developed their three years rolling out plans. An integrated strategic and operational plan of MNCH, Nutrition and Family Planning is under review for approval. Punjab Health Care Commission has been established and is functional to regulate the health sector. Development agencies have in principle committed to support health sector strategy till 2017. Fair investments in improving governance, service delivery structure, human resource, health information, and medical products are expected more than ever in the post 18th amendment scenario. This is the chance for the health system of Punjab to serve the vulnerable people of the provinces, saving them from health shocks.

Facile hydrothermal synthesis of a tri-metallic Cu-Mn-Ni oxide-based electrochemical pseudo capacitor.

Transition metal oxide nanocomposites with heterostructures have gained a lot of attention for use in supercapacitors owing to their low cost, high surface area, fast transport of ions and electrons and high specific capacitance due to efficacious interplay between the electrode and the electrolytes. In this study, we fabricated tri-metallic Cu, Mn, Ni(CMNO), bi-metallic Mn, Ni(MNO) and mono-metallic Ni(NO) oxides through a facile hydrothermal route. All the fabricated materials were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), and their electrochemical properties were studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD). The CMNO material showed remarkable electrochemical performance with a specific capacitance of 790.63 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1, surpassing the performance of MNO (438.4 F g-1) and NO (290.82 F g-1). Furthermore, CMNO showed high cycling stability with a retention of 96.7% specific capacitance after 8000 cycles. Based on remarkable and unique properties, the CMNO material is regarded as a promising material for new-generation pseudo-capacitor applications.

Clinical outcomes of a dedicated bifurcation stent system.

INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of bifurcation lesions is technically challenging and associated with higher rates of complications such as stent thrombosis or in-stent restenosis. In this paper, we present the clinical outcomes of BiOSS LIM C (Balton, Poland), a dedicated bifurcation stent. METHODS: In this retrospective single-center study we analyzed the outcome of patients with bifurcation coronary artery disease treated with the BiOSS LIM C stent system. The primary endpoint was the cumulative rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) and target lesion revascularisation (TLR) at the longest available follow-up. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 25 patients (mean age 73.6 ± 9.7 years, 25 % females). In 80 % of the cases (n = 20) BiOSS LIM C stent was implanted in the left main coronary artery. Intravascular imaging was used in 70 % of the cases and an additional regular drug-eluting stent (DES) was deployed in the side branch in 24 % of the cases. The device success rate was 100 % and we observed no in-hospital adverse events. At a median follow-up of 15 ± 6 months, the MACE rate was 56 %, cardiac death was 4 %, and clinically driven TLR was 55 %. One patient died in the LM subgroup, 5 months after the index PCI, due to NSTEMI complicated by cardiogenic shock. Two patients died due to non-cardiac causes. CONCLUSIONS: In this consecutive series of patients treated with BiOSS LIM C in major coronary bifurcation lesions, mostly in the left main stem, the mid-term clinical outcomes demonstrated a high incidence of major adverse events, mainly caused by TLR, despite an adequate implantation technique.