Characterization of long‐term outcomes for pediatric patients with epithelioid hemangioma

Epithelioid hemangioma (EH) is a rare benign vascular tumor that occurs in soft tissues and bone and presents between the third and sixth decades of life. Little is known about the clinical course and outcomes of pediatric EH. We report 11 patients diagnosed with EH at a median age of 14.4 years. One patient treated with interferon and one with sirolimus exhibited partial response for >2 years. Although a benign neoplasm, EH is difficult to manage without standard protocols and portends considerable morbidity. Our findings suggest medical management, particularly sirolimus, may benefit these patients; however, long‐term follow‐up is needed.     

Establishment of a formal program for retinoblastoma: Feasibility of clinical coordination across borders and impact on outcome

Retinoblastoma is an ocular tumor that occurs in young children, in either heritable or sporadic manner. The relative rarity of retinoblastoma, and the need for expensive equipment, anesthesia, and pediatric ophthalmologic expertise, are barriers for effective treatment in developing countries. Also, with an average age‐adjusted incidence of two to five cases per million children, patient number limits development of local expertise in countries with small populations. Lebanon is a small country with a population of approximately 4.5 million. In 2012, a comprehensive retinoblastoma program was formalized at the Children's Cancer Institute (CCI) at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, and resources were allocated for efficient interdisciplinary coordination to attract patients from neighboring countries such as Syria and Iraq, where such specialized therapy is also lacking. Through this program, care was coordinated across hospitals and borders such that patients would receive scheduled chemotherapy at their institution, and monthly retinal examinations and focal laser therapy at the CCI in Lebanon. Our results show the feasibility of successful collaboration across borders, with excellent patient and physician adherence to treatment plans. This was accompanied by an increase in patient referrals, which enables continued expertise development. However, the majority of patients presented with advanced intraocular disease, necessitating enucleation in 90% of eyes in unilateral cases, and more than 50% of eyes in bilateral cases. Future efforts need to focus on expanding the program that reaches to additional hospitals in both countries, and promoting early diagnosis, for further improvement of globe salvage rates.     

Invasive Breast Carcinoma Tumor Size on Core Needle Biopsy: Analysis of Practice Patterns and Effect on Final Pathologic Tumor Stage

Introduction

In the absence of nodal metastasis, pathologic tumor (pT) size remains one of the most important factors in adjuvant treatment decisions and patient prognosis in breast cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of core needle biopsy (CNB) tumor size on final pT stage.

Effects of Salvadora persica extracts on mice exploratory locomotion activities

The effects of Salvadora persica extracts on mice exploratory locomotor activities and stereotype movements have been determined. Mice injected with Salvadora persica extracts showed significantly low exploratory locomotor activity. The total distance travelled by naive mice injected with saline, during the first 5 min of introduction into an activity cage (Session 1) was 1007 +/- 105 cm/5 min, in contrast to 800 +/- 75, 540 +/- 100 and 330 +/- 55 cm/5 min for naive mice injected i.p. with 5.7, 14.3 and 28.6 ml/kg Salvadora persica extract. The exploratory locomotion of Salvadora persica treated mice declined faster than that of the controls. Mice injected with Salvadora persica extract also showed a significantly lower number of stereotype movements (P less than 0.05). The stereotype movements of the control was 175 +/- 5 movements/5 min and 90 +/- 10, 118 +/- 15 and 35 +/- 11 for mice injected with 5.7, 14.3 and 28.6 ml/kg, Salvadora persica extract, respectively.     

Fabrication and Characterization of Au-Decorated MCM-41 Mesoporous Spheres Using Laser-Ablation Technique

This study reports the synthesis of Au-decorated MCM-41 mesoporous nanoparticles using a laser-ablation technique. It was observed that the number of Au attached to MCM-41 nanostructures was dependent on the amount of encapsulated Cationic surfactant (cetyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) volume. The chemical group of the prepared nanoparticles was analyzed by FT-IR spectroscopy, where different absorption peaks corresponding to Au and MCM-41 were observed. The observed band region was ∼1090, 966, 801, 2918, and 1847 cm⁻¹ for different samples, clearly confirming the successful preparation of MCM-41 with CTAB and Au-decorated MCM-41 nanoparticles using environmentally friendly laser-ablation approach. The surface morphology of the prepared nanoparticles were performed using TEM techniques. The TEM analysis of the MCM-41 specimen showed silica spheres with an average size of around 200 nm. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopy was done to evaluate the chemical structure of the prepared nanoparticles. It was seen that the prepared Au NPs decorated the MCM-41 system facilitated strong Raman peaks of CTAB. In addition, eight distinct Raman peaks were observed in the presence of Au NPs. This new functionalized method using the laser-ablation approach for mesoporous nanoparticles will participate effectively in multiple applications, especially the encapsulated molecule sensing and detection.     

A Study on Sustainable Concrete with Partial Substitution of Cement with Red Mud: A Review

Every year, millions of tons of red mud (RDM) are created across the globe. Its storage is a major environmental issue due to its high basicity and tendency for leaching. This material is often kept in dams, necessitating previous attention to the disposal location, as well as monitoring and maintenance during its useful life. As a result, it is critical to develop an industrial solution capable of consuming large quantities of this substance. Many academics have worked for decades to create different cost-effective methods for using RMD. One of the most cost-effective methods is to use RMD in cement manufacture, which is also an effective approach for large-scale RMD recycling. This article gives an overview of the use of RMD in concrete manufacturing. Other researchers’ backgrounds were considered and examined based on fresh characteristics, mechanical properties, durability, microstructure analysis, and environmental impact analysis. The results show that RMD enhanced the mechanical properties and durability of concrete while reducing its fluidity. Furthermore, by integrating 25% of RDM, the environmental consequences of cumulative energy demand (CED), global warming potential (GWP), and major criteria air pollutants (CO, NO_X, Pb, and SO₂) were minimized. In addition, the review assesses future researcher guidelines for concrete with RDM to improve performance.     

Hepatitis B among University Population: Prevalence,Associated Risk Factors,Knowledge Assessment,and Treatment Management

Background: Very few studies have been reported on hepatitis B in the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan, and none of them are specific to the prevalence and causes of hepatitis B spread among educational institutes. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B infection and its associated risk factors among the University of AJ and K population. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, and analytical study was conducted with 7015 students and employees. Hepatitis B was detected by rapid immunochromatographic tests (ICTs), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and real-time quantitative PCR. A questionnaire and interview method was used to assess the disease knowledge and associated risk factors with hepatitis B through Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, and paired t-test. Results: Of the participants, 150 (2.13%) were found positive for the hepatitis B surface antigen (57.3% male and 42.7% female). Only 0.3% participants were found fully vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus. Among ethnic groups, the Syed tribe was found more prevalent for hepatitis B infection (40.6%), while use of contaminated mourning blades (95% CI: p = 0.0001) was found as an overlooked risk factor. Hepatitis preventive awareness sessions were found to be very significant (p = 0.0001). Conclusions: The study showed that an overlooked risk factor is playing a key role in the spread of HBV in a tribe living worldwide, which must be addressed globally to eradicate hepatitis B. In Pakistan, a country-wide annual HBV vaccination program should be launched to control hepatitis B.     

Preparation,Characterization, Wound Healing,and Cytotoxicity Assay of PEGylated Nanophytosomes Loaded with 6-Gingerol

Background: Nutrients are widely used for treating illnesses in traditional medicine. Ginger has long been used in folk medicine to treat motion sickness and other minor health disorders. Chronic non-healing wounds might elicit an inflammation response and cancerous mutation. Few clinical studies have investigated 6-gingerol’s wound-healing activity due to its poor pharmacokinetic properties. However, nanotechnology can deliver 6-gingerol while possibly enhancing these properties. Our study aimed to develop a nanophytosome system loaded with 6-gingerol molecules to investigate the delivery system’s influence on wound healing and anti-cancer activities. Methods: We adopted the thin-film hydration method to synthesize nanophytosomes. We used lipids in a ratio of 70:25:5 for DOPC(dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine): cholesterol: DSPE/PEG2000, respectively. We loaded the 6-gingerol molecules in a concentration of 1.67 mg/mL and achieved size reduction via the extrusion technique. We determined cytotoxicity using lung, breast, and pancreatic cancer cell lines. We performed gene expression of inflammation markers and cytokines according to international protocols. Results: The synthesized nanophytosome particle sizes were 150.16 ± 1.65, the total charge was −13.36 ± 1.266, and the polydispersity index was 0.060 ± 0.050. Transmission electron microscopy determined the synthesized particles’ spherical shape and uniform size. The encapsulation efficiency was 34.54% ± 0.035. Our biological tests showed that 6-gingerol nanophytosomes displayed selective antiproliferative activity, considerable downregulation of inflammatory markers and cytokines, and an enhanced wound-healing process. Conclusions: Our results confirm the anti-cancer activity of PEGylated nanophytosome 6-gingerol, with superior activity exhibited in accelerating wound healing.     

Renal Dysfunction in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Device

Late-stage heart failure and renal dysfunction are often seen in conjunction. Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) describes the complex interaction between the two disease states. Early literature described the pathophysiology of CRS as related only to reduced cardiac output and decreased renal perfusion. Recent literature suggests a more multifaceted mechanism. Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD), used as bridge-to-transplant and destination therapy in patients with heart failure, impact not only cardiac function but also renal function, especially in those patients with preoperative renal dysfunction. The mechanism by which LVAD implantation affects renal function is complex and understated in early literature. In this review, we discuss the pathogenesis of CRS, the impact of preoperative renal dysfunction in patients undergoing LVAD implantation, and the effect of LVAD implantation on postoperative renal function.