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Among renewable resources, solar energy is abundant and cost effective. However, the efficiency and performance of photovoltaic panels (PVs) are adversely affected by the rise in the surface temperature of solar cells. This paper analyzes the idea of utilizing thermoelectric modules (TEMs) to enhance the efficiency and performance of PV panels. The proposed hybrid solar thermoelectric generation (HSTEG) system employs TEMs as thermoelectric coolers (TECs) to enhance panel efficiency and as thermoelectric generators (TEGs) to convert excess heat into additional electricity. This study includes an extensive evaluation of the proposed idea using MATLAB Simulink and experimental validation in indoor as well as outdoor environments. The use of TECs for the active cooling of the PV system leads to an increase in its efficiency by 9.54%. Similarly, the passive cooling by TECs along with the additional power generated by the TEGs from the excessive heat led to an increase in the efficiency of the PV system of 15.50%. The results demonstrate the HSTEG system’s potential to significantly improve PV panel efficiency and energy generation, offering a promising avenue for advancing solar energy technology.

Introduction This study aimed to evaluate treatment outcomes of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-directed therapies in patients with non-metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer treated in a low-resource setting. Specifically, we assessed the impact of dual blockade (trastuzumab and pertuzumab), trastuzumab alone, or no HER2-targeted therapy on rates of residual disease, pathological complete response (pCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, including 299 patients with non-metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and either dual HER2 blockade, trastuzumab alone, or no HER2-targeted therapy due to financial constraints. Patient demographics, clinical features, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Results The median age at diagnosis was 45.7 years (standard deviation±8.9). A majority of patients were premenopausal (n=222; 74.2%), and the majority presented with a palpable lump (n=275; 91.9%). Tumors were mainly located in the left (n=149; 49.8%) or right breast (n=147; 49.2%), with bilateral involvement in 3 (1.0%) cases. Invasive ductal carcinoma was the predominant histology (n=275; 91.9%), with estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor positivity observed in 185 (61.9%) and 179 (59.9%) patients, respectively. Grade III tumors were observed in 156 (52.2%) cases, and most tumors were T2 stage (n=236; 78.9%) with axillary nodal involvement in 232 (77.6%). Patients receiving dual HER2 blockade achieved a pCR in 45 (54.9%) of 82 cases, compared to 51 (45.9%) of 111 with trastuzumab alone, and 39 (36.8%) of 106 with no HER2 therapy (p=0.046). The docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab (TCHP) regimen had the highest pCR rate in 19 (65.5%) of 29 patients (p<0.001). Grade III tumors were associated with higher pCR than Grade II (n=96; 56.5% vs. n=39; 30.2%; p<0.001). At 60 months, PFS was 236 (79.0%) overall, highest in the dual blockade group (n=73; 89.0%), followed by trastuzumab (n=96; 86.5%) and no HER2 therapy (n=69; 65.1%). OS at 60 months was 271 (90.6%), highest in the dual blockade group (n=78; 95.1%), then trastuzumab (n=102; 91.9%) and no HER2 therapy (n=79; 74.5%). Achieving pCR was associated with improved PFS and OS. Differences in both outcomes across groups were statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion Dual HER2 blockade significantly improved pCR, PFS, and OS in non-metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. These findings support the inclusion of HER2-targeted agents in standard neoadjuvant treatment, even in resource-limited settings. Addressing barriers to access remains essential to improving global outcomes in breast cancer care.

Primary apocrine adenocarcinoma, a rare malignancy, is an aggressive tumor rarely reported. It has diagnostic and treatment challenges as it is difficult to distinguish it from metastases due to breast carcinoma. Currently, no data are available for the use of next-generation sequencing to identify the possibility of targeted therapies for metastatic disease. Only a few cases are reported, hence, no consensus has been developed for treatment guidelines, and a prognosis has not been established. We present here a case of this rare tumor, its treatment course, and the role of next-generation sequencing for the use of targeted therapy.

A rare histological variant of transitional cell urothelial carcinoma, the plasmacytoid variant, was recently included in the World Health Organization classification of urothelial tract tumors. This variant has a morphological resemblance to other tumors, which poses a diagnostic challenge for identifying this tumor and may often lead to misdiagnosis. Vigilant histopathological analysis and immunostaining are required to delineate the correct diagnosis. The plasmacytoid variant of urothelial carcinoma is an aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis, making correct diagnosis essential for early and appropriate treatment. This paper presents the case of a 46-year-old male with a plasmacytoid variant of high-grade urothelial carcinoma who underwent transurethral resection of a bladder tumor, received chemotherapy, and is currently undergoing follow-up.

Background  Ribociclib is an important treatment option in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) HER2-negative (HER2-) advanced/metastatic breast cancer (ABC/MBC); however, there are limited data on its efficacy and safety in the South Asian population. This study aims to evaluate outcomes of breast cancer patients treated with ribociclib therapy in terms of progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), and assessment of frequency and severity of toxicity at a tertiary care setup in a resource-limited setting.  Methodology  This was a single-center, retrospective observational study. Patients aged 18 years and older, diagnosed with HR+ HER2- ABC/MBC, registered between January 2016 and December 2021, and treated with ribociclib therapy were included in this study. Results  Median PFS for the overall cohort (n = 50) was 14.7 months, with 10 (20%) patients having no progression on last follow-up. Median OS was 30.8 months, and 19 (38%) patients were alive at the time of last follow-up. Median PFS and OS were significantly longer in patients with non-visceral metastatic disease than with extracranial visceral and brain metastatic disease. The ORR was 48%, whereas the clinical benefit rate was 76%, and the median DOR was 18.9 months. Eleven patients achieved a complete response during the course of their treatment. The most common adverse effect was neutropenia (68%), which was manageable with appropriate dose reductions. Conclusion Our retrospective data support the notion that ribociclib-based therapy is effective and safe in patients with HR+/HER2- ABC/MBC; however, as it is a retrospective study with a small sample size, further prospective studies are necessary to further prove these results in the local population, and efforts should be taken in society at large to make this treatment available to all patients who require this treatment.

Background  Metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer is defined as prostate cancer with de novo metastatic disease that responds to androgen deprivation therapy by keeping the testosterone levels low. Endogenous androgen synthesis is further blocked by abiraterone acetate along with prednisolone and indicated in patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer. However, over time, these patients will become castration-resistant. The time from castration-sensitive to castration-resistant in our population is short, which calls for further investigation on a larger scale to explore factors such as genetics and environmental influences that may play a significant role.  Methodology  This retrospective study involved 47 adult patients aged 40 years and older. It focused exclusively on patients who were presented with de novo metastatic castration-sensitive disease and were treated with upfront abiraterone acetate. The study was carried out at the Department of Medical Oncology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan. Patient data spanning 10 years, from 2014 to 2024, was collected from hospital records. Results  The cohort demonstrated a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 20.7 months and a median overall survival (OS) of 38.4 months. These outcomes represent the entire study population, irrespective of subgroup classification. Different subgroup analyses do not show any statistically significant difference.  Conclusion  In our study, OS and PFS were lower than those reported in landmark studies conducted on similar populations in Western countries. This disparity highlights the need for further research in subcontinental populations to investigate potential contributing factors, including environmental influences or genetic variations.

Ovarian granulosa cell tumors (GCTs) are rare neoplasms with a unique incidence pattern peaking in postmenopausal women. This case report presents two instances of stage 4 recurrent adult GCTs with a prolonged 20-year follow-up. Patient 1, diagnosed at 54 years, experienced multiple recurrences managed through surgery, hormonal therapy, and chemotherapy, culminating in hepatocellular carcinoma. Patient 2, diagnosed at 67 years, underwent various treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy, demonstrating disease stability. Despite the generally favorable prognosis, these cases highlight the challenges of managing recurrent GCTs, emphasizing the need for tailored therapeutic approaches.

Synovial sarcoma is a rare mesenchymal tumor, and its occurrence as a primary renal tumor is exceedingly rare. We are presenting a case of renal synovial sarcoma with lung involvement in a 47-year-old female patient who initially presented with typical renal symptoms, including blood in urine and left flank pain. Imaging revealed a large renal mass with extension into the renal vein and metastatic nodules in the lungs. Histopathological examination and genetic analysis confirmed monophasic synovial sarcoma with SYT-SSX2 translocation. Treatment included radical nephrectomy followed by systemic chemotherapy with doxorubicin and ifosfamide. Despite the initial response, the disease progressed, leading to fatal complications. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges, limited treatment options, and poor prognosis associated with primary renal synovial sarcoma.

Lung cancer is the second most common malignancy in both genders and the most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Broadly, lung cancer is divided into two types: small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for 85% of the diagnoses of lung cancer. It is necessary to check for any targetable mutations, which can help in deciding the treatment plan for the patients. The patient we are reporting is a 70-year-old male with multiple co-morbidities diagnosed with non-small cell carcinoma, favoring adenocarcinoma on histopathology. He was started on Atezolizumab/Bevacizumab/Carboplatin/Paclitaxel (ABCP). He was switched to maintenance Atezolizumab/Bevacizumab after four cycles due to poor tolerance to carboplatin and paclitaxel. The patient presented with neutropenic colitis and acute kidney injury (AKI), requiring admission. workup revealed nephrotic range proteinuria with a high urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio. He underwent a renal biopsy to ascertain the cause of his proteinuria, which showed marked acute and chronic tubulo-interstitial nephritis (TIN), amyloidosis, and global glomerulosclerosis. Secondary (AA) amyloidosis is characterized by the extracellular deposition of misfolded proteins. Although interstitial nephritis is a reported side effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors, AA amyloidosis is a rarer side effect. So, to determine the exact cause and early therapeutic intervention in immune checkpoint inhibitor-related kidney injury, large retrospective or prospective studies should be done.

Satellite remote sensing is widely being used by the researchers and geospatial scientists due to its free data access for land observation and agricultural activities monitoring. The world is suffering from food shortages due to the dramatic increase in population and climate change. Various crop genotypes can survive in harsh climatic conditions and give more production with less disease infection. Remote sensing can play an essential role in crop genotype identification using computer vision. In many studies, different objects, crops, and land cover classification is done successfully, while crop genotypes classification is still a gray area. Despite the importance of genotype identification for production planning, a significant method has yet to be developed to detect the genotypes varieties of crop yield using multispectral radiometer data. In this study, three genotypes of wheat crop (Aas-‘2011’, ‘Miraj-‘08’, and ‘Punjnad-1) fields are prepared for the investigation of multispectral radio meter band properties. Temporal data (every 15 days from the height of 10 feet covering 5 feet in the circle in one scan) is collected using an efficient multispectral Radio Meter (MSR5 five bands). Two hundred yield samples of each wheat genotype are acquired and manually labeled accordingly for the training of supervised machine learning models. To find the strength of features (five bands), Principle Component Analysis (PCA), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), and Nonlinear Discernment Analysis (NDA) are performed besides the machine learning models of the Extra Tree Classifier (ETC), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Decision Tree (DT), Logistic Regression (LR), k Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with detailed of configuration settings. ANN and random forest algorithm have achieved approximately maximum accuracy of 97% and 96% on the test dataset. It is recommended that digital policymakers from the agriculture department can use ANN and RF to identify the different genotypes at farmer's fields and research centers. These findings can be used for precision identification and management of the crop specific genotypes for optimized resource use efficiency.