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Background: Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a major health problem and contributes to a common cause of hepatocellular carcinoma, disability and death worldwide. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the leading cause of CLD in our country. Abnormal lipid profile is expected in those with severe liver dysfunction. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the alteration of lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C and HDL-C) in HBV positive adult CLD patients and to correlate with severity of liver damage. Methods: This case control study was conducted for one year between January 2018 to December 2018. One hundred and three patients, >18 years old, admitted with HBV positive CLD in Dhaka Medical College Hospital were recorded as case and 103 age and sex matched, healthy population, were recorded as control. A standard case record form including demographics, histories, clinical examinations and different investigations were completed for each group. Then lipid profile values of cases were compared to controls and different Child-Pugh and MELD scores, were used to see severity of liver damage in CLD patients. Results: In patients with HBV positive adult CLD, there were a significant decrease in serum total cholesterol. LDL-C and HDL-C levels compared to the control group (mean 131.4 vs 179.3, 72.5 vs 109.6, and 31.0 vs 40.4 mg/dl, respectively; p

In this work, we propose a simple yet highly sensitive multi-channel hexagonal photonic crystal fiber (PCF) based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) refractive index (RI) sensor for detecting multiple analytes. The target analytes and the plasmonic materials, such as, gold (Au), Au with Tantalum Pentoxide (Ta2O5) and Au with Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) are employed around the exterior of the sensor for the feasibility of the operation. Twelve circular air-holes in two layers constitute the fiber structure which makes the fabrication process easy and realizable. Numerical investigations are carried out employing a full-vector finite element method (FEM) to obtain the sensing performance of the PCF-SPR structure. After optimizing the structural parameters, the sensor achieves maximum wavelength sensitivity (WS) of 38100 and 21600 nm/RIU, for channels-1 and -2, respectively. For channel-3, the sensor achieves a maximum WS of 45800 nm/RIU. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed sensor achieves better performance in terms of wavelength sensitivity, wavelength resolution, amplitude sensitivity, amplitude resolution, figure of merit, etc., compared to the existing literature. In the case of cancerous cell detection, the proposed sensor achieves maximum WS and amplitude sensitivity of 12000 nm/RIU and -2440.30 RIU-1, respectively, for HeLa cells. We envisage that the proposed sensor has a high potential to detect unknown RI for different chemical and biomedical applications due to its superior performance, simple design, and multi-analyte detection ability.

The prevalence of anemia is high among children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries because of undernutrition resulting from their poor socioeconomic status and lack of knowledge on proper nutrition. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the prevalence of anemia among children and adolescents aged between 6 months and 19 years in Bangladesh. Databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched to identify the studies that reported the prevalence of anemia among children and adolescents. A total of 24 studies, including the data of 14,062 cases, were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis of the time period between 1997 and 2019. The random-effects model was used to calculate the summary estimates. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021246960). The pooled prevalence of anemia, iron deficiency anemia (IDA), and non-severe and severe anemia were 46.8% [95% CI: 36.0–57.6], 13.6% [95% CI: 8.0–19.2], 56.4% [95% CI: 39.6–73.1] and 0.7% [95% CI: 0.1–1.4], respectively. Prevalence of anemia exhibited the highest among the children aged ≤2 years. Briefly, 91.67% of the studies were of high quality. No significant publication bias was found; however, two outlier studies were detected. The prevalence of anemia among children and adolescents was estimated as high in Bangladesh.

Introduction Human adult dental pulp stem cells (hDPSC) and stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) hold promise in bone regeneration for their easy accessibility, high proliferation rate, self-renewal and osteogenic differentiation capacity. Various organic and inorganic scaffold materials were pre-seeded with human dental pulp stem cells in animals, with promising outcomes in new bone formation. Nevertheless, the clinical trial for bone regeneration using dental pulp stem cells is still in its infancy. Thus, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to synthesise the evidence of the efficacy of human dental pulp stem cells and the scaffold combination for bone regeneration in animal bone defect models. Methodology This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD2021274976), and PRISMA guideline was followed to include the relevant full-text papers using exclusion and inclusion criteria. Data were extracted for the systematic review. Quality assessment and the risk of bias were also carried out using the CAMARADES tool. Quantitative bone regeneration data of the experimental (scaffold + hDPSC/SHED) and the control (scaffold-only) groups were also extracted for meta-analysis. Results Forty-nine papers were included for systematic review and only 27 of them were qualified for meta-analysis. 90% of the included papers were assessed as medium to low risk. In the meta-analysis, qualified studies were grouped by the unit of bone regeneration measurement. Overall, bone regeneration was significantly higher (p Conclusion This is the first synthesised evidence showing that human DPSCs/SHED and scaffold combination enhanced bone regeneration highly significantly compared to the cell-free scaffold irrespective of scaffold type and animal species used. So, dental pulp stem cells could be a promising tool for treating various bone diseases, and more clinical trials need to be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of dental pulp stem cell-based therapies.

We present a new imaging method for continuous real-time monitoring of deep human tissues using a body-worn radio-frequency sensor. The sensor consists of a set of transmitting and receiving dipole-like probes placed around the human body. The Green’s function of the medium is derived by modeling the scattering of the cross-sectional pixels using metallic cylinders of equivalent sections. A new method of overcoming the signal path loss in the biological medium is then introduced, which increases the image resolution. For the first time, the proposed wearable sensor is shown to overcome a number of challenges with body-worn imaging including the shape uncertainty of the torso. To analyze this, a new boundary mismatch parameter (BMP) is introduced and its effect on image recovery is examined quantitatively. Demonstration of the concept is carried out by retrieving differential permittivity image of the underlying cross-section, employing data obtained from several imaging scenarios using both full-wave simulations involving deep human tissues with multiple outer layers (i.e. skin, fat, muscle, bone) and experiments. Overall, the proposed sensor can be the basis for a portable and low-cost complement to conventional imaging techniques (such as, X-Ray CT, MRI etc.) suitable for a wide range of applications, such as, prevention of pulmonary diseases, brain functionality imaging and monitoring of gastric emptying etc.

Abstract: Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CFN) have drawn attention as a theranostic agent. Unique physicochemical features of CFN and magnetic properties make CFN an outstanding candidate for biomedical, agricultural, and environmental applications. The extensive use of CFN may result in intentional inoculation of humans for disease diagnosis and therapeutic purposes or unintentional penetration of CFN via inhalation, ingestion, adsorption, or other means. Therefore, understanding the potential cytotoxicity of CFN may pave the way for their future biomedical and agricultural applications. This review scrutinized CFN biocompatibility, possible effects, and cytotoxic mechanisms in different biological systems. Literature indicates CFN toxicity is linked with their size, synthesizing methods, coating materials, exposure time, route of administration, and test concentrations. Some in vitro cytotoxicity tests showed misleading results of CFN potency; this might be due to the interaction of CFN with cytotoxicity assay regents. To date, published research indicates that the biocompatibility of CFN outweighed its cytotoxic effects in plant or animal models, but the opposite outcomes were observed in aquatic Zebrafish.

In this paper, an algorithm using electrical capacitance tomography has been proposed to image and continuously monitor individual phases of a multiphase flow components. Instead of directly reconstructing the permittivity of the imaging domain, the proposed method presents successful reconstruction of fractional area/volume of each phase of a multiphase flow using only single frequency measurements. The permittivity image can then be calculated from the reconstructed fraction parameters. For the fraction reconstruction, the conventional cost function is reformulated and solved employing the well-known Landweber method typically used in ECT. Several three and two phase flow scenarios, including gas-oil-water process, have been analyzed and successful fraction parameter reconstructions are demonstrated. Apart from yielding successful reconstruction of individual phases, the proposed method also increases the overall accuracy of permittivity recovery consistently for all the explored cases. Hence, the proposed fraction imaging algorithm can potentially serve as a tool to decompose individual phases of a multiphase flow along with increased image accuracy.

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) are autoantibodies with laboratory significance in developing thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). High prevalence of aPLs namely - anticardiolipin, anti-β2-glycoprotein I, lupus anticoagulant, antiphosphatidylcholine, antiphosphatidylserine, antiphosphatidylinositol, antiphosphatidylethanolamine and antiprothrombin antibodies have been observed in patients with different types of haematological malignancies and solid tumours. Although cancer patients have high risk of developing thrombosis, the risk becomes even higher in aPLs carriers. Although the relationship between aPLs and cancer has to be further investigated, however, the presence of aPLs in neoplastic patients can possibly increase the risk of developing thrombosis. As the pathogenic role of aPLs in cancer is still a matter of debate, more researches should be conducted on the association between the aPLs and malignancies towards the potential impact on understanding the pathogenicity and treatment when cancer and APS coexists.

Hematological malignancies (HMs) are a heterogeneous group of blood neoplasia generally characterized by abnormal blood-cell production. Detection of HMs-specific molecular biomarkers (e.g., surface antigens, nucleic acid, and proteomic biomarkers) is crucial in determining clinical states and monitoring disease progression. Early diagnosis of HMs, followed by an effective treatment, can remarkably extend overall survival of patients. However, traditional and advanced HMs’ diagnostic strategies still lack selectivity and sensitivity. More importantly, commercially available chemotherapeutic drugs are losing their efficacy due to adverse effects, and many patients develop resistance against these drugs. To overcome these limitations, the development of novel potent and reliable theranostic agents is urgently needed to diagnose and combat HMs at an early stage. Recently, gold nanomaterials (GNMs) have shown promise in the diagnosis and treatment of HMs. Magnetic resonance and the surface-plasmon-resonance properties of GNMs have made them a suitable candidate in the diagnosis of HMs via magnetic-resonance imaging and colorimetric or electrochemical sensing of cancer-specific biomarkers. Furthermore, GNMs-based photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, radiation therapy, and targeted drug delivery enhanced the selectivity and efficacy of anticancer drugs or drug candidates. Therefore, surface-tuned GNMs could be used as sensitive, reliable, and accurate early HMs, metastatic HMs, and MRD-detection tools, as well as selective, potent anticancer agents. However, GNMs may induce endothelial leakage to exacerbate cancer metastasis. Studies using clinical patient samples, patient-derived HMs models, or healthy-animal models could give a precise idea about their theranostic potential as well as biocompatibility. The present review will investigate the theranostic potential of vectorized GNMs in HMs and future challenges before clinical theranostic applications in HMs.

Antiphospholipid antibodies are highly prevalent in autoimmune diseases and mainly associated with thromboembolic events, which is one of the major reasons for cancer-related mortality. Confirmed adult cancer patients were included (n = 40) with an equal number of age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The presence and concentration of anticardiolipin antibodies were investigated by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using the venous blood samples. aCL antibodies were detected in 60.0% (n = 24) of the cancer patients compared to none in the healthy controls (p < 0.001). The serum concentration of aCL antibodies was significantly higher in cancer patients than controls (p < 0.001) and ranged from 89.0 U/mL to 133.0 U/mL among the aCL-positive patients. All the lung cancer patients (n = 6) were diagnosed with positive aCL, and a borderline significant association of aCL antibody positivity was observed in colon cancer patients (p = 0.051). About 72.7% of the advanced-stage cancer individuals and 81.8% of the cancer patients who underwent surgery were diagnosed with positive aCL antibodies. A significant association of aCL antibody positivity was observed with cancer patients comorbid with heart diseases (p = 0.005). The prevalence and serum levels of aCL antibodies were significantly higher in cancer patients compared to healthy controls. Cancer patients (i.e., lung, liver, and colon), at advanced-stage, comorbid with heart diseases, who underwent surgery, were more likely to be diagnosed with aCL antibodies.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is considerably higher worldwide. It varies greatly in different populations geographically and based on criteria used to diagnose the disease. This review was conducted to determine the prevalence of MetS among apparently healthy adults of Pakistan. A systematic review was performed on Medline/PubMed, SCOPUS, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases until July 2022. Articles published on Pakistani healthy adult population reporting MetS were included. Pooled prevalence was reported with 95% confidence interval (CI). Of 440 articles, 20 articles met the eligibility. Results: The pooled prevalence of MetS was 28.8% (95% CI: 17.8–39.7). The maximum prevalence was from a sub-urban village of Punjab (68%, 95% CI: 66.6–69.3) and Sindh province (63.7%, 95% CI: 61.1–66.3). International Diabetes Federation guidelines had shown 33.2% (95% CI: 18.5–48.0) whereas National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines showed 23.9% (95% CI: 8.0–39.8) prevalence of MetS. Furthermore, individuals with low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) 48.2% (95% CI: 30.8–65.6), central obesity 37.1% (95% CI: 23.7–50.5), and high triglyceride 35.8% (95% CI: 24.3–47.3) showed higher prevalence. Conclusion: A considerably higher prevalence of MetS was observed among apparently healthy individuals in Pakistan. High triglyceride, low HDL, and central obesity were found as significant risk factors. (Registration # CRD42022335528)

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and the factors responsible for its progression need to be elucidated. Exosomes are structures with an average size of 100 nm that can transport proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. This review focuses on the role of exosomes in cancer progression and therapy. We discuss how exosomes are able to modulate components of the tumor microenvironment and influence proliferation and migration rates of cancer cells. We also highlight that, depending on their cargo, exosomes can suppress or promote tumor cell progression and can enhance or reduce cancer cell response to radio- and chemo-therapies. In addition, we describe how exosomes can trigger chronic inflammation and lead to immune evasion and tumor progression by focusing on their ability to transfer non-coding RNAs between cells and modulate other molecular signaling pathways such as PTEN and PI3K/Akt in cancer. Subsequently, we discuss the use of exosomes as carriers of anti-tumor agents and genetic tools to control cancer progression. We then discuss the role of tumor-derived exosomes in carcinogenesis. Finally, we devote a section to the study of exosomes as diagnostic and prognostic tools in clinical courses that is important for the treatment of cancer patients. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the role of exosomes in cancer therapy, focusing on their therapeutic value in cancer progression and remodeling of the tumor microenvironment. Graphical Abstract

In this meta-analysis, we aimed to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of machine learning models on digital mammograms and tomosynthesis in breast cancer classification and to assess factors affecting its diagnostic accuracy. We searched for related studies in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar and Embase. The studies were screened in two stages to exclude unrelated studies and duplicates. Finally, 36 studies containing 68 machine learning models were included in this meta-analysis. The area under the curve (AUC), hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristics (HSROC) curve, pooled sensitivity and pooled specificity were estimated using a bivariate Reitsma model. Overall AUC, pooled sensitivity and pooled specificity were 0.90 (95% CI: 0.85–0.90), 0.83 (95% CI: 0.78–0.87) and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.81–0.87), respectively. Additionally, the three significant covariates identified in this study were country (p=0.003), source (p=0.002) and classifier (p=0.016). Additionally, Deeks’ linear regression test indicated that there exists a publication bias in the included studies (p=0.002). Thus, the results should be interpreted with caution.

Classical BCR-ABL-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) include polycythaemia vera, essential thrombocythaemia, and primary myelofibrosis. Unlike monogenic disorders, a more complicated series of genetic mutations are believed to be responsible for MPN with various degrees of thromboembolic and bleeding complications. Thrombosis is one of the early manifestations in patients with MPN. To date, the driver genes responsible for MPN include JAK2, CALR, MPL, TET2, ASXL1, and MTHFR. Affords have been done to elucidate these mutations and the incidence of thromboembolic events. Several lines of evidence indicate that mutations in JAK2, MPL, TET2 and ASXL1 gene and polymorphisms in several clotting factors (GPIa, GPIIa, and GPIIIa) are associated with the occurrence and prevalence of thrombosis in MPN patients. Some polymorphisms within XRCC1, FBG, F2, F5, F7, F12, MMP9, HPA5, MTHFR, SDF-1, FAS, FASL, TERT, ACE, and TLR4 genes may also play a role in MPN manifestation. This review aims to provide an insightful overview on the genetic perspective of thrombotic complications in patients with MPN.

Background The XRCC3 p.Thr241Met (rs861539) polymorphism has been extensively studied for its association with glioma risk, but results remain conflicting. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to resolve this inconsistency. Methods Studies published up to June 10, 2022, were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, VIP, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases and screened for eligibility. Then, the combined odds ratio (OR) of the included studies was estimated based on five genetic models, i.e., homozygous (Met/Met vs. Thr/Thr), heterozygous (Thr/Met vs. Thr/Thr), dominant (Thr/Met + Met/Met vs. Thr/Thr), recessive (Met/Met vs. Thr/Thr + Thr/Met) and allele (Met vs. Thr). The study protocol was preregistered at PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42021235704). Results Overall, our meta-analysis of 14 eligible studies involving 12,905 subjects showed that the p.Thr241Met polymorphism was significantly associated with increased glioma risk in both homozygous and recessive models (homozygous, OR = 1.381, 95% CI = 1.081–1.764, P = 0.010; recessive, OR = 1.305, 95% CI = 1.140–1.493, P0.05). Conclusion We demonstrated that the XRCC3 p.Thr241Met polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of glioma only in the homozygous and recessive models.

Background::Ferritin is a molecule that plays many roles being the storage for iron, signalling molecule, and modulator of the immune response.Methods::Different electronic databases were searched in a non-systematic way to find out the literature of interest.Results::The level of ferritin rises in many inflammatory conditions including autoimmune disorders. However, in four inflammatory diseases (i.e., adult-onset Still’s diseases, macrophage activation syndrome, catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome, and sepsis), high levels of ferritin are observed suggesting it as a remarkable biomarker and pathological involvement in these diseases. Acting as an acute phase reactant, ferritin is also involved in the cytokine-associated modulator of the immune response as well as a regulator of cytokine synthesis and release which are responsible for the inflammatory storm.Conclusion::This review article presents updated information on the role of ferritin in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases with an emphasis on hyperferritinaemic syndrome.

The choice of treatment for unstable and severely displaced slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is controversial. This meta-analysis was conducted to determine the prevalence of femoral head avascular necrosis (AVN) following various treatments for unstable SCFE. Various databases were searched to identify articles published until 4 February 2022. A random-effects model was used to examine prevalence as well as risk ratios with confidence intervals (CIs) of 95%. Thirty-three articles were analyzed in this study. The pooled prevalences of AVN in pinning in situ, pinning following intentional closed reduction, pinning following unintentional closed reduction, and open reduction via the Parsch method, subcapital osteotomy and the modified Dunn procedure were 18.5%, 23.0%, 27.6%, 9.9%, 18.6% and 19.9%, respectively. The risk of developing AVN in pinning following intentional closed reduction was found to be 1.62 times higher than pinning in situ; however, this result was not significant. The prevalence of AVN in open reduction was lowest when performed via the Parsch method; however, this finding should be interpreted with caution, since the majority of slips so-treated are of mild and moderate types as compared with the subcapital osteotomy and modified Dunn procedures, which are predominantly used to treat severely displaced slips. As the risk ratio between intentional closed reduction and the modified Dunn method showed no significant difference, we believe that the modified Dunn method has the advantage of meticulously preserving periosteal blood flow to the epiphysis, thus minimizing AVN risk. In comparison with intentional closed reduction, the modified Dunn method is used predominantly in cases of severe slips.

The aims of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) treatment are symptom relief and healing of oesophagitis. Besides proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), prokinetic agents are also commonly prescribed to treat GERD. Domperidone, a well-known antiemetic, is an example of a prokinetic agent. It is a dopaminergic blocker that increases lower oesophagus sphincter pressure and activates gastric motility. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the benefits of domperidone in addition to PPI therapy for GERD. We searched for publications comparing PPI plus domperidone to PPI monotherapy in terms of symptom improvement in GERD (until 21 April 2022) on PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, WHO’s International Clinical Studies Registry Platform, and ClinicalTrials.gov without restricting date, language, or study design. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021242076). This meta-analysis incorporated 11 studies with a total of 841 participants (419 in the PPI plus domperidone group and 422 in the PPI monotherapy group). The combination of a PPI and domperidone resulted in a significant reduction in global GERD symptoms. Adverse events associated with PPI plus domperidone treatment were similar to those associated with PPI monotherapy. In conclusion, the combination of domperidone and a PPI is generally safe and effective in treating GERD as compared with that of PPI alone.

Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) predominantly infects the respiratory system, several investigations have shown the involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) along the course of the illness, with encephalitis being one of the symptoms. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the characteristics (clinical, neuro-radiological aspects, and laboratory features) and outcomes of encephalitis in COVID-19 patients. PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were searched from 1 December 2019 until 21 July 2022 to identify case reports and case series published on COVID-19 associated with encephalitis. The quality of the included studies was assessed by the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklists. This systematic review included 79 studies, including 91 COVID-19 patients (52.7% male) experiencing encephalitis, where 85.6% were adults (49.3 ± 20.2 years), and 14.4% were children (11.2 ± 7.6 years). RT-PCR was used to confirm 92.2% of the COVID-19 patients. Encephalitis-related symptoms were present in 78.0% of COVID-19 patients at the time of diagnosis. In these encephalitis patients, seizure (29.5%), confusion (23.2%), headache (20.5%), disorientation (15.2%), and altered mental status (11.6%) were the most frequently reported neurologic manifestations. Looking at the MRI, EEG, and CSF findings, 77.6%, 75.5%, and 64.1% of the patients represented abnormal results. SARS-CoV-2-associated or -mediated encephalitis were the most common type observed (59.3%), followed by autoimmune encephalitis (18.7%). Among the included patients, 66.7% were discharged (37.8% improved and 28.9% fully recovered), whereas 20.0% of the reported COVID-19-positive encephalitis patients died. Based on the quality assessment, 87.4% of the studies were of high quality. Although in COVID-19, encephalitis is not a typical phenomenon, SARS-CoV-2 seems like a neuropathogen affecting the brain even when there are no signs of respiratory illness, causing a high rate of disability and fatality.

Introduction Parasitic infections, especially intestinal protozoan parasites (IPPs) remain a significant public health issue in Africa, where many conditions favour the transmission and children are the primary victims. This systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out with the objective of assessing the prevalence of IPPs among school children in Africa. Methods Relevant studies published between January 2000 and December 2020 were identified by systematic online search on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Scopus databases without language restriction. Pooled prevalence was estimated using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity of studies were assessed using Cochrane Q test and I2 test, while publication bias was evaluated using Egger’s test. Results Of the 1,645 articles identified through our searches, 46 cross-sectional studies matched our inclusion criteria, reported data from 29,968 school children of Africa. The pooled prevalence of intestinal protozoan parasites amongst African school children was 25.8% (95% CI: 21.2%-30.3%) with E. histolytica/ dispar (13.3%; 95% CI: 10.9%-15.9%) and Giardia spp. (12%; 95% CI: 9.8%-14.3%) were the most predominant pathogenic parasites amongst the study participants. While E. coli was the most common non-pathogenic protozoa (17.1%; 95% CI: 10.9%-23.2%). Conclusions This study revealed a relatively high prevalence of IPPs in school children, especially in northern and western Africa. Thus, poverty reduction, improvement of sanitation and hygiene and attention to preventive control measures will be the key to reducing protozoan parasite transmission.

Our goal is to investigate the possible merits of utilizing multi frequency boundary data to obtain better images through Diffuse Optical Tomography or DOT. The driving force behind this pursuit is finding a lternatives t o conventional measurement procedures that yield information rich data but are expensive and time consuming. This method of imaging could also help in addressing the ill posedness inherent in image reconstruction. Keeping these goals in mind, boundary data for 5 different modulation frequencies have been generated, cascaded together and used to reconstruct images. Subsequent evaluation of the reconstructed images have been carried out. The results we obtained have led us to the conclusion that utilizing multi frequency data would indeed provide an economically feasible solution for enhancing the quality of the reconstructed images.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is still a leading global cause of mortality and an increasingly crucial problem in fighting TB is antibiotic resistance. We aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis on the articles of the past 25 years on antibiotic-resistant active pulmonary TB. Methods: Appropriate keywords were combined using the Boolean and wildcard operators and searched in Scopus database for articles published between 1996 and 2020 in English language. For all the bibliometric analyses, the Bibliometrix package in RStudio and Biblioshiny web apps were used. We identified the publication and citation trends, topmost cited documents, most productive authors, countries and institutions and most influential journals and funding agencies. We constructed collaborative networks of countries and co-citations. In addition, we developed a Three-Fields plot and a Thematic Map to explore different publication themes. Results: We included 7024 articles (88.9% research articles) and a persistently increasing publication and citation trends were evident throughout the past 25 years. Boehme 2010 was the most cited paper (1609 times cited), Stefan Niemann was the most productive author (86 papers), and ‘International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease’ was the leading journal. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was the top contributing institution (3.7% papers) and both US- and UK-based funders were leading. The most productive countries were the USA, India, the UK, South Africa, and China and most of the collaborations took place between the USA, the UK, and South Africa. Conclusion: Undoubtedly, researchers and funders from the USA dominated followed by the UK in most of the fields in antibiotic-resistant TB research. The outcomes of antibiotic-resistant TB research would be more productive and translational if researchers from low- or middle-income countries (especially from Africa, South America and Asia) with high research productivity and TB burden could be in collaboration with high-income countries exhibiting low TB burden.

The challenge in the surgical treatment of giant cell tumours of bone is the relatively high recurrence rate after curettage alone. The use of a local adjuvant following curettage, on the other hand, has lowered the rate of recurrence. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk of local recurrence of giant cell tumours of the bone after cryosurgery and the subsequent complications. Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched to identify articles published until 13 October 2021. A random-effects model was used to examine the pooled prevalence and risk ratio (RR) of local recurrence in patients with giant cell tumours after cryosurgery with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020211620). A total of 1376 articles were identified, of which 38 studies (n = 1373, 46.2% male) were included in the meta-analysis. Following cryosurgery, the pooled prevalence of local recurrence in giant cell tumours was estimated as 13.5% [95% CI: 9.3–17.8, I2 = 63%], where European subjects exhibited the highest prevalence (24.2%). Compared to other local adjuvants. The RR of local recurrence following cryosurgery was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.63–1.17, I2 = 15%), which was not statistically significant compared to other local adjuvants. We found 3.9% fracture, 4.0% infection, 2.1% nerve injury, and 1.5% skin necrosis as the common complications. Based on the sensitivity analyses, this study is robust and reliable. This meta-analysis estimated a low prevalence of local recurrence of giant cell tumours with low complications following cryosurgery. Thus, it can be one of the adjuvant options for treating giant cell tumours.

Mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) such as dengue, malaria, and chikungunya are common in Bangladesh, with frequent outbreaks in the rainy season. Analysis of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of people toward any crisis is fundamental to addressing any gap. Here, we conducted a cross-sectional study mainly focusing on the northern, southern and central parts of Bangladesh to understand the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of people regarding MBDs, mosquito habitats, or control measures. A total of 1720 participants were involved in the study from 33 out of 64 districts of Bangladesh, of which 56.9% were male. While most of them knew about dengue (97.1%), chikungunya (81.4%), and malaria (85.2%), only half of them were aware of filaria (53.3%), which is endemic to the northern region. A knowledge score (0–8, low), (9–16, moderate), (17–24, high), and attitude score (0–4, poor), (5–8, moderate), and (9–13, high) were assigned. While poor and moderate attitudes were considered negative, good attitudes were considered positive. About 45% of the respondents had a moderate knowledge score (50–70); however, about 67.9% of participants showed a good attitude score (>70) towards the control of MBDs. It was found that the knowledge and attitude of the responders were related to their profession (knowledge p < 0.001; attitude, p = 0.002), residential area (knowledge p < 0.001; attitude, p < 0.001), and education level (knowledge p < 0.001; attitude p = 0.004). A mosquito is a kind of nuisance bug, and about 79.8% of responders admitted that they kill mosquitoes as soon as they notice them. They also use bed nets (93.7%) followed by mosquito coils (85.7%) as a preventive method. Interestingly, 73.2% of the responders were reluctant to contact the local government during an increase in mosquito numbers. Overall, the people of Bangladesh have a positive attitude towards the prevention of mosquito-borne diseases. It is highly recommended that the government creates more knowledge regarding this issue and develops collaborative approaches with local people to implement robust preventive measures against mosquito-borne diseases.

In this meta-analysis, we aimed to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of machine learning models on digital mammograms and tomosynthesis in breast cancer classification and to assess the factors affecting its diagnostic accuracy. We searched for related studies in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar and Embase. The studies were screened in two stages to exclude the unrelated studies and duplicates. Finally, 36 studies containing 68 machine learning models were included in this meta-analysis. The area under the curve (AUC), hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristics (HSROC) curve, pooled sensitivity and pooled specificity were estimated using a bivariate Reitsma model. Overall AUC, pooled sensitivity and pooled specificity were 0.90 (95% CI: 0.85–0.90), 0.83 (95% CI: 0.78–0.87) and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.81–0.87), respectively. Additionally, the three significant covariates identified in this study were country (p = 0.003), source (p = 0.002) and classifier (p = 0.016). The type of data covariate was not statistically significant (p = 0.121). Additionally, Deeks’ linear regression test indicated that there exists a publication bias in the included studies (p = 0.002). Thus, the results should be interpreted with caution.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a known risk factor for infection following total joint arthroplasty. This study looked at the prevalence and risk of infection in diabetic and non-diabetic patients who had primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Science Direct electronic databases were searched for studies published up to 21 April 2022. To compare the risk of infection between diabetic and non-diabetic subjects, a pooled prevalence, and a risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used. This research has been registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021244391). There were 119,244 participants from 18 studies, with a total of 120,754 knees (25,798 diabetic and 94,956 non-diabetic). We discovered that the risks of infection in diabetic patients were 1.84 times significantly higher than in non-diabetic patients. Infection was more common in diabetic patients (1.9%) than in non-diabetic patients (1.2%). In a subgroup analysis, the risks of developing deep surgical site infection (SSI) were 1.96 times higher in diabetic patients, but no significant difference when compared in superficial SSI. Prevalence of deep SSI was higher in diabetic (1.5%) than in non-diabetic (0.7%), but the prevalence of superficial SSI was lower in diabetic (1.4%) than in non-diabetic (2.1%). Consistent with previous research, we found diabetes is a risk factor for infection following primary TKA. However, the risk is much lower than previously published data, indicating that other factors play a larger role in infection.

A reliable estimate of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies is increasingly important to track the spread of infection and define the true burden of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic review and a meta-analysis were conducted with the objective of estimating the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Africa. A systematic search of the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar electronic databases was conducted. Thirty-five eligible studies were included. Using meta-analysis of proportions, the overall seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was calculated as 16% (95% CI 13.1–18.9%). Based on antibody isotypes, 14.6% (95% CI 12.2–17.1%) and 11.5% (95% CI 8.7–14.2%) were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM, respectively, while 6.6% (95% CI 4.9–8.3%) were tested positive for both IgM and IgG. Healthcare workers (16.3%) had higher seroprevalence than the general population (11.7%), blood donors (7.5%) and pregnant women (5.7%). The finding of this systematic review and meta-analysis (SRMA) may not accurately reflect the true seroprevalence status of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Africa, hence, further seroprevalence studies across Africa are required to assess and monitor the growing COVID-19 burden.

This paper presents the application of a complementary split ring resonator (CSRR) based biosensor to determine the concentration of glucose in aqueous solution. Two tightly coupled concentric CSRRs loaded on a patch were realized on a Rogers RT/Duroid 5870 substrate and then a glucose solution was applied on it. The resonant frequency of the bare (without any glucose solution applied) resonator was 5.0 GHz. Change in glucose concentration results in a corresponding change in dielectric properties of the solution. Due to changes in dielectric properties of the surrounding material, the resonant frequency of the resonator shifts. Such a shift can be used to measure the glucose level in the solution. The proposed sensor uses this principle and can sense the glucose concentration in the range of 3 – 7 mg/mL. The resonator has a sensitivity of 1.0 MHz/mgmL−1 and a simple structure. Thus the sensor has the potential to be used for noninvasive blood glucose level measurement.

In this work, we proposed a hybrid plasmonic waveguide for bulk index sensing, which is compatible with Mach-Zehnder interferometer sensing arrangement. The modal properties of the guiding geometry are investigated using the finite element method. This waveguide supports a long-ranging hybrid plasmon mode, which is highly confined in nanofluidic analyte channel due to the optical capacitance effect. Thus, an improved biosensing performance is demonstrated with high Figure of merit at the telecommunication wavelength. The sensing performance is also analyzed here for a broad range of operating wavelength in order to examine the multiwavelength operability of the proposed hybrid plasmonic waveguide biosensor.