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Iron oxide nanoparticles (FeO-NPs) exhibit exceptional properties which can be utilized in various aspects of biological sciences. In this experiment we investigated the anti-gout effectiveness of FeO-NPs in mice. BALB/c mice were induced gouty arthritis by administering monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. These gout induced mice were treated with three different concentrations of FeO-NPs (5 ppm, 10 ppm and 20 ppm). Precipitation method was utilized for the synthesis of FeO-NPs, these synthesized NPs were of average 54 nm in size and were characterized using XRD, SEM and EDS. FeO-NPs is given orally three weeks by using FeO-NPs solution to substitute drinking water. Blood biochemical parameters including liver function tests (LFTs), renal function tests (RFTs), lipid profile and blood count have been tested. It has been found that uric acid, blood urea and creatinine have decreased significantly after three weeks of FeO-NP administration (P Value < 0.001) thus suppressing hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis. Additionally, the liver enzymes analysis showed a slight increase in AST, ALT and alkaline phosphatase levels (P Value < 0.001). Histopathological research revealed no significant abnormal changes in the liver, muscle and kidney muscles of the test groups. The findings showed that FeO-NPs can be used for the successful treatment of hyperuricemic condition and gouty arthritis in the coming future in place of commercially available medicines.

Background The major breakthrough in cancer therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has highlighted the important role of immune checkpoints in antitumoral immunity. However, most patients do not achieve durable responses, making biomarker research in this setting essential. CD27 is a well known costimulatory molecule, however the impact of its soluble form in ICI is poorly investigated. Therefore, we aimed at testing circulating concentrations of soluble CD27 (sCD27) and CD27 bound to extracellular vesicles (EVs) as potential biomarkers to predict response and overall survival (OS) in patients undergoing ICI. Methods Serum and plasma levels of sCD27 were assessed by immunoassay in three patient cohorts ( n  = 187) with advanced solid malignancies including longitudinal samples ( n  = 126): a training ( n  = 84, 210 specimens, Aachen ICI ) and validation cohort ( n  = 70, 70 specimens, Hamburg ICI ), both treated with ICI therapy, and a second independent validation cohort ( n  = 33, 33 specimens, Hamburg non-ICI ) undergoing systemic therapy without any ICI. In a subset ( n  = 36, 36 baseline and 108 longitudinal specimens), EV-bound CD27 from serum was measured, while EV characterization studies were conducted on a fourth cohort ( n  = 45). Results In the Aachen and Hamburg ICI cohorts , patients with lower circulating sCD27 levels before and during ICI therapy had a significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) and OS compared to patients with higher levels, a finding that was confirmed by multivariate analysis (MVA) ( Aachen ICI: p PFS  = 0.012, p OS  = 0.001; Hamburg ICI: p PFS  = 0.040, p OS  = 0.004) and after randomly splitting both cohorts into training and validation. This phenomenon was not observed in the Hamburg non-ICI cohort , providing a rationale for the predictive biomarker role of sCD27 in immune checkpoint blockade. Remarkably, EV-bound CD27 baseline levels and dynamics during ICI therapy also emerged as potent predictive biomarkers, acting however antagonistically to soluble sCD27, i.e. higher levels were associated with PFS and OS benefit. Combining both molecules (“multi-CD27” score) enhanced the predictive ability (HR PFS : 17.21 with p  < 0.001, HR OS : 6.47 with p  = 0.011). Conclusion Soluble and EV-bound CD27 appear to have opposing immunomodulatory functions and may represent easily measurable, non-invasive prognostic markers to predict response and survival in patients undergoing ICI therapy.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are valuable targets for liquid biopsy. However, attempts to introduce EV‐based biomarkers into clinical practice have not been successful to the extent expected. One of the reasons for this failure is the lack of reliable methods for EV baseline purification from complex biofluids, such as cell‐free plasma or serum. Because available one‐step approaches for EV isolation are insufficient to purify EVs, the majority of studies on clinical samples were performed either on a mixture of EVs and lipoproteins, whilst the real number of EVs and their individual specific biomarker content remained elusive, or on a low number of samples of sufficient volume to allow elaborate 2‐step EV separation by size and density, resulting in a high purity but utmost low recovery. Here we introduce Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC) using Superose 6 as a matrix to obtain small EVs from biofluids that are almost free of soluble proteins and lipoproteins. Along with the estimation of a realistic number of small EVs in human samples, we show temporal resolution of the effect of the duration of postprandial phase on the proportion of lipoproteins in purified EVs, suggesting acceptable time frames additionally to the recommendation to use fasting samples for human studies. Furthermore, we assessed a potential value of pure EVs for liquid biopsy, exemplarily examining EV‐ and tumour‐biomarkers in pure FPLC‐derived fractions isolated from the serum of patients with pancreatic cancer. Consistent among different techniques, showed the presence of diseases‐associated biomarkers in pure EVs, supporting the feasibility of using single‐vesicle analysis for liquid biopsy.

The present research paper reflects those factors that are influencing career advancement of women academics towards senior positions in the universities of Pakistan. Researchershave examined organizational, cultural and personal denominators affecting on career elevation of female faculty. The present research was carried out in public sector universities Islamabad and150 respondents were interviewed.The findings of in-hand research paper depict that women are grossly underrepresented at senior management positions. The findings of this paper suggest that the absence of female role models; gender biased practices and skewed structures embedded in organizations are the salient factors attributable to this imbalance. In addition, socio-cultural norms and quest for striking workfamily balance by women academics further dent their career prospects. Hence proactive operable strategic actions have been recommended to facilitate female faculty in their quest for work-life balance and to address the invasive inequity in the education management structure.

Concizumab's potential – A subcutaneous TFPI inhibitor for haemophilia, offering an alternative to intravenous therapy Safety profile – Meta-analysis of RCTs shows no significant increase in adverse events compared to standard treatments Serious adverse events – Lower, though not statistically significant, risk in the concizumab group Bleeding reduction – Potential to reduce joint bleeding episodes, enhancing haemophilia management Future research – Larger, long-term studies are needed to confirm safety and efficacy

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Although early rhythm control has demonstrated benefit in selected trial populations, its real‐world effectiveness remains uncertain. Methods We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort study using the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network. Adults (≥ 65 years) with newly diagnosed AF between 2005 and 2025 were included. Patients initiating rhythm control within 1 month of diagnosis were propensity score–matched 1:1 with rate control patients. The primary outcome was 1‐year all‐cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included thromboembolism, major bleeding, hospitalization, ventricular arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, syncope, AF recurrence, and cardioversion. Subgroup analyses evaluated modality‐specific rhythm control, contemporary era, and age‐stratified outcomes. Results After matching, 200 631 patients were included in each group with balanced baseline characteristics. At 1 year, all‐cause mortality was higher with rhythm control than rate control (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.18–1.22; p < 0.001). Rhythm control demonstrated higher rates of ventricular arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, hospitalization, syncope, and cardioversion, while thromboembolic events and major bleeding occurred less frequently. Substantial heterogeneity emerged by modality. Pharmacologic‐only subgroup revealed findings consistent with principal analysis, whereas procedural rhythm control showed lower mortality (HR 0.20, 95% CI 0.16–0.25) and hospitalization. Conclusions Among older adults with newly diagnosed AF, early rhythm control was associated with higher mortality and arrhythmic complications versus rate control. Pharmacologic rhythm control largely drove excess mortality, whereas procedural approaches were linked to lower mortality and hospitalization. These findings underscore the importance of careful patient selection when considering early rhythm control strategies in older populations. In a large propensity score–matched real‐world cohort of older adults with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation, early rhythm control was associated with lower thromboembolic and bleeding risk but higher mortality and arrhythmic complications compared with rate control. These findings highlight the importance of careful patient selection when considering rhythm‐control strategies in older populations.

In this study, the polyaniline/multiwalled carbon nanotubes–copper sulfide nanoparticles (PANI/MWCNTs–CuS NPs) hybrid composite-based thin films were deposited on top of FTO coated glass substrate for IR (infrared) detection. These hybrid composites were synthesized using in-situ oxidative polymerization of aniline monomer with MWCNTs–CuS NPs mixed in. The samples were prepared using MWCNTs–CuS NPs hybrids with different CuS NPs content. The successful synthesis of these composites was confirmed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and UV–Vis Spectroscopy. The effect of CuS content on the photo-detecting ability of these composite films was investigated. This was done by measuring the ohmic behavior of these composite films. Their J–V behavior in dark as well as under constant exposure to 850 nm infrared light was measured. Increase in CuS content in these composites clearly enhanced their IR light detectability which is attributed to the reduction in composite’s band gap. The ohmic resistance also decreased significantly with increased CuS content (both in dark and under illumination). However, beyond a threshold level of added CuS content, their ohmic resistance suddenly started to rise again along with their decreased photo-detectability.

Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring is a well-validated screening tool used to calculate the amount of calcified plaque deposited in coronary arteries from a computed tomography (CT) scan. It stratifies patients by risk to predict their future probability of cardiovascular disease and helps establish the ideal preventive therapies. Considering these factors, the purpose of this narrative review is to evaluate the latest research on the effectiveness of CAC scoring, explore the various limitations and challenges faced in utilizing this tool, and discuss alternative investigations commonly used to supplement it for risk stratification. To achieve this, a narrative review was conducted by searching recent literature through databases such as PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar. Identified literature included large population cohort studies and systematic reviews from the last five years, focusing on CAC scoring, cardiovascular risk prediction, ethnicity, artificial intelligence (AI) integration, and secondary prevention. The literature identified generally shows that the validity of CAC scoring is strongly debated due to its variable efficacy in symptomatic versus asymptomatic patients and in the context of ethnic variations, with many studies having supported the validity of this scoring tool, but others challenging its ability to prognosticate cardiovascular disease due to the presence of these external factors, which could lead to an inaccurate representation of the score. As a result, a major recommendation has been to combine the calculated score with pre-existing patient risk factors when making clinical judgments to guide prompt, individualized primary and secondary preventive care. Studies have shown that patients with varying ethnic backgrounds and also those who are symptomatic for stable cardiovascular disease have confounding risk factors that can lead to a false representation of their score and could potentially be at a higher than predicted risk of major cardiovascular events even with a score of zero. In conclusion, the use of CAC scoring remains a valuable prognostic tool for predicting a patient's cardiovascular prognosis; however, its interpretation must consider correlation with clinical, biochemical, and demographic contexts to optimize decision-making. The literature has also identified the potential for improving the precision and effectiveness of major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) prediction using traditional scoring methods by incorporating AI, including automated scoring tools and calcium-omics models, into CAC scoring.

INTRODUCTION: Addiction refers to the irresistible urge to engage in certain actions or dependence on a particular substance despite knowing negative consequences. The current study evaluated the severity of Smartphone addiction and the factors associated with cell phone-like activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July to August 2019 among medical and dental students in Karachi, Pakistan. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used among 400 students. The mobile phone addiction was assessed using a 20-item, Mobile Phone Addiction Scale. A two-stage cluster analysis was used to assess mobile phone addiction-like behaviours. Chi-square test was used to find associations between categorical variables. Kolmogorov-Smirnov to test normality of data were also used. A P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant for all tests. RESULTS: Out of the total 400 students, the majority 316 (79%) comprise female students. The mean age was 20.54 ± 1.59 years. In 184 (48%) students, there was evidence of mobile phone addiction-like behavior. The prevalence was higher in female than male students and among older compared to adolescent students; the differences were statistically nonsignificant. A higher median score ≥ of 4 is found in questions related to components reflected intense desire, impaired control, and tolerance and harmful mobile use. CONCLUSION: This study highlights that a large number of students are addicted to their smartphones. Smartphone addiction continues to be the most problematic addiction aided by the presence of intense desire, impaired control tolerance, and harmful mobile use. The phenomenon must be fully understood to draw deeper and richer inferences about the origins of this addictive behavior, which is becoming more prevalent in our Pakistani society on a daily basis.

Introduction Physicians' attitude towards a healthy lifestyle is important as it determines their extent of acceptance of these habits leading to overall well-being. Physicians with healthy lifestyle habits are more confident in advocating the same to their patients and their patients are keener in adopting lifestyle modifications. This study aimed to evaluate the lifestyle habits, wellbeing, and mental health of physicians in Pakistan. Methods A multi-center, cross-sectional survey was conducted with physicians across Pakistan from August to October 2020. A total of 1406 participants were gathered by the non-probability convenient sampling technique. Data were collected physically from the participants. A semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire comprising socio-demographic information, lifestyle habits, mental well-being, and well-being, in general, was filled. Mental wellbeing was assessed using the Warwick Edinburg Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) comprising 14-positive items scored on a 1-5 point Likert scale where 1 corresponds to \"none of the time\" and 5 corresponds to \"all of the time.\" The score ranges from a minimum of 14 to a maximum of 70 points. Higher scores are associated with higher levels of mental wellbeing. Data were stored and analyzed using IBM-SPSS v.23 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results In this survey, there were 1284 (91.3%) males and 122 (8.7%) females with a mean age of 44.09 ± 11.18 years. More than half (n=768; 53.0%) of the physicians reported their general health as \"good,\" 1045 (73%) were satisfied with their work-life balance, 206 (14%) had seen a physician for their health in the last six months, and 358 (25%) never had a routine medical checkup. When WEMWBS was applied, participants ≤40 years scored significantly higher than the older age group (p<0.01). Male physicians also scored significantly higher on WEMWBS (52.35 ± 8.78) as compared to their female counterparts (p<0.01). WEMWBS scores also varied significantly across various levels of expertise - with consultants scoring the highest (52.67 ± 9.02) and others scoring the lowest (48.63 ± 8.58; p=0.02). Physicians practicing in the public hospitals only (53.05 ± 9.02), scored higher on WEMWBS as compared to those in the private hospitals (51.28 ± 8.12) as well as those practicing in private clinics only (49.57 ± 8.82; p<0.01). Physicians who perceived their health as excellent scored highest on WEMWBS (53.55 ± 9.31), than those who considered their health good (51.68 ± 8.40), poor (50.71 ± 9.27), or fair (48.70 ± 8.15; p<0.01). The correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation of WEMWBS scores with health in general (2.5% variation) and age (0.92% variation; p<0.01). Conclusion Physicians in our study were mostly satisfied with their general health and work-life balance. Nevertheless, their mental health well-being was not satisfactory, as assessed by WEMWBS. There is a dire need for lifestyle modifications among the medical practitioners who may improve their mental and physical well-being subsequently allowing them to cater to their patients more effectively. It is recommended that physician-patient-specific interventions should be developed to target the health status and mental well-being of a physician and to encourage the physicians especially the fresh medical graduates and young doctors to indulge in healthy activities.Introduction Physicians' attitude towards a healthy lifestyle is important as it determines their extent of acceptance of these habits leading to overall well-being. Physicians with healthy lifestyle habits are more confident in advocating the same to their patients and their patients are keener in adopting lifestyle modifications. This study aimed to evaluate the lifestyle habits, wellbeing, and mental health of physicians in Pakistan. Methods A multi-center, cross-sectional survey was conducted with physicians across Pakistan from August to October 2020. A total of 1406 participants were gathered by the non-probability convenient sampling technique. Data were collected physically from the participants. A semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire comprising socio-demographic information, lifestyle habits, mental well-being, and well-being, in general, was filled. Mental wellbeing was assessed using the Warwick Edinburg Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) comprising 14-positive items scored on a 1-5 point Likert scale where 1 corresponds to \"none of the time\" and 5 corresponds to \"all of the time.\" The score ranges from a minimum of 14 to a maximum of 70 points. Higher scores are associated with higher levels of mental wellbeing. Data were stored and analyzed using IBM-SPSS v.23 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results In this survey, there were 1284 (91.3%) males and 122 (8.7%) females with a mean age of 44.09 ± 11.18 years. More than half (n=768; 53.0%) of the physicians reported their general health as \"good,\" 1045 (73%) were satisfied with their work-life balance, 206 (14%) had seen a physician for their health in the last six months, and 358 (25%) never had a routine medical checkup. When WEMWBS was applied, participants ≤40 years scored significantly higher than the older age group (p<0.01). Male physicians also scored significantly higher on WEMWBS (52.35 ± 8.78) as compared to their female counterparts (p<0.01). WEMWBS scores also varied significantly across various levels of expertise - with consultants scoring the highest (52.67 ± 9.02) and others scoring the lowest (48.63 ± 8.58; p=0.02). Physicians practicing in the public hospitals only (53.05 ± 9.02), scored higher on WEMWBS as compared to those in the private hospitals (51.28 ± 8.12) as well as those practicing in private clinics only (49.57 ± 8.82; p<0.01). Physicians who perceived their health as excellent scored highest on WEMWBS (53.55 ± 9.31), than those who considered their health good (51.68 ± 8.40), poor (50.71 ± 9.27), or fair (48.70 ± 8.15; p<0.01). The correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation of WEMWBS scores with health in general (2.5% variation) and age (0.92% variation; p<0.01). Conclusion Physicians in our study were mostly satisfied with their general health and work-life balance. Nevertheless, their mental health well-being was not satisfactory, as assessed by WEMWBS. There is a dire need for lifestyle modifications among the medical practitioners who may improve their mental and physical well-being subsequently allowing them to cater to their patients more effectively. It is recommended that physician-patient-specific interventions should be developed to target the health status and mental well-being of a physician and to encourage the physicians especially the fresh medical graduates and young doctors to indulge in healthy activities.