CDX-2 expression in colorectal cancer: A single centre study from Pakistan

Introduction:  Tumors of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, share a major burden for mortality and morbidity all over the world. The most common site of carcinoma of GIT is colon and rectum (70%). The etiological factors may be environmental (diet) and genetic. CDX-2 has been proposed as being present in most of the cases with colorectal carcinoma. Objective: To determine the frequency of positive expression of CDX2 in diagnosed cases of colorectal adenocarcinoma diagnosed on haematoxylin and eosin stain. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study and was conducted at ---(deleted for blind review)--- over period of 2 years We included all paraffin embedded tissue sections of colorectal carcinoma of both genders with an age range of 25-75 years. Specimens were stained with Heamatoxylin and Eosin (H & E) and examined microscopically for presence or absence of invasive cancer. Another specimen was taken and stained with CDX2. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 24. Results: A total of 125 cases with colorectal carcinoma diagnosed on H & E stain were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was found to be 52.66 ± 14.62 years. In this study, 67 patients (53.6%) were male and 58 patients (46.4%) were having final diagnosis of Adenocarcinoma. Regarding the site, most common lesion involved rectum, followed by sigmoid colon and ascending colon. Among 125 specimens reviewed, 112 patients (89.6%) were CDX-2 positive while 13 patients (10.4%) were CDX-2 negative. Also we stratified the CDX-2 expression according to site and type of colorectal carcinoma and was found significant for both of these (P<0.05). Conclusion: We concluded that CDX-2 was present in almost 90% of colorectal carcinoma specimens so it can be used as an important diagnostic tool for colorectal carcinoma during histopathological diagnosis. Keywords: Colorectal carcinoma; CDX-2; Hematoxylin; Eosi

Exploring Emotional and Psychological Impacts of Mammography in Women

Introduction: Mammography is a diagnostic tool that is routinely used to test women for breast cancer. While it has been shown to be beneficial in detecting early-stage malignancies, it can also have emotional and psychological consequences for patients. The goal of this study is to dive into the emotional and psychological experiences of mammography patients. We hope to obtain a better understanding of the potential complications and problems faced by women during the screening process by investigating these elements. Materials and Methods: The Psychological Consequences Questionnaire (PCQ) and a self-administered questionnaire were used to collect data. SPSS was used for statistical analysis. All participants were given information about mammography technology and safety, and their participation was based on informed consent. Results: The study included 60 women ranging in age from 40 to 67 years old, with a mean age of 50.22. The PCQ results revealed a high prevalence of symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite, depression or unhappy feelings, fear and panic, nervousness or tension, feeling under pressure, withholding items, venting frustrations on others, withdrawal from relationships, difficulty with daily tasks, and difficulties fulfilling obligations. These findings shed light on the psychological repercussions that people face and point to the necessity for support networks or therapy to address these concerns. Conclusion:  This research focuses on the emotional and psychological effects of mammography on women. The data suggest that anxiety is a common feeling for women undergoing mammography, which could be exacerbated by previous negative experiences or fear of breast cancer. In order to provide holistic and comprehensive care, healthcare providers must recognize and meet patients\u27 emotional and psychological needs

Case-Control Study on Fetal Outcomes in Isolated Oligohydramnios in Third Trimester

Background: Oligohydramnios is defined as a condition with low volume of amniotic fluid relative to gestational age. Long-term oligohydramnios can result in pulmonary hypoplasia, intra uterine growth retardation, Potter’s syndrome, club hand & foot and dislocation of hip. This study was conducted to assess feto-maternal outcome in isolated oligohydramnios and factors associated with poor outcome. Methodology: This case-control study was conducted from January to December 2020 in the Gynecology & Obstetrics and Radiology departments of HBS General Hospital, Islamabad. Total 300 patients with isolated oligohydramnios fulfilling the criterion were included. For cases, patients with singleton intrauterine pregnancy with AFI <5, of any age or parity with gestational age of more than 34 weeks were included. 300 controls were also taken. Patients with increased amount of amniotic fluid, diabetics, hypertensive and cardiac patients were excluded. Patient were followed up till delivery. Mode of delivery was checked out. Fetal APGAR score at 1 minute and at 5 minutes were observed. New born weight and  NICU admissions were recorded. Data was  analyzed via SPSS v26. Results: Forty six percent (n=138) patients underwent caesarean section while fifty four percent (n=162) had normal vaginal delivery. Significant association (OR=1.85, P<0.001) was found between caesarean section in mothers with oligohydramnios compared to controls. Thirty eight percent (n=114) of neonates among cases had low APGAR score. Significant association (OR=3.29, P<0.001) was found between low APGAR score and mothers with oligohydramnios compare3d to controls. Thirty percent (n=90) required NICU  admission. There were 6 still births. Mother’s with oligohydramnios have double risk of still birth and NICU admission compared to women with normal fluid levels. Conclusion: Neonate born with mothers having oligohydramnios have low birth weight, lower APGAR scores and high rate of NICU admissions. Delivery at 37-39 weeks in oligohydramnios is associated with higher rate of still births

Luminescent, sorptive and antibacterial potential of bismuth-organic framework

Metal organic frameworks are formed by the three-dimensional linkage of metal cores and organic linkers. In this work, bismuth-based metal organic framework (Bi-MOF) has been synthesized by using 5-hydroxyisophthalic acid (H2HIA) as linker via hydrothermal method. The said MOF was structurally characterized by UV/Vis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), 1H NMR, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction technique. This MOF showed highly porous structure with surface area 1096 m2/g as determined by BET analysis. A model batch adsorption experiment was performed to evaluate the efficiency of methylene blue (MB) dye removal from aqueous media. It was found that monolayer adsorption capacity calculated from the Langmuir isotherm was 0.6240 mg/g. Bi-MOF was also screened for its antibacterial and luminescent behavior.                     KEY WORDS: Bismuth, Metal-organic Frameworks, Luminescence, Sorption   Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2021, 35(1), 119-128. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v35i1.1

Comprehensive human health risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in urban soils: insights from selected metropolitan zones

Introduction: This study aims to assess the extent of heavy metal contamination in urban soils in sixteen selected cities of Pakistan, encompassing the elements cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu).Methods: The data utilized for this study was collected from online literature during the period 2005 to 2019. This study investigated potential threats to human health through a comprehensive analysis, considering standards such as Enrichment Factors (EF), Geo-accumulation Indices (Igeo), and Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA).Results: Geo-accumulation Index results indicated varied risk intensities, with Cu, Pb, Co, Mn, and Fe exhibiting “no pollution” levels, while other elements show “moderate to extremely contaminated” values. EF analysis provided evidence of heavy metal presence, revealing a spectrum from “no pollution” to “moderate to extremely high pollution” for Cd, Zn, Cr, Ni, and Cu. The health risk assessment identified both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic dangers for adults and children.Discussion: These findings highlighted the substantial contribution of identified sources such as industrial processes, vehicular emissions, sewage sludge, urban flooding, and the production and use of metallic materials that have elevated heavy metal levels in the urban soils. This established the link between urban industrial zones, human health, and long-term economic sustainability. This study provides essential guidance for decision makers to develop effective strategies for soil remediation, enhanced industrial practices, and regulatory measures to address heavy metal contamination in urban areas, ensuring the wellbeing and sustainable environmental quality management in cities

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

A Path-Planning Performance Comparison of RRT*-AB with MEA* in a 2-Dimensional Environment

With the advent of mobile robots in commercial applications, the problem of path-planning has acquired significant attention from the research community. An optimal path for a mobile robot is measured by various factors such as path length, collision-free space, execution time, and the total number of turns. MEA* is an efficient variation of A* for optimal path-planning of mobile robots. RRT*-AB is a sampling-based planner with rapid convergence rate, and improved time and space requirements than other sampling-based methods such as RRT*. The purpose of this paper is the review and performance comparison of these planners based on metrics, i.e., path length, execution time, and memory requirements. All planners are tested in structured and complex unstructured environments cluttered with obstacles. Performance plots and statistical analysis have shown that MEA* requires less memory and computational time than other planners. These advantages of MEA* make it suitable for off-line applications using small robots with constrained power and memory resources. Moreover, performance plots of path length of MEA* is comparable to RRT*-AB with less execution time in the 2D environment. However, RRT*-AB will outperform MEA* in high-dimensional problems because of its inherited suitability for complex problems

Taxonomical Studies on Faunistic Composition Of Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera:Chalcidoidea) of Kashmir Valley

The Super family Chalcidoidea, commonly referred to as ‘chalcids’ belongs to the insect order Hymenoptera. It constitutes one of the largest groups under this order, with over 22, 000 known species and an estimated total diversity of any where from 100,000 to 500, 000 species, meaning a vast majority of chalcid fauna yet to be discovered and described from the world. Most of the species are parasitoids of other insects, attacking the egg, larval or pupal stages of at least 12 different insect orders, including Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, as well as two orders of Arachnida, and also one family of nematodes. Although a majority of chalcids are entomophagous (parasitic), a few species are phytophagous, whose larvae feed inside seeds, stems and galls. Chalcids are generally beneficial to humans as this group keeps various crop pests under control. A variety of chalcid species have been utilized under a number of bio control programmes through out the world