Effect of Classroom Environment on the Academic Achievement of Secondary School Students in the Subject of Pakistan Studies at Secondary Level in Rawalpindi District, Pakistan

The study was carried out to investigate the effect of classroom environment on the academic achievement of students in the subject of Pakistan studies in Rawalpindi district, Pakistan. All the secondary school students were constituted the population of the study. The study was experimental that is why pre-test and posttest design was used. The study was delimited to 10th Grade students and sample students were divided into two groups i.e., control group and experimental group. To examine the academic achievement of students, achievement test was developed. Data was collected through pretest and posttest techniques. Raw data was organized, tabulated, analyzed and interpreted applying descriptive statistics i.e., mean, standard deviation and inferential statistics i.e., independent sample t-test through Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings revealed that a well-managed and vibrant classroom environment has a positive effect on the academic achievement of students in the subject of Pakistan studies at secondary level. Based on findings, it was recommended that an effective, well-managed, vibrant and favourable classroom environment should be ensued for effective instructional process

Translational Implications of Dysregulated Pathways and microRNA Regulation in Quadruple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancers (HER2−, ER−, PR−) continue to present a unique treatment challenge and carry unfavorable prognoses. The elucidation of novel therapeutic targets has necessitated the re-evaluation of stratification approaches to best predict prognosis, treatment response and theranostic and prognostic markers. Androgen receptor expression and function have important implications on proliferation, tumor progression, immunity and molecular signaling in breast cancer. Accordingly, there has been increasing support for classification of androgen receptor-negative triple-negative breast cancer or quadruple-negative breast cancer (QNBC). QNBC has unique molecular, signaling and expression regulation profiles, particularly those affected by microRNA regulatory networks. microRNAs are now known to regulate AR-related targets and pathways that are dysregulated in QNBC, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), SKP2, EN1, ACSL4 and EGFR. In this review, we explore and define the QNBC tumor subtype, its molecular and clinical distinctions from other subtypes, miRNA dysregulation and function in QNBC, and knowledge gaps in the field. Potential insights into clinical and translational implications of these dysregulated networks in QNBC are discussed

Case Report Duodenal Obstruction as First Presentation of Metastatic Breast Cancer

The metastatic breast cancer to the duodenum is rare in spite of common breast cancer. In this paper, we are reporting a rare case of 50-year-old lady who presented with intestinal obstruction as result of metastatic breast cancer which completely responds to chemotherapy. The tumor presents again as brain metastasis after stop of Herceptin due to cardiac toxicity

Duodenal Obstruction as First Presentation of Metastatic Breast Cancer

The metastatic breast cancer to the duodenum is rare in spite of common breast cancer. In this paper, we are reporting a rare case of 50-year-old lady who presented with intestinal obstruction as result of metastatic breast cancer which completely responds to chemotherapy. The tumor presents again as brain metastasis after stop of Herceptin due to cardiac toxicity

Impact of Pathologic Complete Response following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy ± Trastuzumab in Locally Advanced Breast Cancer

Purpose. This study was designed to examine the relationship between breast cancer molecular subtypes and pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) ± trastuzumab, in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Methods. Female patients with LABC (T2–T4, N0–N2, and M0) who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy + trastuzumab if HER2+ subtype, followed by surgery and radiotherapy ± hormonal therapy, were identified. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR) in the breast and axilla (ypT0/ypN0), with final analysis on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Results. Six hundred eighty-one patients with a median age of 44 years, premenopausal: 70%, median tumour size: 7.0 cm (range 4–11 cm), stage II B: 27% and III A/III B: 73%, ER+/HER2−: 40.8%, ER−/HER2−: 23%, ER+/HER2+: 17.7%, and ER−/HER2+: 18.5%. Overall pCR (ypT0/ypN0) was 23%. The pCR rates based on molecular subtypes were ER+/HER2−: 9%; ER+/HER2+: 29%; ER−/HER2−: 31%; and ER−/HER2+: 37%. At median follow-up of 61 months, ER+/HER2+ and ER+/HER2− subtypes had the best 5-year DFS and OS; meanwhile, ER−/HER2+ and ER−/HER2− subtypes had the worst. Conclusion. Women with ER+/HER2− disease are the least likely to achieve pCR, with the highest rates in HER2+ and triple-negative subgroups. Degree of response is associated with OS; despite the comparatively higher likelihood of achieving pCR in ER−/HER2+ and triple-negative, these subgroups experience a survival detriment. We are consistent with the published data that patients who attain the pathological complete response defined as ypT0/ypN0 have improved outcomes

Statistical models used in association analysis.

Interleukin-17F (IL-17F), considered a pro-inflammatory cytokine, has been shown to contribute to skeletal tissue degradation and hence chronic inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study we utilized bioinformatics tools to analyze the effect of three exonic SNPs (rs2397084, rs11465553, and rs763780) on the structure and function of the IL-17F gene, and evaluated their association with RA in Pakistani patients. The predicted deleterious and damaging effects of identified genetic variants were assessed through the utilization of multiple bioinformatics tools including PROVEAN, SNP&GO, SIFT, and PolyPhen2. Structural and functional effects of these variants on protein structures were evaluated through the use of additional tools such as I-Mutant, MutPred, and ConSurf. Three-dimensional (3D) models of both the wild-type and mutant proteins were constructed through the utilization of I-TASSER software, with subsequent structural comparisons between the models conducted through the use of the TM-align score. A total of 500 individuals, 250 cases and 250 controls, were genotyped through Tri-ARMS-PCR method and the resultant data was statistically analyzed using various inheritance models. Our bioinformatics analysis showed significant structural differences for wild type and mutant protein (TM-scores and RMSD values were 0.85934 and 2.34 for rs2397084 (E126G), 0.87388 and 2.49 for rs11465553 (V155I), and 0.86572 and 0.86572 for rs763780 (H161R) with decrease stability for the later. Overall, these tools enabled us to predict that these variants are crucial in causing disease phenotypes. We further tested each of these single nucleotide variants for their association with RA. Our analysis revealed a strong positive association between the genetic variant rs763780 and the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at both the genotypic and allelic levels. The genotypic association was statistically significant[χ2 = 111.8; P value χ2 = 25.24; P value = 0.0001]. However, this variant did not show a significant association with RA at the allelic level [OR = 1.194 (0.930–1.531); P value = 0.183]. However, the distribution of variant rs2397084 was more or less random across our sample with no significant association either at genotypic and or allelic level. Put together, our association study and in silico prediction of decreasing of IL17-F protein stabilty confirmed that two SNPs, rs11465553 and rs763780 are crucial to the suscetibility of and showed that these RA in Pakistani patients.</div