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Background: Malnutrition is a frequent complication in patients with advanced staged lung cancer and can negatively affect the outcome of treatments. Lack of knowledge about nutrition, complications of disease and side effects of anticancer therapies can also lead to inadequate nutrient intake and subsequent malnutrition. Nutritional status is a strong predictor of quality of life in cancer patients. Objective: To get the effect of the nutritional intervention on outcome of dietary intake, body composition, nutritional status, functional capacity and quality of life in patients with lung cancer cachexia receiving chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: This 6 months study included the lung cancer patients who were interviewed with clinical assessment. Nutritional score of each patient was recorded. Individualized management plan with nutritional intervention was given and nutritional counseling was done by a nutritionist every week. Chemotherapy ± radiotherapy was given. Every patient was followed up at 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th week and was assessed regarding symptoms, clinical findings, nutritional score and radiological status. Results: Total 628 lung cancer patients with 523 (83%) males and 105 (17%) females (Male: female 4.98:1) were enrolled. Mean age was 56.88 years. Two thirds of them were illiterate. Around 90% came from poor and below average socioeconomic group. More than 95% male and >66% female were tobacco users in different forms. On assessing nutritional score, almost all were with high risk score (95%). About 80% presented with WHO performance status at 2 and 3. About 61% patients got treatment after hospitalization. Following nutritional intervention along with supportive, symptomatic, treatment of comorbid diseases and anti-cancer treatment, the result showed that mean nutritional score at 1st and 2nd week were 8.24 and 6.63 (high risk), at 3rd and 6th week were 5.46 and 4.34 (Intermediate risk). There was a significant effect for time (p<.001). Symptomatic improvement occurred in 60% of the patients. Conclusion: Nutritional intervention improves nutritional score if the other treatment like supportive, symptomatic, comorbid condition and anticancer treatment could be applied adequately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Glomerular disease is one of the most common forms of renal disease and can have many different clinical presentations. However there is variation in the prevalence in the type of glomerular disease according to geographical location and race of population. The aim of the study was to find the overall distribution pattern of glomerular disease based on renal biopsies. Material and Methods: The medical records of all children who underwent kidney biopsy (n=29) between January 2012-june 2014 were analyzed. In this retrospective study we review children from Kanti Children's Hospital, Nephrology Department. Demographic data including age, sex and indication of kidney biopsy as well as complication of the procedures were recorded. Result: A total number of thirty one biopsies were done. Two children were excluded from the study due to inadequate tissue and artifacts defects in preservative. The remaining twenty nine biopsies were included in the study and analyzed. Renal disease was found nearly equal in both male and female (51.72% vs. 48.27%).Mean age was 10.95±3.30 years. Maximum number of biopsies (75.86%) was performed between 10-15 years. The most common indication of the kidney biopsy was nephrotic syndrome (steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome and steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome, 31.02% followed by lupus nephritis 27.58%.The most common glomerular disease were focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and lupus nephritis both contribute 27.58%. Among lupus nephritis class III was found more common (44.44%) in children. IgA nephropathy was also contribute (17.24%) in all glomerular disease. Regarding the kidney biopsy complication gross hematuria was observed in 6.89% of children which was self-limited. Conclusion: FSGS and lupus nephritis is becoming the most common glomerular disease in children attending the Kanti Children Hospital. IgA nephropathy was also contribute the glomerular disease in the children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In Nepal, cerebral palsy (CP) is the common cause of severe motor disability. However, only few descriptive studies related to it have been conducted, but those did not incorporate neuroimaging in CP. Thus, the objective of this study is to identify clinical and radiological profile of children diagnosed with CP at a tertiary level paediatric hospital of Nepal. Material and Methods: This study was carried out at Kanti Children's Hospital and the study utilized data of children diagnosed with CP from September 2015-April 2017. Results: A total of 100 children were diagnosed with CP. Spastic CP was the most common in children (71%), followed by mixed (21%) and dyskinetic (8%). Majority of the children were male (74%), born at term (90%) and delivered at institution (80%). Neuroimaging abnormality was found in 66% of cases which included brain malformation (2%), periventricular white matter abnormalities (23%), cortical or deep grey matter lesions (37%) and miscellaneous (4%). The results of this study also showed significant association between variables such as birth weight and birth asphyxia with type of neuroimaging findings. Conclusion: Neuroimaging is helpful for diagnosis of CP and also useful for parents and physicians to understand children condition. Hence, further studies related to neuroimaging in CP are important to better understand it in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical performances of a biphenyl-derived amido Schiff base ligand L and its dinuclear Al(iii) complex (complex 1) were investigated in a metal-semiconductor (MS) junction. Electrical studies revealed that complex 1 significantly enhanced the electrical conductivity and improved the characteristics of a Schottky barrier diode (SBD). The I - V characteristics demonstrated that complexation of ligand L with Al(iii) ion increased the conductivity by two orders of magnitude (conductivity of L = 1.04 × 10 -7 Sm -1 and complex 1 = 1.04 × 10 -5 Sm -1 ) with improved diode rectification ratio. Complex 1 extended itself to the 3D supramolecular array by virtue of the hydrogen bond, C-H⋯π(C) bond and π⋯π interactions. This significantly influenced the semiconducting behaviour of complex 1 and essentially improved the characteristics of SBD. The optical band gap of complex 1 and ligand L in the solid state was determined experimentally (2.63 eV and 3.04 eV, respectively) and compared with the theoretical value obtained from DFT calculations. Furthermore, DOS analysis explained the conductivity behavior of complex 1 in a logically better way., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has revolutionized heart failure (HF) management, offering benefits in morbidity, mortality, and symptom alleviation. However, optimal response rates are not universally achieved, necessitating enhanced patient-selection strategies. Myocardial scar patterns, quantified by delayed-enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (DE-CMR), have been implicated in CRT outcomes. We conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies assessing CRT responses by performing a systematic literature search using PubMed, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, and the Web of Science. Scar burden, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) were evaluated. CRT response rates among ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy patients were also explored. This meta-analysis incorporated eight studies meeting the eligibility criteria. CRT responders exhibited a significantly lower scar burden (-11.7%; 95% confidence interval, 6.6%-16.8%) compared to non-responders, supporting the predictive value of scar quantification ( I 2 = 95.25%; P < .001). Responders demonstrated an increased mean LVEF (from 25.2% to 31.9%), while non-responders showed modest changes (from 23.3% to 24.4%). Responders experienced a decrease in mean LVESV from 158.8 to 132.8 mL, contrasting with a more stable mean LVESV value in non-responders (reduction from 160.9 to 157.6 mL). Responders experienced a reduced mean LVEDV from 219.4 to 196.7 mL, while non-responders showed more minimal changes (from 213.4 to 210.6 mL). Limited data suggested a CRT response rate of 34.7% in ischemic cardiomyopathy; non-ischemic data were insufficient. In conclusion, DE-CMR, assessing the scar burden, emerges as a valuable tool for predicting the CRT response. A lower scar burden correlates with improved responses, supporting the role of DE-CMR in refining patient selection for CRT. This meta-analysis contributes insights into personalized CRT strategies, emphasizing the potential of imaging modalities to enhance therapeutic outcomes in HF patients. Further research is warranted to solidify these findings and refine clinical applications., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest for the published content. No funding information was provided., (Copyright: © 2024 Innovations in Cardiac Rhythm Management.)

Introduction: This study explores the synthesis and characterization of silver/silver chloride nanoparticles (Ag/AgCl-NPs) using Maranta arundinacea rhizome extract and evaluates their bioactivities, including antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer potentials., Methods: The synthesis of Ag/AgCl-NPs was initially confirmed by a color change and a sharp peak at 463 nm in UV-visible spectroscopy. Further characterization was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Antibacterial properties were checked against four pathogenic bacteria ( Shigella boydii, Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, and Staphylococcus aureus ), and antioxidant activities were assessed using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) assay. In addition, the anticancer potential was evaluated in vitro using MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) colorimetric assay and in vivo using the mouse models. Finally, toxicity was determined by employing the brine shrimp nauplii lethality assay., Results: Ag/AgCl-NPs most effectively inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus , showing maximum zone of inhibition and 7 μg/mL of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and prevented the biofilm formation by Escherichia coli at 40 μg/mL. They displayed antioxidant activities against DPPH and ABTS with IC 50 values of 90.65 and 24.34 μg/mL, respectively. In vitro , they inhibited 61.96 % EAC and 49.63 % MCF-7 cells growth at 32 and 128 μg/mL, respectively. Subsequently, inhibition rates of EAC cells growth in mice were measured as 38.30 %, 57.38 %, and 31.81 % after employing 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg/day of Ag/AgCl-NPs, respectively. Moreover, Ag/AgCl-NPs treated mice were found to carry more apoptotic EAC cells with distorted morphology. Treated mice showed decreased tumor weight, increased mean survival time, and a lifespan increase of up to 30 %, with improved hematological parameters. Later, Ag/AgCl-NPs exhibited moderate toxicity with an LC 50 value of 208.41 μg/mL in brine shrimp nauplii lethality assay., Conclusion: The promising antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities along with mild toxicity suggest the potential biomedical uses of Maranta arundinacea rhizome extract-mediated Ag/AgCl-NPs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Introduction: Patients with chronic HBV infection (CHI) exhibit defective anti-viral immune-response whose underlying causes still remain unclear. Monocytes act as immune sentinels for pathogens and can regulate immunity via interaction with other immune-cells, apart from differentiating into macrophages. Immune-checkpoint molecules (ICMs) expressed by immune-cells, including monocytes are known to negatively regulate immune-responses. Here, we evaluated the expression of ICMs, namely, Gal-9, PD-L1, and CTLA-4 on monocytes in different phases of CHI, identified the viral and the host factors causing their aberrant expression and investigated their impact during interaction of monocytes with T-cells, B-cells and NK-cells and also on monocyte to macrophage differentiation. Influence of Tenofovir therapy on the expression of monocytic ICMs was also studied., Methods: Collection of blood and liver-tissue samples from HBV infected patients and controls, flow-cytometry, cell sorting, cell culture and immune-fluorescence were performed for this study., Results: Gal-9 + and PD-L1 + -monocytes were significantly increased in HBeAg-positive as well as HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients than healthy controls (HC). In immune-tolerant (IT) subjects, only Gal-9 + -monocytes and in inactive carriers (IC), PD-L1 + -monocytes were higher than HC while CTLA-4 + -monocytes remained comparable among groups. High serum Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) concentration in CHB as well as IT and TNF-α in CHB triggered monocytic Gal-9-expression whereas, PD-L1 was induced by elevated TNF-α and IL-4 in CHB and IL-1β in CHB and IC. Purified monocytes from CHB and IT having high Gal-9 expression led to expansion of CD4 + CD25 + FOXP3 + -Tregs, CD19 + IL-10 + -Bregs and CD19 + CD27 - CD21 - atypical memory B-cells and these monocytes also preferentially differentiated into M2-macrophages. These phenomena were reversed by anti-Gal-9-antibody. Parallelly, PD-L1 + -monocytes in CHB and IC reduced IL-2/IFN-γ and IL-6 production by HBV-specific T- and B-cells respectively, which were restored by anti-PD-L1-antibody. Both Gal-9 + - and PD-L1 + -monocytes caused decline in IFN-γ + -NK-cells but enhanced IL-10-expressing HBV-specific-T-cells and NK-cells. Increased intrahepatic CD14 + Gal-9 + and CD14 + PD-L1 + -monocytes were noted in CHB patients than HC. One-year tenofovir therapy failed to reduce monocytic Gal-9 and PD-L1 along with the levels of HBsAg, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-4., Conclusions: Monocytic Gal-9 and PD-L1, expressed heterogeneously in different phases of CHI, exert diverse inhibitory effects on immune-responses and their therapeutic targeting could boost anti-HBV immunity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Dey, Biswas, Pal, Nandi, Khatun, Jha, Chakraborty, Baidya, Ghosh, Banerjee, Ahammed, Chowdhury and Datta.)

Type-2 diabetes mellitus is a global pandemic with immense social, health and financial consequences. The pathophysiology of type-2 diabetes is significantly influenced by overweight and obesity. Type-2 diabetes often goes hand-in-hand with high blood pressure. One way to check type-2 diabetes is by measuring fasting blood glucose. This cross-sectional analytical study looked at how blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and fasting serum glucose relate to each other in women with type-2 diabetes in the Mymensingh locality. The research took place at the Physiology Department of Mymensingh Medical College, Bangladesh from Octy 2023 to June 2024. We included 200 participants: 100 apparently healthy women of 30-65 years without diabetes as the control group and 100 women with diabetes of same age group as the study group. The data was analyzed using SPSS software. Weight and height were measured anthropometrically in kilograms and meters, respectively. Blood pressure was checked with an aneroid sphygmomanometer for both systolic and diastolic values. To see if there were significant differences between groups, we used the unpaired Students 't' test and shared results as mean±SD. For relationships among fasting serum glucose, blood pressure and BMI, we used Pearson's correlation coefficient test. The average BMI for those in the control group was 24.19±1.22 kg/m². In contrast, the study group's average BMI was higher at 28.04±1.66 kg/m². The study group also had a greater average systolic blood pressure of 130.65±6.06 mm Hg compared to 115.30±5.07 mm Hg for controls. For diastolic blood pressure, values were also higher in the study group: 85.65±5.71 mm Hg compared to the control's 75.65±5.25 mm Hg. Fasting serum glucose levels showed a positive correlation with both BMI and blood pressure. We recommended from this study that routine evaluation of these parameters is important for preventing complications associated with type-2 diabetes mellitus.

Biosurfactants are naturally occurring compounds synthesized by micro-organisms that increasingly attract attention due to both their living area and application in various industries. In this study, we explore and characterize a novel bacterium, Enterobacter quasihormaechei strain BDIFST24001, isolated for its ability to produce rhamnolipid biosurfactants, with the aim of facilitating oil remediation processes. The isolation of this bacterium was carried out using Luria-Bertani (LB) broth media from environmental samples collected from oil-contaminated sites in Dhaka City. Screening tests, including the oil spreading method and drop collapse assay, were conducted to identify potential biosurfactant-producing strains, leading to the selection of E. quasihormaechei strain BDIFST24001 based on its favourable performance. Subsequent molecular identification revealed a high similarity of the strain's 16S rRNA gene to E. quasihormaechei , which was corroborated through phylogenetic analysis. Further analysis of the biosurfactant produced by this strain indicated its rhamnolipid nature, as confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy. The rhamnolipids exhibited promising surface-active properties, including a significant reduction in surface tension and emulsification activity, as evidenced by surface tension measurements and emulsification index assays. Optimization studies revealed that the optimal conditions for rhamnolipid production by E. quasihormaechei strain BDIFST24001 were a temperature of 37 °C, pH 10.0 and salinity of 4 %. The rhamnolipids produced by this strain demonstrated effective oil remediation capabilities, as observed through controlled experiments using petrol oil. The rhamnolipids effectively reduced the surface tension of the oil-water interface, facilitating the dispersion and emulsification of the oil phase in water. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of E. quasihormaechei strain BDIFST24001 as a promising candidate for biosurfactant-mediated oil spill cleanup and environmental remediation efforts., Competing Interests: The authors stated that they have no identifiable financial conflicts of interest or personal relationships that could potentially bias the results reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors.)

Metastasis of cervical cancer to the heart is rare. Cervical carcinoma typically spreads to the lungs, liver, bones, and lymph nodes via hematogenous, lymphatic, transvenous, or direct extension. Cardiac metastasis from cervical carcinoma is uncommon and portends a dismal prognosis, with mean survival under six months post-diagnosis. A high index of suspicion and multimodal imaging is imperative for prompt diagnosis and improved outcomes in these patients. Here, we report a rare case where a 41-year-old African American female with stage IIIB cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) presented with exertional dyspnea and chest pain concerning pulmonary embolism (PE). Computed tomography angiography showed no PE but revealed a right ventricular (RV) mass and diffuse pulmonary nodules. Echocardiography suggested an RV tumor versus a thrombus. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a large RV infiltrative mass favoring metastasis over thrombus. A biopsy of one of the pulmonary nodules confirmed metastatic SCC. Despite treatment, the prognosis was poor., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Nnadi et al.)

The health inequalities experienced by ethnic minorities have been a persistent and global phenomenon. The diagnosis of different types of skin conditions, e.g., melanoma, among people of color is one of such health domains where misdiagnosis can take place, potentially leading to life-threatening consequences. Although Caucasians are more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma, African Americans are four times more likely to present stage IV melanoma due to delayed diagnosis. It is essential to recognize that additional factors such as socioeconomic status and limited access to healthcare services can be contributing factors. African Americans are also 1.5 times more likely to die from melanoma than Caucasians, with 5-year survival rates for African Americans significantly lower than for Caucasians (72.2% vs. 89.6%). This is a complex problem compounded by several factors: ill-prepared medical practitioners, lack of awareness of melanoma and other skin conditions among people of colour, lack of information and medical resources for practitioners' continuous development, under-representation of people of colour in research, POC being a notoriously hard to reach group, and 'whitewashed' medical school curricula. Whilst digital technology can bring new hope for the reduction of health inequality, the deployment of artificial intelligence in healthcare carries risks that may amplify the health disparities experienced by people of color, whilst digital technology may provide a false sense of participation. For instance, Derm Assist, a skin diagnosis phone application which is under development, has already been criticized for relying on data from a limited number of people of color. This paper focuses on understanding the problem of misdiagnosing skin conditions in people of color and exploring the progress and innovations that have been experimented with, to pave the way to the possible application of big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and user-centred technology to reduce health inequalities among people of color., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Khatun, Spinelli and Colecchia.)

Background: Children admitted in a pediatric intensive care unit have a high risk of mortality. Pediatric risk of mortality III score in first 24 hours of admission has increasingly been used to predict mortality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the validity of Pediatric risk of mortality score in prediction of mortality among the patient admitted in pediatric intensive care unit., Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted at pediatric intensive care unit of a government pediatric hospital from January to June 2021. Patients between 1 month to 14 years of age and meeting the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Pediatric risk of mortality III score was calculated within 24 hours of admission. Patients were followed up for outcome measure as survivors and non survivors. Chi square test and logistic regression analysis were used to find the association of predictors and the score., Results: The mean Pediatric risk of mortality III score was lower in survivors than in non-survivors (4.67 ± 3.8 versus 14.10 ± 6.07; p<0.001). Those requiring inotropic and ventilator support have significantly higher mortality [49.4 versus 0.6 (p<0.001) and 81.8 versus 1.5 (p<0.001) respectively]. Minimum systolic blood pressure, abnormal pupillary reflex, increased blood urea nitrogen and decreased platelet were the significant (p<0.001) risk factors. The area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve was 0.916±0.024 (p<0.001) and goodness-of-fit test showed no significant difference between observed and expected mortalities (p=0.186)., Conclusions: The Pediatric risk of mortality score constitutes a useful prognostic tool in predicting the mortality., Key Words: Mortality; pediatrics; pediatric intensive care unit; risk score.

Endocarditis refers to infection or inflammation of the endocardium, and various pathogens can be involved in infective endocarditis (IE). Endocarditis is usually caused by bacteremia in patients with risk factors, including IV drug abuse, indwelling central venous or urinary catheters, recent dental infections, and implantable cardiac devices. Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( P. aeruginosa ) is an extremely rare causative organism in IE, predominantly among IV drug users and involving right-sided valves. Left-sided native valve P. aeruginosa IE without established risk factors is uncommon. We present a case of a 68-year-old male with no traditional IE risk factors who presented with intermittent fevers. Blood cultures grew P. aeruginosa , and transesophageal echocardiography revealed posterior mitral valve vegetation. The patient received broad-spectrum IV antibiotics, which were eventually narrowed down to IV cefepime, guided by culture antimicrobial sensitivities. Although the literature describes various risks for P. aeruginosa IE, it can still occur in the absence of traditional predisposing factors. Due to this organism's rapid resistance acquisition and the complication of septic emboli, an expeditious diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics and/or valve surgery are vital to reducing mortality associated with this entity., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Khatun et al.)

Exercise-induced ventricular tachycardia undergoes ischemia evaluation; however, it is important to identify idiopathic ventricular tachycardia in patients with concomitant coronary artery disease and radiofrequency ablations can be lifesaving. We report a case of exercise-induced right and left ventricular outflow tract ventricular tachycardia in a patient with triple vessel coronary artery disease., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Khatun et al.)

Introduction: Nephrotic syndrome is a glomerular disease characterized by massive urinary protein loss occurring in children. Proteinuria also leads to loss of thyroid binding globulin affecting thyroid function. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of hypothyroidism among children with nephrotic syndrome admitted to a tertiary care centre., Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among children with nephrotic syndrome admitted to a tertiary care centre from 06 July 2020 to 06 June 2021 after obtaining ethical approval from the Ethical Review Committee. They were tested for free T3, free T4 and TSH. A convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 90% Confidence Interval., Results: Among 69 children with nephrotic syndrome, the prevalence of hypothyroidism was 49 (71.01%) (62.03-80.00, 90% Confidence Interval)., Conclusions: The prevalence of hypothyroidism among children with nephrotic syndrome was higher than other studies done in similar settings., Keywords: children; hypothyroidism; nephrotic syndrome; prevalence.

This study examines the effectiveness of W/O microemulsion-mediated Sm 2 S 3 nanospheres in pickering emulsion-based crystal violet (CV) dye degradation and PANI@Sm 2 S 3 nanocomposite synthesis. The evaluation of nanospheres inside the core of reverse micelles was performed through DLS, TEM and FESEM analyses. The formation of nanospheres involve two phases: a nucleation phase (5-30 min) and growth phase (30-120 min). Through in situ hydrophobization of negatively charged (with a zeta value of -4.47 mV at neutral pH) Sm 2 S 3 nanoparticles (0.1 wt%) with a suitable amount of a cationic CTAB surfactant, a stable O/W pickering emulsion was developed. 0.1 wt% Sm 2 S 3 in situ hydrophobized with 2.7 mM CTAB offered a stable pickering emulsion with a diameter of 23 μm after 1 day of storage. This pickering emulsion improves the local concentration of CV by efficiently encapsulating dye molecules inside the core of emulsion droplets. Therefore, dye molecules get numerous opportunities to interact with the Sm 2 S 3 photocatalyst and efficiently degrade. The pickering emulsion stabilised by 0.1 wt% of Sm 2 S 3 nanoparticles in situ hydrophobized with 2.7 mM of CTAB results in almost 100% degradation. Moreover, using only solid Sm 2 S 3 (having wt% of 0.025 or 0.075) as a pickering stabiliser, new PANI@Sm 2 S 3 spherical nanocomposites were synthesised via pickering emulsion polymerization. The formation of PANI@Sm 2 S 3 composites was identified via UV-vis, IR, and 1 H-NMR investigations. The analysis of FESEM images showed that the amount of nanoparticles used in the dispersion (for 0.025 wt%, 35 nm and 0.075 wt%, 29 nm) strongly influences the size and shape of the composites., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background: Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, with increasing incidence among females. Sex differences in lung cancer risk and outcomes are influenced by various factors, including biological characteristics. In Bangladesh, where lung cancer mortality rates are high, patients often present at advanced stages. However, real-time data on sex-specific survival outcomes for inoperable lung cancer in Bangladesh is lacking., Methods: This retrospective study analyzed patients with inoperable lung cancer at the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from 2018 to 2019. Patient demographics and clinical parameters were assessed, with survival tracked until June 2020. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, t-tests, Kaplan-Meier curves, and multivariable Cox regression models., Results: Females were diagnosed at a younger age (55.3 ± 12.7 vs 60.5 ± 10.2 years, p < 0.001) and had higher comorbidity rates (36.2 %, p = 0.004). Males had higher smoking rates, while females used more smokeless tobacco. Adenocarcinoma was more prevalent in females (47.2 %) and squamous cell carcinoma in males (42.7 %). After adjusting for various factors, females showed a significant survival advantage (median 16 vs 12 months), particularly in adenocarcinoma (HR: 0.64, 95 %CI:0.46-0.90, p = 0.01) and squamous cell carcinoma (HR: 0.52, 95 %CI:0.32-0.85, p = 0.009). Females also demonstrated better survival when receiving supportive care, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy alone but not in combined therapy. Older males (>70), illiterate, smokers, and those with comorbidities had a poor prognosis compared to females., Conclusion: This study reveals significant sex-based differences in inoperable lung cancer patients in Bangladesh. Despite earlier diagnosis and higher comorbidities, females demonstrated better survival rates, particularly in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. These findings highlight the need for sex-specific approaches in lung cancer management to improve patient outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystals with complete photonic band gap (PBG) are fascinating due to the possibility of controlling light in all directions. Realizing such photonic crystals is nontrivial due to symmetry requirements and associated fabrication challenges. Liquid crystalline cubic blue phases (BPs) are soft 3D photonic crystals with an incomplete PBG due to the low refractive index contrast (<0.1). The present work attempts to drive a cubic BP towards a complete PBG via a simple approach of high refractive index nanoparticle-doping. The photonic band diagrams and reflection spectra of the nanoparticle-doped BP simulated using the finite element method show an increased PBG width, a parameter that quantifies the complete PBG. The reflection spectra obtained from UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy show an increase (by a factor of >2) in PBG width for the nanoparticle-doped BP, validating the simulations. The findings are explained based on increased refractive index contrast (∼1.4) due to the nanoparticles getting trapped in the cores of disclination lines that make up the BP lattice. The simulations also indicate effective confinement of electric field eigenmodes in the nanoparticle-doped BP leading to high attenuation of the incident light. Further, the iso-frequency contours extracted from the band diagrams exhibit self-collimation and negative refraction of light.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the relationship between women's sexual empowerment and contraceptive use among married Bangladeshi women from a nationally representative sample. Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted using the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2017-18. The investigation covered a total of 14,515 married, non-pregnant women who were residing with their spouses. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was fitted to assess the relationship between the variables of interest. Results: A unit increase in the sexual empowerment scale increases the odds of contraceptive use by 13%. While increasing age, being Muslim, having a spouse who is older by more than 10 years, and living in rural areas are associated with lower odds of using contraceptives than their respective counterparts, secondary or higher levels of education, having more living children, exposure to TV or radio, and employment are associated with higher odds of using contraceptives. Conclusion: The study's findings point to the need for addressing women's perceptions of their right to sexual and reproductive health and equity in order to further efforts to achieve universal access to reproductive health services., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they do not have any conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Khatun, Howlader and Rahman.)

Background: Neonatal sepsis is a major determinant of neonatal mortality. There is a scarcity of evidence-based guidelines for the duration of antibiotics in culture-positive sepsis., Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of 10- and 14-day antibiotic therapies in the management of culture-positive neonatal sepsis., Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary care center among the neonates suffering from culture-positive sepsis (with signs of clinical remission on day 9 of antibiotic) between January 2023 and May 2023. Newborns with major congenital anomaly, deep-seated infections, multi-organ dysfunction, associated fungal infections/infection by multiple organisms and severe birth asphyxia were excluded. Two hundred and thirty-four newborns were randomized into two groups-study (received 10 days of antibiotics) and control (received 14 days of antibiotics). Treatment failure, hospital stay and adverse effects were compared between the two groups. p < 0.05 was taken as the limit of statistical significance., Results: Median [interquartile range (IQR)] birth weight and gestational age of the study population (53.8% boys) were 2.424 kg (IQR: 2.183-2.695) and 37.3 weeks (IQR: 35.5-38.1), respectively. Acinetobacter was the most commonly isolated species (56, 23.9%). The baseline characteristics of both groups were almost similar. Treatment failure was similar in the study and control groups (3.8% vs. 1.7%, p = 0.40), with a shorter hospital stay [median (IQR): 14 (13-16) vs. 18 (17-19) days, p < 0.001]., Conclusion: Ten-day antibiotic therapy was comparable with 14-day antibiotic therapy in efficacy, with a shorter duration of hospital stay and without any significant increase in adverse effects., (© The Author(s) [2023]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

BRASH syndrome involves the chain of events resulting from the collective effects of B radycardia, R enal failure, A trioventricular (AV)-nodal blockade, S hock, and H yperkalemia. BRASH syndrome can rapidly progress to cardiac arrest. Early recognition is crucial. We present a case of transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) in an elderly woman who presented with BRASH syndrome shortly after an AV-nodal blocker was prescribed for atrial fibrillation., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Khatun et al.)

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease involving multiple organ systems. In its classic form, sarcoidosis is associated with non-caseating granuloma. Several differential diagnostic entities exist for sarcoidosis, including tuberculosis (TB), as well as lymphomas. In this report, we present a case of sarcoidosis in a 55-year-old male with diffuse lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenic involvement, highlighting the differential diagnostic point for this disease., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Ji et al.)

Tuberculous pericarditis, a rare but potentially lethal manifestation of tuberculosis, poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in clinical practice. Its nonspecific clinical presentation often mimics other conditions, leading to delayed or missed diagnoses. We report a 25-year-old male with no past medical history, who presented with nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, body aches, and dyspnea. An electrocardiogram showed low voltage QRS complex with electrical alternans, and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed large pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology with right ventricular diastolic collapse, the collapse of the right atrium and the inferior vena cava was dilated with a respiratory variation of less than 50%. The diagnosis of tuberculous pericarditis was made based on clinical presentation, imaging, and laboratory findings, including a positive QuantiFERON-TB gold test and pericardial fluid analysis, despite negative cultures. This case highlights the significance of considering tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of pericardial effusion and underscores the role of imaging and laboratory investigations in diagnosis. Management of tuberculous pericarditis involves a combination of antituberculous chemotherapy, pericardiocentesis, and corticosteroids. Despite its rarity, tuberculous pericarditis carries a high mortality rate and can present as cardiac tamponade, as illustrated in our case. This underscores the need for high clinical suspicion, especially in high-risk populations, for timely diagnosis and initiation of treatment., Competing Interests: None to disclose., (Copyright 2023, Khatun et al.)

In this study, Psidium guajava ( P. guajava ) leaf extract-assisted silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized and their antibacterial activities were investigated. The synthesized green AgNPs were characterized by various analytical techniques including UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, etc. From the UV-Vis spectroscopic analysis, the formation of nanoparticles has been confirmed by the color change from light yellow to reddish brown of the solution due to the excitation of the surface plasmon resonance peak at 430 nm. In addition, the FTIR study showed the reduction of Ag ions owing to the presence of biomolecules in the leaf extract, which acted as reducing as well as capping agents. Furthermore, XRD analysis reveals the identified 2 θ peaks of AgNPs at ∼39° with cubic structure. The FE-SEM micrograph illustrated the material was formed in nano-dimensions, with an average particle size of ∼12 nm and almost spherical in shape. Moreover, P. guajava -mediated AgNPs demonstrated good antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive ( S. aureus ) and Gram-negative ( E. coli ) bacterial strains. The synthesis was performed by a bio-reduction process where a bioactive agent is responsible for reducing metallic ions to metallic nanoparticles as an eco-friendly, cost-effective, non-toxic, one-step, and sustainable method. Therefore, this study may create an imperative synthetic route for the fabrication of green-AgNPs and their application in antibacterial coatings in cotton textiles., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Desmin ( DES ) maintains the overall structure of cardiomyocytes and cytoskeletal organization within striated muscle cells. Mitochondrial thioredoxin reductase 2 ( TXNRD-2 ) is essential for mitochondrial oxygen radical scavenging. We describe a rare case of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in an 18-year-old female with a heterozygous mutation involving both DES and TXNRD-2 genes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Khatun et al.)

Quadricuspid aortic valve (QAV) is a very rare congenital abnormality. Here, we present a rare case of QAV incidentally noted in a patient at an advanced age during transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). A 73-year-old man with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and treated prostate cancer was admitted to the hospital with palpitations. An electrocardiogram (ECG) showed T-wave inversion in V5-V6, with initial troponin levels mildly elevated. Acute coronary syndrome was ruled out by serial ECGs that were unchanged, and troponins downtrended. TTE showed a rare and incidental finding of type A QAV with four equal cusps with mild aortic regurgitation., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Khatun et al.)

Hypertension 'The sustained elevation of systemic arterial pressure' is a significant risk factor for heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases and an estimated 970 million people worldwide suffer from the disease resulting in significant morbidity, mortality and financial burden globally. It is the leading modifiable risk factor for morbidity and mortality worldwide. Worldwide an estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 years have hypertension, the majority (two-thirds) living with low and middle income countries. One of the global targets for non-communicable diseases is to reduce the prevalence of hypertension by 33% between 2010 and 2030.Sodium plays an important role in blood pressure regulation with a reduced sodium intake being associated with a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This study was done to evaluate the differences in body mass index (BMI) and serum sodium in hypertensive and normotensive subjects. This analytical type of cross sectional study was carried out in the Department of Physiology, Mymensingh Medical College, Mymensingh between the periods from January 2022 to December 2022. A total number of 140 male subjects, age ranged from (30-59) years were included in this study. Among them, seventy (70) hypertensive subjects were taken as study group (Group II) and seventy (70) age matched normotensive subjects were taken as control group (Group I). The results were calculated and analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26.0. Anthropometric measurements like height and weight taken in meter and kilogram respectively. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was performed by aneroid sphygmomanometer (ALPK2, Japan), laboratory analysis of serum sodium by colorimetric method. In this study we found that body mass index in control group 23.59±1.29 kg/m² and study group 26.81±2.31kg/m²; blood pressure (systolic pressure in control group 113.21±6.76 mm Hg and in study group 149.14±5.03 mm Hg, diastolic pressure in control group 75.57±4.55 mm Hg and in study group 100.21±5.28 mm Hg) and serum sodium in control group 138.84±2.12 & in study group was 147.94±1.41 which were significant in study group in comparison with control group. In study group parameters were significantly increased in comparison to control male group. Therefore, by this study we recommended that routine estimation of these parameters is important for prevention of complication related to hypertension for leading a healthy life.

Objective: To estimate the incidence of raised intracranial pressure (ICP) as evident by enlarged optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) by ocular ultrasound among patients with preeclampsia and its relationship to severity of disease., Material and Methods: Sixty pregnant mothers with preeclampsia were compared to 30 normotensive, uncomplicated pregnant controls. For ONSD measurement, a 7-MHZ linear probe was used and three values from each optic nerve were taken and the mean of six values of both eyes was recorded. All study subjects were followed until seven days after delivery., Results: Two cut off values (5.8 mm and 4.6 mm) were used to compare ONSD in severe and non-severe preeclampsia with that of healthy pregnant individuals. The incidence of raised ICP among severe preeclampsia above 5.8 mm and 4.6 mm cut-off were 43.3% and 90%, respectively, before delivery. ONSD was significantly elevated among preeclampsia subjects at both cut-off values at pre-delivery (p=0.004 for ONSD >5.8 mm and p<0.001 for ONSD >4.6 mm) compared to controls. There a significant association between presence of neurological manifestations and enlarged ONSD (p<0.001 for ONSD >5.8 mm and p=0.04 for ONSD >4.6 mm) before delivery., Conclusion: Severe preeclampsia with neurological features was associated with increased ONSD, reflecting raised ICP. Further studies are needed to compare ONSD values with invasive ICP monitoring for better understanding of this relationship., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest is declared by the authors., (©Copyright 2023 by the Turkish-German Gynecological Education and Research Foundation - Journal of the Turkish-German Gynecological Association published by Galenos Publishing House.)