• Weiss Moss posted an update 6 hours, 30 minutes ago

    Cell-adhesion complex within a tissue is important for its stability, structural integrity, functioning, cellular migration and morphogenesis. Disruption of desmosomal cell-adhesions complex results in epithelial conditions such as epidermolysis bullosa and bullous pemphigoid. Desmosome assembly and disassembly is regulated post-translationally by calcium, kinase/phosphatase activity, proteolytic processing, and also through adhesive junctions. Altered functions of desmosomal proteins desmocollin and desmoglein can cause blistering disorders, such as pemphigus foliaceus and pemphigus vulgaris, and non-Hodgkin Lymphoma while defective desmoplakin can cause supra-basal clefting in epithelium and conditions such as Carvajal syndrome, palmo-plantar keratoderma etc. This review summarises major functions of demosomal complex family and how mis-regulation of demosomal structural proteins occur in pathogenesis of non-, pre- and malignant oral lesions with disrupted epithelium.Metabesity refers to metabolic aberrations associated with obesity. These include low- grade inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and changes in gut microbiome. Along with a genetic component, the phenotypes in metabesity are largely the result of sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits. Metabesity is associated with several co-morbidities including an increased risk for cardiovascular conditions like hypertension, heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke, and sudden death. Insulin resistance, high blood pressure and glucose levels, visceral adiposity, progressive atherosclerosis, dyslipidaemia and fatty liver are common in obese individuals. Obesity increases the risk for and overall mortality due to cancer. Metabesity adversely impacts endocrine balances in the body and increases the risk of degenerative conditions like dementia. Metabesity is an impending epidemic of huge public health implications with enormous clinical, socioeconomic, and humanistic burden. Interventions to combat sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating should be introduced early in life to prevent the onset and progression of metabesity. This review also summarizes the experts’ recommendation from Pakistan to manage the rising metabesity concern in their geography based on the literature evidences.

    To evaluate the direct and interactive role of personal and work-related factors in psychological burnout among doctors.

    The cross-sectional study was conducted in September, 2018, at three hospitals of the twin cities of Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Pakistan, and comprised doctors aged 24-49 years. Data was collected using a demographic questionnaire and the self-reporting Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Data was analysed using SPSS 23.

    Of the 161 doctors, 66(41%) were males and 96(59%) were female. The overall mean age of the sample was 26.44 4.80 years (range 24-49 years). There was significant direct effect of work setting and indirect effect of gender and work setting on psychological burnout (p<0.05). Doctors experienced more burnout in emergency room settings compared to wards and outpatient departments (p<0.05). Tofacitinib molecular weight Further, young and low-salaried doctors were more prone to psychological burnout, and continuous working hours added to the adversity of burnout (p<0.05)..

    Personal and workplace related factors were found to play a significant role in psychological burnout which may possibly affect the overall efficiency of doctors.

    Personal and workplace related factors were found to play a significant role in psychological burnout which may possibly affect the overall efficiency of doctors.

    To investigate whether measuring pancreas volume with abdominal tomography in patients with severe abdominal pain can predict acute pancreatitis.

    The case-control study was conducted at Adnan Menderes University from January 1, 2015, to January 1, 2017, and comprised patients who were diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Pancreas volume measurements of patients and control group were made with Telemed Ekinoks software using freehand technique. Presence of a correlation between pancreas volume and pancreatitis was found in patients aged <57 years and a cut-off value was calculated for pancreatitis in this particular patient group.

    Of the 183 subjects, 132(72%) were patients with a mean age of 59.6±16.5 years, and 51(28%) were controls with a mean age of 55.8±18.6 years (p=0.170). The difference between the groups in terms of pancreas volume was significant (p<0.001). There was a negative correlation between age and pancreas volume among the patients (p<0.001), the correlation was not significant among the controls (p=0.898). Among the subjects aged <57 years, the cut-off value was calculated at 95.055, and sensitivity to pancreas volume was 70.91% while specificity was 82.14%. Positive predictive value was 88.6%.

    High pancreas volume with pancreatitis was observed in patients aged <57 years.

    High pancreas volume with pancreatitis was observed in patients aged less then 57 years.

    To determine the frequency of retinal re-detachment (reRD) following silicone oil removal (SOR) in patients who had undergone pars planavitrectomy for treatment of Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) detachment.

    A total of fifty (50) patients with diagnosis of PVR in LRBT hospital Lahore were selected within a duration of 12 months from April-2018 to April-2019 for this prospective observational study. Patients of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) who underwent vitrectomy using temporary SO tamponade and had completely attached retina at the time of SOR, were included. SOR was done via 3 ports pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) using EVA DORC machine. In 20 patients, scleral buckling (SB) was also done alongwith vitrectomy procedure. After SOR all patients were followed up for 6 months to determine the frequency of retinal re-detachment.

    There was male pre-dominance with 30 (60%) of total proportion. There were 26 (52%) patients who had a grade C PVR (C1), 18 (32%) had grade B PVR. The retinal re detachment was found in 2 (4.0%) patients out of 50 patients. In comparison of retinal re-detachment, there was no case of retinal redetachment in patients with SB and re-detachment occurred in 2 (6.6%) out of 30 patients in whom SB was not done (p-value 0.51).

    The rate of retinal re-detachment after silicone oil removal (SOR) was 4.0%. Implantation of SB at the time of PPV is associated with lower risk of retinal re detachment after vitrectomy in patients of Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).

    The rate of retinal re-detachment after silicone oil removal (SOR) was 4.0%. Implantation of SB at the time of PPV is associated with lower risk of retinal re detachment after vitrectomy in patients of Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).