86 results on '"K. Asghar"'
Search Results
2. Assessment of particulate matter (PM) in ambient air of different settings and its associated health risk in Haripur city, Pakistan
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K. Asghar, A. Ali, A. Tabassum, S.G. Nadeem, S.T. Hakim, M. Amin, G. Raza, S. Bashir, N. Afshan, N. Usman, N. Aurangzeb, A. Naz, and M. Hussain
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particulate matter ,Air quality index ,health impacts ,air pollutants ,Haripur ,Science ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 ,Zoology ,QL1-991 ,Botany ,QK1-989 - Abstract
Abstract Particulate matter (PM) is a major air pollutant causing serious health problems. The aim of the present study was to find out concentration of PM in ambient air and its associated health risk in Haripur city, Pakistan. Twenty-three samples were taken at various educational institutes, hospitals, recreational areas and industries in Haripur city. Concentration of PM2.5 (µg/m3) and PM10 (µg/m3) was measured with Youngteng YT-HPC 3000A portable PM counter. The results revealed that values of both PM2.5 and PM10 were above the permissible limits (35 µg/m3 for PM2.5 and 150 µg/m3 for PM10) set by Environmental Protection Agency Pakistan (Pak-EPA) in all the educational institutes, hospitals, recreational areas and industries investigated. Furthermore, significant (p more...
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- 2022
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- View/download PDF
Catalog
3. EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS ON CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF SOIL IN VILLAGE DINGI, DISTRICT HARIPUR
- Author
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K. Asghar, A. Hussain, Z. Malik, A. Asghar, and A. Bibi
- Subjects
Special types of environment ,TD878-894 ,Environmental sciences ,GE1-350 - Abstract
The present report is an outcome of research work conducted in Dingi village, District Haripur in 2012. The research aimed to assess and analyze the effects of industrial effluents on the soil fertility of the village, investigate contributing factors responsible for soil pollution and underlying causes creating the problems. Data analysis revealed that area had problems pertaining to water and soil quality. The key factors affecting soil fertility were the careless discharge of the untreated industrial effluents from Hattar Industrial Estate (HIE) into the natural stream passing through village. The results were compared with the soil standards set by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and European Committee Commission (ECC) and all of these were exceeding the permissible limits and affecting the soil fertility. The soils were found not fit for agriculture. The investigation highlighted the need to take some effective steps to manage the monitoring program set for checking of industries by the government according to set rules and regulation. more...
- Published
- 2016
4. How gender- and violence-related norms affect self-esteem among adolescent refugee girls living in Ethiopia
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L. Stark, K. Asghar, I. Seff, B. Cislaghi, G. Yu, T. Tesfay Gessesse, J. Eoomkham, A. Assazenew Baysa, and K. Falb
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Adolescent health ,conflict ,gender norms ,resilience ,self-esteem ,Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry ,RC321-571 - Abstract
Background. Evidence suggests adolescent self-esteem is influenced by beliefs of how individuals in their reference group perceive them. However, few studies examine how gender- and violence-related social norms affect self-esteem among refugee populations. This paper explores relationships between gender inequitable and victim-blaming social norms, personal attitudes, and self-esteem among adolescent girls participating in a life skills program in three Ethiopian refugee camps. Methods. Ordinary least squares multivariable regression analysis was used to assess the associations between attitudes and social norms, and self-esteem. Key independent variables of interest included a scale measuring personal attitudes toward gender inequitable norms, a measure of perceived injunctive norms capturing how a girl believed her family and community would react if she was raped, and a peer-group measure of collective descriptive norms surrounding gender inequity. The key outcome variable, self-esteem, was measured using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Results. Girl's personal attitudes toward gender inequitable norms were not significantly predictive of self-esteem at endline, when adjusting for other covariates. Collective peer norms surrounding the same gender inequitable statements were significantly predictive of self-esteem at endline (ß = −0.130; p = 0.024). Additionally, perceived injunctive norms surrounding family and community-based sanctions for victims of forced sex were associated with a decline in self-esteem at endline (ß = −0.103; p = 0.014). Significant findings for collective descriptive norms and injunctive norms remained when controlling for all three constructs simultaneously. Conclusions. Findings suggest shifting collective norms around gender inequity, particularly at the community and peer levels, may sustainably support the safety and well-being of adolescent girls in refugee settings. more...
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- 2018
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5. The effect of gender norms on the association between violence and hope among girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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L. Stark, K. Asghar, S. Meyer, G. Yu, T. Bakemore, C. Poulton, and K. Falb
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Attitudes toward intimate partner violence ,etiology ,gender norms ,hope ,resilience ,violence ,Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry ,RC321-571 - Abstract
Background. Girls at early stages of adolescence are vulnerable to violence victimization in humanitarian contexts, but few studies examine factors that affect girls’ hope in these settings. We assessed attitudes toward traditional gender norms as an effect modifier of the relationship between violence exposure and future orientation in displaced girls. Methods. Secondary analysis, using multivariable regression of cross-sectional data from girls ages 10–14 in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Key variables of interest were attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV), Children's Hope Scale (CHS) score, and exposure to physical, emotional, and sexual violence within the last 12 months. Additional covariates included age, educational status, and territory. Results. The interaction of exposure to violence and attitudes toward IPV magnified the association between violence exposure and lower CHS score for physical violence (β = −0.09, p = 0.040) and unwanted sexual touching (β = −0.20, p = 0.003) among girls age 10–14, when adjusting for other covariates. The interaction of exposure to violence and attitudes toward IPV magnified the association between violence exposure and lower CHS score for forced sex (β = −0.22, p = 0.016) among girls age 13–14, when adjusting for covariates. Findings for emotional violence, any form of sexual violence, and coerced sex trended toward lower CHS scores for girls who reported higher acceptance of IPV, but did not reach significance. Conclusions. Findings support the utility of gender norms-transformative programming in increasing resilience of girls who have experienced sexual violence in humanitarian contexts. more...
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- 2017
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6. Image Forgery Detection Using Noise and Edge Weighted Local Texture Features
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K. ASGHAR, M. SADDIQUE, M. HUSSAIN, G. BEBIS, and Z. HABIB
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General Computer Science ,Electrical and Electronic Engineering - Published
- 2022
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7. Avaliação de material particulado (MP) no ar ambiente de diferentes configurações e sua associação com o risco à saúde na cidade de Haripur, Paquistão
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K. Asghar, A. Ali, A. Tabassum, S.G. Nadeem, S.T. Hakim, M. Amin, G. Raza, S. Bashir, N. Afshan, N. Usman, N. Aurangzeb, A. Naz, and M. Hussain
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particulate matter ,poluentes do ar ,Air Pollutants ,Haripur ,Air quality index ,Air Pollution ,impactos na saúde ,material particulado ,Pakistan ,Particulate Matter ,air pollutants ,health impacts ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,Environmental Monitoring ,Índice de qualidade do ar - Abstract
Particulate matter (PM) is a major air pollutant causing serious health problems. The aim of the present study was to find out concentration of PM in ambient air and its associated health risk in Haripur city, Pakistan. Twenty-three samples were taken at various educational institutes, hospitals, recreational areas and industries in Haripur city. Concentration of PM2.5 (µg/m3) and PM10 (µg/m3) was measured with Youngteng YT-HPC 3000A portable PM counter. The results revealed that values of both PM2.5 and PM10 were above the permissible limits (35 µg/m3 for PM2.5 and 150 µg/m3 for PM10) set by Environmental Protection Agency Pakistan (Pak-EPA) in all the educational institutes, hospitals, recreational areas and industries investigated. Furthermore, significant (p more...
- Published
- 2022
8. Supracondylar Fracture of Humerus in Children Treated with Closed Reduction and Percutaneous Cross Pinning VS Lateral Pinning
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M. S. Zardad, S. A. Shah, M. Younas, M. Ullah, I. Muhammad, and K. Asghar
- Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the outcomes between percutaneous cross pinning vs two lateral pinning in treatment of closed reduction supracondylar fracture of humerus in children. Study Design: Prospective study Place and Duration: Study was conducted in Orthopaedic Unit Ayub Medical Teaching Institute Abbottabad and DHQ Teaching Hospital Gomal Medical College Dera Ismail Khan during from October 2019 to May 2020 (09 months duration). Methods: Total 60 patients of both genders were presented in this study. Baseline demographically details of patients age, sex and body mass index were recorded after taking consent. Patients were aged between 2-14 years were included. Children who had supracondylar humerus fractures were enrolled and divided equally into 2-groups. Group I had 30 patients and received percutaneous cross pinning technique and group II had 35 patients underwent for lateral pinning. Radiological and functional results were assessed by Flynn’s criteria among both groups, frequency of complications was also observed. Complete date was analyzed by SPSS 22.0 version. Results: Total 36 (60%) were males (18 in each group) and 24 (40%) were females (12 in each group. Mean age of the patients in group I was 6.14±3.12 years and in group II mean age was 5.66±5.28 years. Sports 45 (75%) was the most common cause of fracture followed by traffic accidents 10 (16.67%) and the rest were 5 (8.33%) fall from the height. Mean surgical time in group I was 31.24±2.16 minutes while in group II mean time was 33.42±1.61 minutes. Mean radiation time in group I was 2.01±1.1 sec and in group II radiation time was 1.34±1.1 sec. According flynn’s criteria excellent results were found in 20 (66.7%) cases, good results in 8 (26.7%) and fair results found in 2 (6.7%) while in group II excellent results were found in 19 (63.33%), good results in 9 (30%) and fair results in 2 (6.7%). Significantly no any difference in outcomes was observed among both groups. Conclusion: We concluded in this study that the both techniques are safe and effective for the treatment of closed reduction supracondylar fracture of humerus in children but less operative and high radiation time was observed in percutaneous cross pinning as compared to two lateral pinning. Keywords: Percutaneous cross pinning, Two lateral pinning, Supracondylar humerus fracture, Children more...
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- 2021
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9. Development of Consensus Based Best Practice Guidelines for Perioperative Management of Blood Loss in Patients Undergoing Posterior Spinal Fusion for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis*
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Peter O Newton, Michelle C Marks, Steven W. Hwang, Paul D Sponseller, Nicholas D. Fletcher, and Jahangir K Asghar
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Delphi Technique ,Best practice ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Blood Loss, Surgical ,Delphi method ,Psychological intervention ,Scoliosis ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Nominal group technique ,medicine ,Humans ,Orthopedics and Sports Medicine ,Intensive care medicine ,030222 orthopedics ,business.industry ,Guideline ,medicine.disease ,Spinal Fusion ,Spinal fusion ,Practice Guidelines as Topic ,Orthopedic surgery ,business ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Study Design Delphi process with multiple iterative rounds using a nominal group technique. Objective The aim of this study was to use expert opinion to achieve consensus on various methods for minimizing blood loss in patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Background Data Perioperative blood loss management represents a critical component of safely performing PSF in children with AIS. Little consensus exists on ways to mitigate excessive blood loss after PSF. Methods An expert panel composed of 21 pediatric spine surgeons was selected. Using the Delphi process and iterative rounds using a nominal group technique, participants in this panel were presented with a detailed literature review and asked to voice opinion collectively during three rounds of voting. Agreement >80% was considered consensus. Interventions without consensus were discussed and revised, if feasible. Results Consensus was reached to support 21 best practice guideline measures for perioperative management of blood loss in patients undergoing PSF for AIS. Areas included preoperative assessment and preparation, intraoperative strategies to decrease blood loss, and postoperative transfusion indications. Conclusion We present a consensus-based best practice guideline consisting of 21 recommendations for strategies to minimize and manage blood loss during PSF. This can serve to reduce variability in practice in this area, help develop hospital specific protocols, and guide future research. more...
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- 2018
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10. EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS ON CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF SOIL IN VILLAGE DINGI, DISTRICT HARIPUR
- Author
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A. Asghar, Ahmad Hussain, K. Asghar, A. Bibi, and Zeeshan Khawar Malik
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lcsh:GE1-350 ,Government ,Engineering ,business.industry ,Environmental engineering ,Soil quality ,Monitoring program ,Soil contamination ,lcsh:TD878-894 ,Work (electrical) ,Agriculture ,Environmental protection ,Soil water ,Soil fertility ,lcsh:Special types of environment ,business ,lcsh:Environmental sciences - Abstract
The present report is an outcome of research work conducted in Dingi village, District Haripur in 2012. The research aimed to assess and analyze the effects of industrial effluents on the soil fertility of the village, investigate contributing factors responsible for soil pollution and underlying causes creating the problems. Data analysis revealed that area had problems pertaining to water and soil quality. The key factors affecting soil fertility were the careless discharge of the untreated industrial effluents from Hattar Industrial Estate (HIE) into the natural stream passing through village. The results were compared with the soil standards set by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and European Committee Commission (ECC) and all of these were exceeding the permissible limits and affecting the soil fertility. The soils were found not fit for agriculture. The investigation highlighted the need to take some effective steps to manage the monitoring program set for checking of industries by the government according to set rules and regulation. more...
- Published
- 2016
11. PREDICTION OF FLOOD IN KARKHEH BASIN USING DATA-DRIVEN METHODS
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S. Kamali, F. Saedi, and K. Asghari
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Technology ,Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,TA1-2040 ,Applied optics. Photonics ,TA1501-1820 - Abstract
Flood causes several threats with outcomes which include peril to human and animal life, damage to property, and adversity to agricultural fields. Hence, flood prediction is highly significant for the mitigating municipal and environmental damage. The aim of this study was assessing the performance of different machine learning methods in predicting flood in Karkheh basin. To aim this, we used Support Vector Machine (SVM), Least Square Support Vector Machine (LSSVM), Feed Forward Back Propagation Neural Network (FFBPNN), and Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN) to simulate monthly streamflow in the study area. Furthermore, the performance of models was compared in predicting flood. All four models indicated good performance in simulating streamflow. However, LSSVM model had the highest accuracy compared with other models with R2 and RMSE of 85.89% and 30.02 m3/s during testing periods, respectively. Similarly, LSSVM model performed better in predicting annual maximum streamflow in comparison with other machine learning models. more...
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- 2023
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12. Use of ezetimibe during HIV infection
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Justin Stebbing, P Holmes, Mark Bower, A. K. Asghar, Heather Isenman, and Mark Nelson
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Pharmacology ,Microbiology (medical) ,Infectious Diseases ,Pharmacotherapy ,Ezetimibe ,business.industry ,Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ,Medicine ,Pharmacology (medical) ,business ,medicine.disease_cause ,Virology ,medicine.drug - Published
- 2008
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13. Attitude towards Biology and Its Effects on Student’s Achievement
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K Asghar Soltani and Ahmad R. Nasr
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Significant difference ,Developmental psychology - Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to examine the relation between attitudes towards science in biology courses and students’ biology achievement. A total of 185 grade 12 (age 17-18 years) students in Isfahan answered to a 30-item questionnaire provided by authors based on STAQ-R inventory. The results showed that among attitude towards science dimensions, only “biology is fun for me”, have meaningful and positive relation with students’ achievement in biology. Also there was no significant difference between girls and boys in attitude towards biology, although girls had better achievements in biology in comparison with boys. more...
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- 2011
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14. PTH-028 Real world surveillance of barrett’s oesophagus – does it make a difference using the prague classification or following seattle biopsy protocol?: Abstract PTH-028 Table 1
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J Evans, K Asghar, S Ghuman, Neil Hawkes, and S Kakhi
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Protocol (science) ,medicine.medical_specialty ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Radiofrequency ablation ,Gastroenterology ,medicine.disease ,law.invention ,Surgery ,Endoscopy ,law ,Dysplasia ,Internal medicine ,Statistical significance ,Biopsy ,Cohort ,medicine ,Adenocarcinoma ,business - Abstract
Introduction BSG Barrett’s Surveillance guidance recommends that the Prague Classification (PC) should be used to describe a Barrett’s segment and Seattle Protocol (SP) be used when taking biopsies. Previous studies have reported poor compliance with such protocols. We sought to investigate the extent to which adherence to advice affected outcomes in our patient cohort. We aimed to investigate the impact of 1) reported use of the Prague classification and 2) adherence to the Seattle protocol, on the detection of all dysplasia and advanced dysplasia (HGD, or in-situ adenocarcinoma). Method HICCS Endoscopic Reporting System was searched for all detected Barrett’s oesophagus between Oct 2010–Oct 2014 (n = 587 procedures). Only specific surveillance cases were included (index and specific recall cases excluded). Endoscopy reports were checked and histology results retrieved from the Welsh Clinical Portal system. Differences in dysplasia detection rates for 1) PC used versus PC not used, and 2) SP followed versus SP not followed were tested using the Chi-squared test. Numbers of biopsies in each SP group were compared using two-tailed t-test. Significance level set at p Results In the 4 year study period, 367 Barrett’s surveillance procedures were performed in 220 patients. PC was reported in 106 (28.9%) and SP followed in 116 (31.6%) of procedures. The dysplasia rates are shown in the Table. There was a significant increase in detection rate of all types of dysplasia and advanced dysplasia (AD) when PC was used and where SP was followed. Significantly more biopsies were taken in the SP followed group, both for short (p = 0.037) and longer (>3 cm) segments (p Conclusion Adherence to recommended reporting and biopsy protocols may just reflect deeper interest in Barrett’s surveillance or greater experience level. Even if only surrogate markers for ‘quality’ of examination, their use marked clinically relevant differences in dysplasia detection, which in turn is linked to numbers of patients who may require endotherapy or radiofrequency ablation. Disclosure of interest None Declared. more...
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- 2015
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15. PTU-327 An evaluation of the effect of using an acetic acid protocol for the detection of dysplasia in barrett’s oesophagus in a district general hospital setting: Abstract PTU-327 Table 1
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K Asghar, S Ghuman, Neil Hawkes, J Evans, and S Kakhi
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Protocol (science) ,medicine.medical_specialty ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Gastroenterology ,medicine.disease ,Endoscopy ,Dysplasia ,Statistical significance ,Internal medicine ,Barrett's oesophagus ,White light ,medicine ,Adenocarcinoma ,General hospital ,business - Abstract
Introduction Studies have suggested that mucosal enhancement techniques, such as acetic acid (AA) spray may increase detection of advanced dysplasia during surveillance of Barrett’s oesophagus. A standardised AA protocol was adopted by 3 consultants and a nurse endoscopist (NE) from 2011, other endoscopists continued a conventional methodology for surveillance. We aimed to investigate the impact of the use of a standard protocol (HD image in WL, FICE assessment and use of 3% AA dye spray, with targeted biopsies and Seattle protocol biopsies) on the detection of all dysplasia and advanced dysplasia (HGD, or in-situ adenocarcinoma). Method We searched the HICCS Endoscopic Reporting System for all endoscopies where Barrett’s oesophagus was detected between October 2010 and October 2014 (n = 587). Only specific surveillance cases were included (index and specific recall cases excluded). Endoscopy reports were checked and histology results retrieved from the Welsh Clinical Portal system. Differences in dysplasia detection rates for the AA Protocol (AA) or ‘standard’ white light endoscopy (WLE) were tested using the Chi-squared test, with significance level set at p Results In the 4 year study period, 367 Barrett’s surveillance procedures were performed in 220 patients. The AA protocol was applied during 86 procedures, standard WLE in 269 procedures. The dysplasia rates are shown in the Table 1. There was a significant increase in the detection rate of all types of dysplasia (p Conclusion Introduction of a Standard AA Protocol in our Health Board was associated with higher detection of dysplasia compared with white light endoscopies performed during the same time interval. The training of a nurse endoscopist to provide this service has proved both feasible and effective. All surveillance patients now attend pre-booked lists where AA protocol is used. Disclosure of interest None Declared. more...
- Published
- 2015
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16. Attitude towards Biology and Its Effects on Student’s Achievement
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R. Nasr, Ahmad, primary and Soltani K., Asghar, additional
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- 2011
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17. Ezetimibe as lipid-lowering therapy for patients receiving HAART
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Mark T. Nelson, P Holmes, Heather Isenman, A. K. Asghar, Brian Gazzard, and Mark Bower
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medicine.medical_specialty ,business.industry ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ,Pharmacology ,medicine.disease_cause ,medicine.disease ,Lipid-lowering therapy ,Infectious Diseases ,Pharmacotherapy ,Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) ,Ezetimibe ,International congress ,Internal medicine ,Medicine ,lipids (amino acids, peptides, and proteins) ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
References 1. Coll B, et al.: Ezetimibe effectively decreases LDL-cholesterol in HIV-infected patients. AIDS 2006, 20:1675-7. 2. Negredo E, et al.: Ezetimibe, a promising lipid-lowering agent for the treatment of dyslipidaemia in HIV-infected patients with poor response to statins. AIDS 2006, 20:2159-64. from Ninth International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection Glasgow, UK. 9–13 November 2008 more...
- Published
- 2008
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18. Pressure Dependent Analysis in Water Distribution Networks Using Particle Swarm Optimization
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M. A. Geranmehr, M. R. Chamani, and K. Asghari
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decision support system ,pressure dependent analysis ,water distribution networks ,particle swarm optimization ,Agriculture ,Agriculture (General) ,S1-972 - Abstract
A water distribution network (WDN) may not be able to satisfy all required demands when it’s in the pressure deficit mode or under over-loaded demand conditions. Analysis of the network in this mode requires pressure dependent analysis (PDA). Unlike demand driven analysis (DDA), PDA needs an extra equation for every node to relate the nodal demand and the nodal pressure; so it should be solved with the other network’s equations simultaneously. In this paper, based on the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, a decision support system has been developed by using MATLAB and EPANET for PDA simulation in WDNs. A four-loop network selected from the literature was analyzed using different scenarios and different pressure dependent functions presented by the previous investigations. The results showed that the proposed model (PSO-PDA) was as accurate as the previous ones and provided better convergence. The results of the nodes’ pressure and discharge also indicated minor differences obtained by different PDA functions. However, the differences between the results of PDA and DDA were considerable. more...
- Published
- 2018
19. Histochemical localization of glutathione in tissues
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B G Reddy, G Krishna, and K Asghar
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Male ,Pathology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Histology ,Liver cytology ,Kidney Tubules, Proximal ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Vas Deferens ,medicine ,Animals ,Lung ,Kidney ,Frozen section procedure ,Staining and Labeling ,Histocytochemistry ,Chemistry ,Vas deferens ,Glutathione ,Epididymis ,Rats ,Staining ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Liver ,Organ Specificity ,Anatomy ,Methylene blue - Abstract
A histochemical method has been developed for the localization of glutathione (GSH) in frozen sections from various tissues including liver, lung, kidney, testis and eye. The reliability and specificity of the method has been investigated by comparing the rates of reaction in tissue and gelatin sections and after depletion of GSH in liver by diethyl maleate. In principle, the method is based on the formation of an irreversible complex of mercury orange with the --SH group of GSH. A 5-min staining period was found to be optimal for staining the --SH group of GSH. In brief, frozen sections 8 mu thick are stained with a 50 muM solution of mercury orange dissolved in toluene, counterstained in 0.05 per cent methylene blue and mounted in Histoclad. Pretreatment of the sections with fixatives or drying them in air completely prevented the staining. In hepatic lobules the brick red granules of the GSH mercury orange complex were distributed uniformly, whereas in other tissues they were not uniform. The GSH staining was localized in the proximal convoluted tubules in the cortex of the kidney, the interalveolar epithelial cells of lungs, the epididymis and the capsule of testis, epithelial cells of vas deferens and the periphery of the lens. more...
- Published
- 1975
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20. Role of dietary and environmental factors in drug abuse
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K, Asghar
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Substance-Related Disorders ,Humans ,Environment ,Diet - Abstract
A review of the literature indicates that a number of food constituents, e.g., dietary sugar, neurotransmitter amino acid precursors and food deprivation, may modulate the development of tolerance and physical dependence as well as influence the self-administration of several drugs of abuse in animals. In particular, the role of palatability of food, involvement of the autonomic nervous system, exposure to cold and nutritional status as well as seasonal cyclical changes is discussed. The effect of the above factors may in part be mediated by precursor modulation of monoaminergic neurotransmitters, modulation of endogenous opioid neurotransmitters in the neuronal terminals of the brain or modulation of endogenous peptides. This paper points to the need of conducting additional research to address this complex and potentially important area of research. more...
- Published
- 1987
21. Distribution of hexamethonium and other quaternary ammonium compounds in cartilage
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K, Asghar and L J, Roth
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Cartilage, Articular ,Carbon Isotopes ,Knee Joint ,Histocytochemistry ,Decamethonium Compounds ,Hexamethonium Compounds ,In Vitro Techniques ,Tritium ,Choline ,Rats ,Trachea ,Mice ,Animals ,Autoradiography ,Hip Joint ,Intervertebral Disc ,Chondroitin ,Dialysis ,Epiphyses ,Nasal Septum - Published
- 1971
22. Active removal of morphine from the cerebral ventricles
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K, Asghar and E L, Way
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Adenosine Triphosphatases ,Brain Chemistry ,Carbon Isotopes ,Morphine ,Codeine ,Age Factors ,Inulin ,Biological Transport ,Cerebral Ventricles ,Perfusion ,Kinetics ,Nalorphine ,Choroid Plexus ,Animals ,Rabbits ,Ouabain - Published
- 1970
23. Ocular absorption of catecholamines
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K, Asghar and S, Riegelman
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Male ,Cell Membrane Permeability ,Dextroamphetamine ,Epinephrine ,Dopamine ,Sodium Chloride ,Absorption ,Potassium Chloride ,Aqueous Humor ,Cornea ,Diffusion ,Norepinephrine ,Catecholamines ,Phenethylamines ,Animals ,Ouabain ,Ocular Physiological Phenomena ,Carbon Isotopes ,Osmolar Concentration ,Sodium ,Isoproterenol ,Propylene Glycols ,Potassium ,Female ,Rabbits ,Isotonic Solutions ,Dinitrophenols - Published
- 1971
24. Context-sensitive holistic care of women with one previous Caesarean section
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Adam K. Asghar and Evashnee Naidoo
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vaginal birth after caesarean ,obstetrics ,labour and delivery ,holistic medicine ,south africa ,patient-centred care. ,Medicine - Abstract
This article’s emphasis is on the holistic care of women who are assessed as suitable for and amenable to vaginal birth after Caesarean section (VBAC) in the South African state health sector context. It is beyond its scope to deal with the minutiae of VBAC conduct, operative conduct of repeat Caesarean section (CS), or management of uterine rupture. It is also beyond the scope of the article to reflect on practices, which are accepted in other healthcare contexts. The intention is not to promote VBAC over elective repeat CS, but rather to assist healthcare workers with providing high-quality holistic care. The goal is that women with previous CS are given access to the mode of delivery, which is safest for them and their fetus, while minimising adverse psychological effects of previous and future negative birth experiences. more...
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- 2024
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25. Comparison of rhythm versus rate control of atrial fibrillation in heart failure subgroups: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
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Siddiqi R, Fares A, Mahmoud M, Asghar K, Assaly R, Eltahawy E, Grubb B, and Moukarbel GV
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Patients with concurrent heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) have poor outcomes. Randomized clinical trials comparing rhythm control approaches to rate control of AF have yielded conflicting results and there is a paucity of updated and comprehensive evidence summaries to inform best practice in HF patients. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare outcomes with rhythm versus rate control of AF in various subgroups of HF patients. In HF patients overall, we found high certainty evidence that rhythm control decreased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio [HR, 95 % confidence interval] 0.64 [0.43-0.94]) and HR 0.50 [0.34-0.74] respectively). Rhythm control was associated with decreased HF hospitalization (risk ratio [RR] 0.79 [0.63-0.99], moderate certainty), but did not significantly decrease thromboembolic events (RR 0.67 [0.32-1.39], low certainty). The mean difference in left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] from baseline to last follow-up was greater in rhythm control group by 6.01 % [2.73-9.28 %] compared with rate control. Subgroup analyses by age, HF etiology (ischemic or non-ischemic), LVEF, presence of diabetes and hypertension did not reveal any significant differences in treatment effect. The survival and hospitalization reduction benefit of rhythm control of AF in HF patients likely reflects the success of catheter ablation especially in HF with reduced ejection fraction. These data are important to guide shared decision-making when managing AF in HF patients., 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 Indian Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) more...
- Published
- 2024
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26. Effectiveness of a family violence prevention program on mental health outcomes for adult men and women in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo: Insights from a pilot trial.
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Balachander M, Hategekimana Ndiyunze JD, Roth D, Asghar K, Bourey C, and Falb KL
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The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has faced dual burdens of poor mental health and heightened levels of violence against women and children within the home. Interventions addressing family violence prevention may offer a path to mitigate mental distress within the eastern DRC. This exploratory analysis uses data from a pilot cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in North Kivu, DRC, assessing the impact of Safe at Home, a violence prevention intervention. Mental health was assessed at endline using the Patient Health Questionnaire-4. Statistical analyses employed multilevel linear regression. Assuming successful randomization, impact of the Safe at Home intervention on mental health differed by participant gender. Women enrolled in the Safe at Home intervention reported statistically significant decreases in mental distress symptoms [β (95%CI) = -1.01 (-1.85, -0.17)], whereas men enrolled in Safe at Home had similar scores in mental distress to the control group [β (95%CI) = -0.12 (-1.32, 1.06)]. Ultimately, this exploratory analysis provides evidence of the potential for a family violence prevention model to improve women's mental health in a low-resource, conflict-affected setting, although further research is needed to understand the impact on men's mental health., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2024.) more...
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- 2024
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27. Survival Outcomes in Malignancy-related Hypercalcemia: A Tertiary Care Single-center Experience.
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Ashfaq S, Shafiq W, Siddiqi AI, Azmat U, Irfan H, Khan SA, Alvi AM, Bakar MA, Hassan M, Farooq A, Sheikh AZ, Siddique K, and Asghar K
- Abstract
Introduction: Malignancy-related hypercalcemia is commonly observed in patients with advanced stages of cancer. It is intricately linked with an unfavorable prognosis among oncology patients. This study aimed to evaluate survival outcomes among individuals diagnosed with hypercalcemia associated with malignancy., Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis of 173 cancer patients with hypercalcemia who sought treatment at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan, between July 2019 and June 2020. This cohort of patients underwent a longitudinal follow-up for 2.5 years. To assess survival outcomes, the Kaplan-Meier tool was used to construct survival curves and estimate the survival probability over time. The significance of potential survival factors was evaluated using the log-rank test., Results: All patients exhibited elevated levels of calcium. At admission, the cohort demonstrated varying degrees of hypercalcemia severity attributable to malignancy: Mild hypercalcemia was observed in approximately 61.3% of patients, moderate hypercalcemia in 23.7%, and severe hypercalcemia in 15% of cases. Among the total sample, most patients were female (54.9%), with a median age of 54. The primary tumor site most frequently observed was in cases of breast cancer (35.3%), wherein the prevalent histological subtype was lobular/ductal invasive carcinoma (34.1%). Most of the patients (93.6%) had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (ECOG) >1. In addition, the median overall survival for patients diagnosed with hypercalcemia was 51 days. Notably, there was a significant association between survival factors, including the primary site of malignancy ( P = 0.001), bone metastasis ( P = 0.04), severity and symptoms of hypercalcemia ( P = 0.001), altered mental state ( P = 0.001), albumin levels ( P = 0.001), and ECOG ( P = 0.001)., Conclusion: Malignancy-related hypercalcemia in patients with cancer is a significant predictor of an unfavorable prognosis. The aforementioned survival factors may have the potential to influence patient survival outcomes. Further studies on larger cohorts are warranted., (Copyright: © 2024 Ashfaq S, et al.) more...
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- 2024
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28. A systematic review and meta-analysis on utilizing anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy as a second-line treatment for relapsed and refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
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Asghar K, Zafar M, Holland E, Abduljabbar AB, Albagoush SA, Asghar N, Sood A, Dufani JM, Thirumalaredy J, DeVrieze B, Tauseef A, and Husnain M
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Introduction: Inconsistent results observed in recent phase III trials assessing chimeric antigenic receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy as a second-line treatment compared to standard of care (SOC) in patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL) prompted a meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of CAR-T cell therapy in this setting., Methods: Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to pool effect estimates for comparison between CAR-T cell therapy and SOC. Mixed treatment comparisons were made using a frequentist network meta-analysis approach., Results: Meta-analysis of three trials with 865 patients showed significant improvement in event-free survival (EFS: HR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.27-0.97; I2: 92%), progression-free survival (PFS: HR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.37-0.60; I2: 0%) with CAR-T cell therapy compared to SOC. Although there was a signal of potential overall survival (OS) improvement with CAR-T cell therapy, the difference was not statistically significant between the two groups (HR 0.76; 95% CI: 0.56 to 1.03; I2: 29%). Mixed treatment comparisons showed significant EFS benefit with liso-cel (HR: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.22-0.61) and axi-cel (HR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.29-0.61) compared to tisa-cel., Discussion: CAR-T cell therapy, as a second-line treatment, appears to be effective in achieving higher response rates and delaying the disease progression compared to SOC in R/R DLBCL., 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 Asghar, Zafar, Holland, Abduljabbar, Albagoush, Asghar, Sood, Dufani, Thirumalaredy, DeVrieze, Tauseef and Husnain.) more...
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- 2024
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29. Community Outreach and Engagement in Cancer Research Through a Biobank Clinic at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Pakistan.
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Farooq A, Hassan M, Loya A, and Asghar K
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Introduction: Cancer's increasing prevalence across the globe emphasizes the urgency for continued research, prevention, and accessible healthcare to mitigate its impact on individuals and communities. While there have been significant advances made towards controlling cancer morbidity and mortality in recent decades, Pakistan continues to experience a markedly elevated burden of the disease. With this study, we aim to raise awareness about biobank research within the cancer patient community, fostering participation and collaboration to advance the fight against cancer through vital research contributions., Methods: In October 2022, we initiated the biobank clinic at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC). Here, patients underwent screening and received invitations to voluntarily participate in biobank research. During these interactions, we engaged patients in discussions about the significance of biobank research, addressed their concerns, and encouraged their participation in advancing our research endeavors. Two-sample independent t-tests were performed to compare the mean number of participants in pre-clinic and post-clinic cohorts., Results: This research involved a total of 958 participants, with 312 participants enrolled before the clinic and 646 participants enrolled after the clinic. We have observed a noticeable increase in the participation of cancer patients in our research endeavors since the inception of the biobank clinic (p-value<0.001). Over an 11-month time frame, we scheduled appointments for 759 patients, and out of those, 656 patients availed themselves to visit the clinic. Impressively, we achieved the enrollment of 646 patients into the clinic, reflecting an exceptional consent rate of 98.47% for their active involvement in our research initiatives. This underscores our commitment to conducting comprehensive discussions and providing thorough explanations regarding the ethical and procedural aspects of our research., Conclusion: Biobank clinic plays a pivotal role in raising cancer awareness and fostering research participation, especially in regions with limited healthcare infrastructure and lower literacy rates. It emerges as a community-engagement model that aligns research with local needs, ensuring its relevance and benefit to the population., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Farooq et al.) more...
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- 2024
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30. Impact of SSO-ASTRO Margin Guidelines on Re-excision Rate in Breast-conserving Surgery: A Single-center Experience.
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Urooj N, Abubakar M, Asghar K, Hassan M, Malik AA, Rehman B, Sajjad B, Farooqi N, Chaudhry Z, Parvaiz A, and Khan A
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Introduction: Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) has been historically linked with a high rate of re-excision. To address this issue, the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) developed consensus guidelines in 2014 to standardize practices and improve clinical outcomes for BCS patients. In our tertiary cancer care hospital, we assessed the impact of these guidelines on the re-excision rate following BCS., Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on breast cancer patients who underwent BCS at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Lahore, Pakistan. The study compared the re-excision rate before the implementation of the SSO-ASTRO consensus guidelines (November 2015-July 2017) and after the implementation (January 2018-August 2019). Margins were considered positive if "ink on tumor" was present and negative if "no ink on tumor" was present. Fisher's exact test or Chi-square test was used to compare the re-excision rates between the pre- and post-guideline periods., Results: A total of 919 patients were identified, with 533 from the pre-guideline period and 386 from the post-guideline period. Of the 919 patients, 31 with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) were excluded from the re-excision analysis because the guidelines were not implemented on the DCIS. Furthermore, the overall rate of re-excision in our data was 4.3%. The re-excision rate decreased from 71.1% to 28.9% ( P ≤ 0.05) following the adoption of the guidelines. We observed a statistically significant decrease in the re-excision rate after implementing the SSO-ASTRO guidelines., Conclusion: Implementation of the SSO-ASTRO margin guidelines led to a notable decrease in the overall re-excision rate in our data set. These findings suggest that continued adherence to the guidelines may lead to a further reduction in the re-excision rate in the future., Competing Interests: The author(s) declare(s) that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Urooj N, et al.) more...
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- 2024
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31. Fingerprinting hyperglycemia using predictive modelling approach based on low-cost routine CBC and CRP diagnostics.
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Tahir A, Asghar K, Shafiq W, Batool H, Khan D, Chughtai O, and Chaudhary SU
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- Humans, Blood Glucose metabolism, Glycated Hemoglobin, Retrospective Studies, Inflammation diagnosis, Blood Cell Count, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Hyperglycemia
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Hyperglycemia is an outcome of dysregulated glucose homeostasis in the human body and may induce chronic elevation of blood glucose levels. Lifestyle factors such as overnutrition, physical inactivity, and psychosocials coupled with systemic low-grade inflammation have a strong negative impact on glucose homeostasis, in particular, insulin sensitivity. Together, these factors contribute to the pathophysiology of diabetes (DM) and expanding landscape of its prevalence regionally and globally. The rapid rise in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, therefore, underscores the need for its early diagnosis and treatment. In this work, we have evaluated the discriminatory capacity of different diagnostic markers including inflammatory biomolecules and RBC (Red Blood Cell) indices in predicting the risk of hyperglycemia and borderline hyperglycemia. For that, 208,137 clinical diagnostic entries obtained over five years from Chugtai Labs, Pakistan, were retrospectively evaluated. The dataset included HbA1c (n = 142,011), complete blood count (CBC, n = 84,263), fasting blood glucose (FBG, n = 35,363), and C-reactive protein (CRP, n = 9035) tests. Our results provide four glycemic predictive models for two cohorts HbA1c and FBG) each having an overall predictive accuracy of more than 80% (p-value < 0.0001). Next, multivariate analysis (MANOVA) followed by univariate analysis (ANOVA) was employed to identify predictors with significant discriminatory capacity for different levels of glycemia. We show that the interplay between inflammation, hyperglycemic-induced derangements in RBC indices, and altered glucose homeostasis could be employed for prognosticating hyperglycemic outcomes. Our results then conclude a glycemic predictor with high sensitivity and specificity, employing inflammatory markers coupled with RBC indices, to predict glycemic outcomes (ROC p-value < 0.0001). Taken together, this study outlines a predictor of glycemic outcomes which could assist as a prophylactic intervention in predicting the early onset of hyperglycemia and borderline hyperglycemia., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...
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- 2024
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32. The health dimensions of violence in Palestine: a call to prevent genocide.
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Faddoul A, Shannon G, Asghar K, Boukari Y, Smith J, and Neilson A
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- Humans, Arabs, Rwanda, Violence prevention & control, Genocide
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- 2024
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33. Enhancing Radiation Safety Culture: Investigating the Mediating Role of Awareness Among Orthopedic Doctors and Operation Theatre Assistants.
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Khan J, Khalid B, Abbasi MZ, Ashraf RA, Asghar K, Nadeem Kashmiri M, Tousif K, Shahzad F, Basit J, Haider T, Shabbir H, Rauf Khalid A, and Saeed S
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Introduction: The increasing use of minimally invasive orthopedic procedures has led to a greater reliance on fluoroscopy, resulting in elevated radiation exposure for surgeons. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, awareness, and daily practices of orthopedic surgeons regarding radiation safety in an academic hospital. Understanding radiation safety is crucial to minimize patient exposure and prevent adverse effects on surgeons., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Orthopedics of different tertiary care hospitals in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Data were collected prospectively for two years, and a total of 505 participants, including residents, consultants, and operation theatre assistants, completed a questionnaire. The questionnaire was validated by experts and covered information on fluoroscopy usage, frequency of surgeries, awareness of radiation safety, and protective measures. Ethical approval was obtained, and data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0., Results: The majority of participants were male (74.1%), and the sample included various ranks of orthopedic surgeons. Only 56.2% of participants were aware of the usage of fluoroscopy, and 40.2% had read some research on the topic. While 44.6% used lead aprons for radiation protection, the usage of other protective measures and dosimeters was limited. The mediation analysis showed an insignificant indirect association between the rank of orthopedic surgeons, number of surgeries performed, and fluoroscopy usage as a mediator. Awareness and reading research on fluoroscopy were significantly associated with radiation protection., Conclusion: The knowledge, awareness, and daily practices of orthopedic surgeons regarding radiation safety in fluoroscopy use need improvement. The findings emphasize the importance of implementing training programs, providing radiation protection devices, and ensuring compliance with safety guidelines., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Khan et al.) more...
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- 2023
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34. PD-L1 is Fascinating but IDO Needs Attention in Non-HCV and Non-HBV-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients.
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Asghar K, Bashir S, Ali Rana I, Abu Bakar M, Farooq A, Hassan M, Asif Z, Afzal M, Masood I, Ishaq M, Tahseen M, Bilal S, Mehmood S, Kanwal N, Ud Din I, and Loya A
- Abstract
Background/aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common forms of liver cancer that is modulated by the immune system. Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) has emerged as a novel therapeutic target in various cancers. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an immunosuppressive enzyme that is associated with poor prognoses in various cancer types. The aim of this study was to investigate the PD-L1 expression, and clinicopathological features of non-HCV and non-HBV-associated HCC patients, including IDO expression., Patients and Methods: In this study, immunohistochemical analysis was performed to analyze the expression of PD-L1 and IDO. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded HCC tumor tissues (n=50) were obtained from the pathology department, at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) in Lahore, Pakistan between 2005 and 2022. All the patients were HBV and HCV negative. Furthermore, it was a rare group of patients with no previous history of any viral hepatitis. In addition, for categorical and continuous variables chi-square or Fisher exact test and Mann-Whitney U -test was performed., Results: Of 50 tissue specimens, PD-L1+ was observed in 21 [high: 12 (24%), low: 9 (18%)] and PD-L1- was observed in 29 HCC patients. IDO+ was observed in all 50 specimens [high: 42 (84%), low: 8 (16%)]. Additionally, both PD-L1 and IDO had high expression in 11 (22%) patients. While both PD-L1 and IDO had low expression in 2 (4%) patients. Furthermore, in IDO+/PD-L1- group, 20 (69%) out of 29 patients died while in the IDO+/PD-L1+ group, 9 (43%) out of 21 patients died., Conclusion: Evaluation of IDO and PD-L1 expression may add therapeutic advantage in non-HCV and non-HBV-associated HCC patients that overexpress IDO. Further validation in a larger cohort is warranted., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2023 Asghar et al.) more...
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- 2023
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35. High Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase Expression along with Low Bridging Integrator-1 Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients.
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Asghar K, Rana IA, Abubakar M, Hasham K, Tahseen M, Bilal S, Mehmood S, Farooq A, Siddique K, and Loya A
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- Humans, Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing metabolism, Immunotherapy, Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase genetics, Prognosis, Carcinoma, Hepatocellular metabolism, Liver Neoplasms metabolism
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Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) adopts several tumor immune escape mechanisms; therefore, it has the potential to be targeted by immunotherapy. Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an immunosuppressive enzyme that has been observed to be overexpressed in HCC patients with poor prognoses. Bridging integrator 1 (Bin1) loss promotes immune escape in cancer by deregulating IDO. Our aim is to investigate IDO expression along with Bin1 expression to find evidence of immunosuppression in HCC patients., Materials and Methods: In this study, we investigated IDO and Bin1 expression in HCC tissue specimens and the correlation of IDO and Bin1 expression with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of HCC patients (n=45). Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to analyze the expression of IDO and Bin1., Results: IDO was overexpressed in 38 (84.4%) out of 45 HCC tissue specimens. In addition, tumor size was significantly increased with an increase in the IDO expression (P=0.03). Low Bin1 expression was observed in 27(60%) HCC tissue specimens, whereas the remaining 18(40%) showed high Bin1 expression., Conclusion: Our data showed that expression of IDO along with Bin1 expression could be investigated for clinical evaluation in HCC. IDO might be used as an immunotherapeutic target for HCC. Therefore, further studies in larger patient cohorts are warranted. more...
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- 2023
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36. Improving family functioning and reducing violence in the home in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo: a pilot cluster-randomised controlled trial of Safe at Home.
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Falb KL, Asghar K, Blackwell A, Baseme S, Nyanguba M, Roth D, and Hategekimana JD
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- Child, Male, Female, Humans, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Emotions, Gender Equity, Violence prevention & control, Intimate Partner Violence prevention & control
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Objective: To test the effectiveness of the Safe at Home programme which was developed to improve family well-being and prevent multiple forms of violence in the home., Design: Waitlisted pilot cluster randomised controlled trial., Setting: North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo., Participants: 202 heterosexual couples., Intervention: The Safe at Home programme., Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was family functioning, with secondary outcomes of past-3 month co-occurring violence, intimate partner violence (IPV) and harsh discipline. Pathway mechanisms assessed included attitudes related to acceptance of harsh discipline, gender equitable attitudes, positive parenting skills and power sharing within the couple., Results: No significant improvements in family functioning were documented for women (β=1.49; 95% CI: -2.75 to 5.74; p=0.49) and men (β=1.09; 95% CI: -3.13 to 4.74; p=0.69). However, women in Safe at Home reported a OR=0.15 (p=0.000), OR=0.23 (p=0.001) and OR=0.29 (p=0.013) change in co-occurring IPV and harsh discipline; physical/sexual/emotional IPV by their partner and use of physical and/or emotional harsh discipline against their child, respectively, as compared with women in the waitlisted group. Men participating in Safe at Home reported a OR=0.23 (p=0.005) change in perpetration of co-occurring violence, OR=0.26 (p=0.003) change in any form of IPV perpetration and OR=0.56 (p=0.19) change in use of harsh discipline against their child as compared with the waitlist arm. Positive changes were also noted in pathway variables around attitudes, skills and behaviours within couples., Conclusion: This pilot trial demonstrated the Safe at Home programme to be highly effective in preventing multiple forms of violence in the home and improving equitable attitudes and skills in couples. Future research should assess longitudinal impact and implementation at scale., Trial Registration Number: NCT04163549., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The research team and practitioner team are employed by the same institution., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.) more...
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- 2023
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37. Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase: A Novel Immunotherapeutic Target for Osteosarcoma.
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Farooq A, Zulfiqar B, and Asghar K
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Introduction: Tumour-emitted molecules induce immunosuppression in the tumour microenvironment. An immunosuppressive enzyme, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO/IDO1), facilitates immune escape in several malignant tumours, including osteosarcoma. Upregulation of IDO establishes a tolerogenic environment in the tumour and the tumour-draining lymph nodes. IDO-induced downregulation of effector T-cells and upregulation of local regulatory T-cells creates immunosuppression and promotes metastasis., Observations: Osteosarcoma is the most common bone tumour characterised by immature bone formation by the tumour cells. Almost 20% of osteosarcoma patients present with pulmonary metastasis at the time of diagnosis. The improvement in therapeutic modalities for osteosarcoma has been in a stagnant phase for two decades. Therefore, the development of novel immunotherapeutic targets for osteosarcoma is emergent. High IDO expression is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis in osteosarcoma patients., Conclusion and Relevance: At present, only a few studies are available describing IDO's role in osteosarcoma. This review describes the prospects of IDO not only as a prognostic marker but also as an immunotherapeutic target for osteosarcoma., Competing Interests: Nil., (Copyright: © 2023 Farooq A, et al.) more...
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- 2023
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38. Radiation therapy outcomes of patients with pituitary macroadenoma.
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Khan SA, Shafiq W, Azmat U, Siddiqi AI, Alvi AM, Ashfaq S, Irfan H, Bakar MA, and Asghar K
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Pituitary adenomas are one of the most common benign intracranial tumors, which are normally treated with surgery along with radiation therapy and medication such as dopamine agonist in prolactinoma. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with pituitary macroadenoma who underwent radiation therapy. For the present retrospective study, a total of 75 patients with pituitary macroadenoma who received radiation therapy were included. Data was acquired from the electronic medical record system of the hospital. Mean ± standard deviation of the quantitative variables, such as age and sizes of the tumors, were reported. In addition, frequencies and percentages were presented for all categorical variables. To compare the frequency distribution in radiation therapy characteristics between functional and non-functional tumors, the χ
2 test or Fisher's exact test was applied, where appropriate. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was drawn to assess the progression free survival proportion. P≤0.05 was considered to indicate a statistically significant difference. In the present study, all patients (n=75) with pituitary macroadenoma were treated with radiation therapy (RT). The mean age was 38.55±1.36 years and the majority of the patients were male (43; 57.3%). The mean tumor size was 3.84±1.43 cm. In total, 66.7% were non-functional tumors whereas 33.3% were functional tumors that produce hormones in excess [growth hormone (72%), prolactin (16%), both growth hormone and prolactin (8%) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (4%)]. The overall outcome was revealed to be 92% achieving local tumor control and 28% achieving biochemical control. Hypopituitarism (38.7%) and visual acuity deterioration (9.3%) were the most common complications observed following RT. The overall progression-free survival at 2 years was 92%. In conclusion, the data of the present study suggested that local tumor control in non-functional and functional pituitary macroadenoma can be well managed with RT. However, biochemical control to normalize hormones overproduction in functional pituitary macroadenoma was not as effective as local tumor control., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright: © Khan et al.) more...- Published
- 2022
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39. Establishment of biobanking facility at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan.
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Asghar K and Loya A
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- Pakistan, Biological Specimen Banks, Registries, Cancer Care Facilities, Neoplasms
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- 2022
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40. Immunotherapy and targeted therapy for lung cancer: Current status and future perspectives.
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Zulfiqar B, Farooq A, Kanwal S, and Asghar K
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Lung cancer has the highest incidence of morbidity and mortality throughout the globe. A large number of patients are diagnosed with lung cancer at the later stages of the disease. This eliminates surgery as an option and places complete dependence on radiotherapy or chemotherapy, and/or a combination of both, to halt disease progression by targeting the tumor cells. Unfortunately, these therapies have rarely proved to be effective, and this necessitates the search for alternative preventive approaches to reduce the mortality rate of lung cancer. One of the effective therapies against lung cancer comprises targeting the tumor microenvironment. Like any other cancer cells, lung cancer cells tend to use multiple pathways to maintain their survival and suppress different immune responses from the host's body. This review comprehensively covers the role and the mechanisms that involve the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) in lung adenocarcinoma and methods of treating it by altering the tumor microenvironment. It focuses on the insight and understanding of the lung cancer tumor microenvironment and chemokines, cytokines, and activating molecules that take part in angiogenesis and metastasis. The review paper accounts for the novel and current immunotherapy and targeted therapy available for lung cancer in clinical trials and in the research phases in depth. Special attention is being paid to mark out single or multiple genes that are required for malignancy and survival while developing targeted therapies for lung cancer treatment., 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 © 2022 Zulfiqar, Farooq, Kanwal and Asghar.) more...
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- 2022
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41. Experiences of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre Biobank during COVID-19 Pandemic.
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Asghar K, Farooq A, and Loya A
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- Biological Specimen Banks, Cancer Care Facilities, Humans, Pakistan epidemiology, Pandemics, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 epidemiology, Neoplasms epidemiology
- Abstract
Pakistan has an approximate population of 228.9 million. In 2020, 178,388 new cancer cases were diagnosed in Pakistan. In 2019, we established the biobanking facility at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan. Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre is a tertiary care charitable, not-for-profit cancer hospital in Pakistan. In 2020-21, 22,745 new cancer patients were registered in the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre for cancer treatment. The hospital treats around 75% of accepted cancer patients free of charge, regardless of race or nationality. In December 2019, a novel coronavirus SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19) was identified in China. The World Health Organization acknowledged the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. Pakistan was hit by the first wave of COVID-19 in March 2020. We have highlighted the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We emphasized the significance of collaborations between low and middle-income countries' biobanks and international biobanks to achieve the global perspective of biobanking. more...
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- 2022
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42. COVID-19 in cancer patients with diabetes in Pakistan: Clinical features and management.
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Asghar K, Abu Bakar M, Ashfaq S, Alvi AM, Shafiq W, Azmat U, Siddiqi AI, Farooq A, Raza R, and Siddique K
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Background: Diabetes and cancer are the leading causes of mortality all over the world. Infectious diseases are more common and/or life-threatening in patients with diabetes. Cancer patients with diabetes are individuals that are more susceptible to the current COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the clinical features of survivor and non-survivor COVID-19-infected cancer patients with diabetes., Patients and Methods: We did a retrospective study of 43 diabetic cancer patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection from Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan between March 03, 2020, and May 18, 2021. These patients either were discharged from the hospital or had died by Jun 16, 2021. Clinicopathological and radiological features were compared between survivors and non-survivors by fisher's exact test and chi-square test., Results: Forty-three diabetic cancer patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled and the majority were males 26 (60.5%). The overall mean age was 61.67 ± 11.80. 39 (90.7%) had solid tumors and 3 (7.0%) had hematological malignancies. Fever (74.4%) and dyspnea (58.1%) were the most common symptoms. Complications were reported in 36 (83.7%) patients; during the course of the disease. Additionally, all the deceased patients (n=15) had acquired the complications. 11 (25.6%) patients were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). Furthermore, 29 (67.4%) out of 43 patients showed abnormal features in the radiological findings. We found significantly elevated levels of C-reactive protein ( P =0.005), serum lactate ( P =0.01), albumin ( P =0.02), alkaline phosphate ( P =0.03), and neutrophil count ( P =0.04) in the non-survivors as compared to the survivors., Conclusion: Cancer patients with diabetes are a vulnerable population in the current pandemic. Identifying how diabetes in cancer patients affects the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection is crucial for the clinical management of these patients. Rigorous scrutiny of clinicopathological features of COVID-19 infected cancer patients with diabetes especially values of C-reactive protein, lactate, albumin, alkaline phosphate, neutrophils, and regular monitoring of blood glucose levels may play a critical role in the outcome of the disease., 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 © 2022 Asghar, Abu Bakar, Ashfaq, Alvi, Shafiq, Azmat, Siddiqi, Farooq, Raza and Siddique.) more...
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- 2022
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43. Efficacy of Radioiodine Therapy in Patients With Primary Hyperthyroidism: An Institutional Review From Pakistan.
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Alvi AM, Azmat U, Shafiq W, Ali Rasheed AH, Siddiqi AI, Khan S, Ashfaq S, Irfan H, Bashir H, Abu Bakar M, and Asghar K
- Abstract
Background Radioactive iodine (RAI) is the treatment of choice for most patients with primary hyperthyroidism. The most common etiologies of hyperthyroidism are Graves' disease (GD), toxic adenoma (TA), and toxic multinodular goiter (TMNG). A single dose of RAI is usually sufficient to cure hyperthyroidism. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of RAI therapy for patients diagnosed with primary hyperthyroidism. Methods and materials Patients diagnosed with hyperthyroidism who received RAI therapy between 2008 and 2018 were included in the study. The data was acquired from the hospital's electronic medical record system. Following the RAI treatment, a cure was defined as the development of euthyroidism or hypothyroidism after a single fixed-dose without antithyroid medication within one year of RAI therapy. In addition, a simple logistics regression model was used to identify the prognostic factors that may lead to better outcomes. Results A total of 112 patients diagnosed with hyperthyroidism with a mean age of 47 ± 14 were included in this study. The majority of the patients were female, 79 (70.5%). Within one year of RAI therapy, 84 (75%) patients achieved a cure that is either hypothyroid or euthyroid status. RAI dose was higher in responsive patients (18.50 ± 4.10 millicurie [mCi] versus 16.50 ± 4.10 mCi) than in non-responsive patients. The mean RAI doses were 16.05 ± 2.99 mCi in GD, 19.81 ± 4.40 mCi in TMNG, and 20.50 ± 3.30 mCi in TA, with a statistically significant p-value of 0.001. In the univariable logistic regression model, RAI dose was a significant prognostic factor of the responsive group (OR: 1.15, CI [1.01-1.31], p-value 0.03). Conclusion Our data presented that RAI therapy is effective for primary hyperthyroidism. We achieved remission with a single fixed-dose in the majority of patients. Most of our patients were cured within three months of RAI therapy. In addition, the RAI dose was higher in the responsive group as compared to the non-responsive group., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Alvi et al.) more...
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- 2022
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44. Assessment of particulate matter (PM) in ambient air of different settings and its associated health risk in Haripur city, Pakistan.
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Asghar K, Ali A, Tabassum A, Nadeem SG, Hakim ST, Amin M, Raza G, Bashir S, Afshan N, Usman N, Aurangzeb N, Naz A, and Hussain M
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- Environmental Monitoring methods, Pakistan, Air Pollutants analysis, Air Pollution analysis, Air Pollution statistics & numerical data, Particulate Matter analysis
- Abstract
Particulate matter (PM) is a major air pollutant causing serious health problems. The aim of the present study was to find out concentration of PM in ambient air and its associated health risk in Haripur city, Pakistan. Twenty-three samples were taken at various educational institutes, hospitals, recreational areas and industries in Haripur city. Concentration of PM2.5 (µg/m3) and PM10 (µg/m3) was measured with Youngteng YT-HPC 3000A portable PM counter. The results revealed that values of both PM2.5 and PM10 were above the permissible limits (35 µg/m3 for PM2.5 and 150 µg/m3 for PM10) set by Environmental Protection Agency Pakistan (Pak-EPA) in all the educational institutes, hospitals, recreational areas and industries investigated. Furthermore, significant (p<0.05) variation was found in the concentration of both PM2.5 and PM10 in all the educational institutes, hospitals, recreational areas, and industries studied. The concentration of PM2.5 was positively correlated with the concentration of PM10 in all the sampling sites. Therefore, from 1-14 scale standard of health index, the values of PM2.5 and PM10 exhibited that the ambient air quality of Haripur city Pakistan is under high risk. If the regulatory authorities such as Environmental Protection Agency, Health Department and Local Government monitor PM pollution in different settings of Haripur city, then a decrease can be possible in the pollution level. The remedies that can be taken to overcome the problem of ambient air pollution such as PM are plantation of trees at the sites where there are higher levels of air pollutants and use of masks on personal protection basis along with implementation of pollution control system in industries of Hattar Industrial Estate Haripur city, Pakistan. more...
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- 2022
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45. Developing an Inclusive Conceptual Model for Preventing Violence in the Home in Humanitarian Settings: Qualitative Findings From Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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Falb K, Asghar K, Pardo NM, Hategekimana JD, Kakay H, Roth D, and O'Connor M
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- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Female, Humans, Male, Myanmar, Violence prevention & control, Community Resources, Intimate Partner Violence
- Abstract
This qualitative study sought to explore the shared risk factors and social norms that may underpin the co-occurrence of intimate partner violence, child maltreatment, and violence against other marginalized household members in the home. Data are drawn from participants who completed either in-depth interviews ( N = 51 men, N = 52 women participants) or focus groups ( N = 22 men, N = 23 women participants) and were living in two distinct humanitarian settings: North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Northern Shan State and Southern Kachin State, Myanmar. Within this overarching objective, attention to these shared drivers for violence in the home, which may arise from people having multiple and interacting social identities, such as disability status, gender, and age, was explored through an inclusion lens and inductive coding approaches. Findings point to risk factors of violence in the home at all levels of the ecological model, which are underpinned at the macro level by gender inequality, armed conflict, and political instability, among other factors. With the community and family levels, gender inequality manifested in norms related to the acceptability of violence, family reputation, and aged and gendered power hierarchies within the home. Shared risk factors of violence at these levels also included displacement/migration-related stressors, inconsistent income, and lack of community resources to support families, especially for those with disabilities. At the most time-proximal level, interactions between role (non)fulfillment, inability of families to meet their basic needs, alcohol and substance abuse, and abusive expressions of anger were found to catalyze instances of violence in the home. The conceptual model also illuminates potential levers and inclusive entry points that prevent violence in the home for diverse women, children, persons with disabilities, and older persons. Key attention to addressing gender inequality and acceptance of violence must be a cornerstone of sustainable programming, alongside complementary approaches that address other shared risk factors. more...
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- 2022
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46. Risk and Refuge: Adolescent Boys' Experiences of Violence in "Post-Conflict" Colombia.
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Browne A, Bennouna C, Asghar K, Correa C, Harker-Roa A, and Stark L
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- Adolescent, Adult, Colombia, Humans, Male, Surveys and Questionnaires, Masculinity, Violence
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Increasingly, researchers and practitioners are examining connections between public and private cycles of violence. In complex emergency settings, these cycles of violence often intersect with conflicting norms and values as societies work toward sustainable peace. Gender norms, particularly norms of masculinity, are not often highlighted in transdisciplinary violence studies. Furthermore, few studies on either subject capture the perspectives and experiences of adolescent boys. This study seeks to explore adolescent boys' (13-17 years) experiences with violence at home and in the community in "post-conflict" Colombia. Thematic qualitative analysis of 20 interview transcripts from 14 Colombian boys in Cundinamarca ( n = 5) and Córdoba ( n = 9) revealed themes of conflict avoidance, hegemonic masculinity, and opportunities for change in the form of positive coping habits. Further research into social and emotional coping behaviors and linkages to perpetuating violence between adolescence and adulthood is needed. more...
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- 2021
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47. Review of 10 years of research on breast cancer patients: Focus on indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase.
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Asghar K, Farooq A, Zulfiqar B, and Loya A
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Therapeutic manipulation of the immune system in cancer has been an extensive area of research in the field of oncoimmunology. Immunosuppression regulates antitumour immune responses. An immunosuppressive enzyme, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) mediates tumour immune escape in various malignancies including breast cancer. IDO upregulation in breast cancer cells may lead to the recruitment of regulatory T (T-regs) cells into the tumour microenvironment, thus inhibiting local immune responses and promoting metastasis. Immunosuppression induced by myeloid derived suppressor cells activated in an IDO-dependent manner may enhance the possibility of immune evasion in breast cancer. IDO overexpression has independent prognostic significance in a subtype of breast cancer of emerging interest, basal-like breast carcinoma. IDO inhibitors as adjuvant therapeutic agents may have clinical implications in breast cancer. This review proposes future prospects of IDO not only as a therapeutic target but also as a valuable prognostic marker for breast cancer., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors declare no conflict of interests for this manuscript., (©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.) more...
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- 2021
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48. Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19-Infected Cancer Patients in Pakistan: Differences Between Survivors and Non-Survivors.
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Asghar K, Abu Bakar M, Akram MJ, Farooq A, Siddique K, Rana IA, Ali J, Rashid MU, Khan AA, and Loya A
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Background: Cancer patients are considered as highly vulnerable individuals in the current COVID-19 pandemic. We studied the clinical characteristics of survivor and non-survivor COVID-19-infected cancer patients in Pakistan., Patients and Methods: We did a retrospective study of 70 cancer patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection from Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore and Peshawar, Pakistan between April 13 and July 09, 2020. These patients were discharged from the hospital or had died by July 09, 2020. Clinical, pathological and radiological characteristics were compared between survivors and non-survivors by fisher's exact test and chi-square test. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were performed to explore the risk factors of mortality., Results: Seventy cancer patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled and the majority were males 38 (54.3%). 57 (81.4%) had solid tumors and 13 (18.6%) had hematological malignancies. Dyspnea (44 cases) was the most common symptom (62.9%). Complications were reported in 51 (72.9%) patients during the course of disease. 19 (27.1%) patients were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). A significant increase in the C-reactive protein level and neutrophil count was observed in the deceased patients as compared to the surviving patients. D-dimer values of ≥0.2 mg/L were significantly associated with mortality ( P =0.01). We identified two independent risk factors associated with death, ICU admission ( P =0.007) and D-dimer ( P =0.003)., Conclusion: Pakistani cancer patients with COVID-19 infection reported poor prognosis. Intensive surveillance of clinicopathological characteristics of cancer patients infected with COVID-19 especially D-dimer values may play a pivotal role in the outcome of the disease., 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 © 2021 Asghar, Abu Bakar, Akram, Farooq, Siddique, Rana, Ali, Rashid, Khan and Loya.) more...
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- 2021
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49. Forkhead box P3 and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase co-expression in Pakistani triple negative breast cancer patients.
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Asghar K, Loya A, Rana IA, Bakar MA, Farooq A, Tahseen M, Ishaq M, Masood I, and Rashid MU
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Background: Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) is a specific marker for immunosuppressive regulatory T (T-reg) cells. T-regs and an immunosuppressive enzyme, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), are associated with advanced disease in cancer., Aim: To evaluate the co-expression of FOXP3 and IDO in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) with respect to hormone-positive breast cancer patients from Pakistan., Methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze the expression of FOXP3, IDO, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor on tissues of breast cancer patients ( n = 100): Hormone-positive breast cancer ( n = 51) and TNBC ( n = 49). A total of 100 patients were characterized as FOXP3 negative vs positive and further categorized based on low, medium, and high IDO expression score. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used., Results: Out of 100 breast tumors, 25% expressed FOXP3 positive T-regs. A significant co-expression of FOXP3 and IDO was observed among patients with TNBC ( P = 0.01) compared to those with hormone-positive breast cancer. Two variables were identified as significant independent risk factors for FOXP3 positive: IDO expression high (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 5.90; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22-28.64; P = 0.03) and TNBC (AOR 2.80; 95%CI: 0.96-7.95; P = 0.05)., Conclusion: Our data showed that FOXP3 positive cells might be associated with high expression of IDO in TNBC patients. FOXP3 and IDO co-expression may also suggest its involvement in disease, and evaluation of FOXP3 and IDO expression in TNBC patients may offer a new therapeutic option., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors declare no conflict of interests for this manuscript., (©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.) more...
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- 2020
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50. Thermoresponsive polymer gated and superparamagnetic nanoparticle embedded hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles as smart multifunctional nanocarrier for targeted and controlled delivery of doxorubicin.
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Asghar K, Qasim M, Dharmapuri G, and Das D
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- Animals, Antibiotics, Antineoplastic pharmacokinetics, Doxorubicin pharmacokinetics, Drug Delivery Systems, Drug Liberation, HeLa Cells, Humans, Mice, Polymers chemistry, RAW 264.7 Cells, Temperature, Antibiotics, Antineoplastic administration & dosage, Delayed-Action Preparations chemistry, Doxorubicin administration & dosage, Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles chemistry, Silicon Dioxide chemistry
- Abstract
The design and development of drug-delivery nanocarriers with high loading capacity, excellent biocompatibility, targeting ability and controllability have been the ultimate goal of the biomedical research community. In this work, we have reported the synthesis and characterization of novel and smart thermoresponsive polymer coated and Fe
3 O4 embedded hollow mesoporous silica (HmSiO2 ) based multifunctional superparamagnetic nanocarriers for the delivery of doxorubicin (Dox) for cancer treatment. P(NIPAM-MAm) coated and Fe3 O4 nanoparticle (NP) embedded hollow mesoporous silica nanocomposite (HmSiO2 -F-P(NIPAM-MAm)) was prepared by the in situ polymerization of NIPAM and MAm monomers on the surface of hollow mesoporous silica NPs (HmSiO2 ) in the presence of Fe3 O4 NPs, oxidizer and crosslinker. TEM analysis showed nearly spherical morphology of HmSiO2 -F-P(NIPAM-MAm) nanocarrier with a diameter in the range of 100-300 nm. The coating of P(NIPAM-MAm) layer and embedding of Fe3 O4 NPs on the surface of the HmSiO2 NPs was revealed by HRTEM analysis. XRD and FTIR analysis also confirmed the presence of P(NIPAM-MAm) shells and Fe3 O4 NPs on hollow mesoporous silica NPs. VSM analysis suggested the superparamagnetic nature of HmSiO2 -F-P(NIPAM-MAm) nanocarrier. DSC analysis of HmSiO2 -F-P(NIPAM-MAm) nanocarrier showed a phase transition at the temperature of ∼38 °C. The prepared HmSiO2 -F-P(NIPAM-MAm) nanocarrier was investigated for its suitability for drug-delivery application using doxorubicin as the model drug by an in vitro method. The encapsulation efficiency and encapsulation capacity were found to be 95% and 6.8%, respectively. HmSiO2 -F-P(NIPAM-MAm)-Dox has shown a pH and temperature-dependent Dox release profile. A relatively faster release of Dox from the nanocarrier was observed at temperature above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) than below the LCST. HmSiO2 -F-P(NIPAM-MAm) nanocarrier was found to be biocompatible in nature. In vitro cytotoxicity studies against Hela cells suggested that the HmSiO2 -F-P(NIPAM-MAm)-Dox nanocomposite nanocarrier has good anticancer activity. In vitro cellular uptake study of HmSiO2 -F-P(NIPAM-MAm)-Dox nanocomposite nanocarrier demonstrated its good internalisation ability into Hela cells. Thus, the prepared nanocomposites show potential as nanocarrier for targeted and controlled drug delivery for cancer treatment. more...- Published
- 2020
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