Factors Influencing Betel Quid Chewing and Health Perceptions among the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia.

Betel quid chewing is a culturally-rooted oral health risk behavior that is prevalent in many Southeast Asian communities. Among Malaysia's indigenous community, particularly in isolated areas, data on betel quid chewing remain limited. This study investigated the influencing factors and health perceptions of betel quid use among 180 adults from a Proto-Malay Orang Asli community in Peninsular Malaysia.

Salicylic acid reduces ELF3 phase separation and suppresses thermomorphogenic growth in Arabidopsis.

Salicylic acid (SA), a long-characterized defense hormone, is increasingly recognized for its roles in plant growth and development. However, its involvement in mediating plant growth responses to environmental cues remains less understood. Here, we show that SA negatively affects thermomorphogenic growth in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Efficacy and Safety of Momelotinib in Myelofibrosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis With a Focus on Anemia Outcomes.

Background: Myelofibrosis (MF) can be primary (PMF) or secondary (SMF), with PMF driven by Janus kinases-signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins (JAK-STAT) pathway activation due to Janus kinase 2 (), the thrombopoietin receptor gene (myeloproliferative leukemia virus oncogene ()), or calreticulin () mutations. Nearly 50% of PMF patients experience anemia (hemoglobin (Hb) < 10 g/dL), often worsened by JAK inhibitors like ruxolitinib and fedratinib. Momelotinib, an oral ACVR1, JAK1, and JAK2 inhibitor, improves anemia, symptoms, and splenomegaly, likely through hepcidin regulation.

Frequency and Clinical Correlates of Thyroid Dysfunction in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Thyroid dysfunction commonly coexists with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), compounding metabolic derangements and increasing the risk of complications. Despite its clinical significance, the prevalence and spectrum of thyroid dysfunction among South Asian patients with T2DM remain incompletely characterized. This study aimed to determine the frequency and types of thyroid dysfunction in patients with T2DM and to examine its associations with demographic characteristics, glycemic control, metabolic parameters, and microvascular complications.

Incidence and Clinical Outcomes of Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury in Relation to Etiological Factors and Surgical Procedures.

Background And Objective: Postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent yet preventable complication linked with increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burden. Multiple perioperative risk factors contribute to its development. This study aimed to determine the incidence, clinical outcomes, and independent predictors of postoperative AKI across various surgical procedures.

A probabilistic approach for estimating human exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls via tuna consumption.

Previous studies on estimating human exposure to PCBs often employed daily or hourly fixed intakes, failing to consider the irregularity of PCBs accumulation under a real consumption scenario. Therefore, this study aimed at simulating actual consumer behavior, estimating the specific dates and quantities of PCB-153 intake, and combining this approach with a pharmacokinetic model to estimate the human exposure to PCB-153 through Tuna consumption. A physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model was used to predict the accumulation of PCB-153 in six tissue compartments of a hypothetical woman for a period of 10 years.

Design and Simulation of an Electron Optical System for Terahertz Vacuum Devices.

An electron optic system (EOS) consisting of a sheet electron beam gun (SEB) and a pole offset periodic cusped magnet (PO-PCM) is reported for 340-GHz frequency. A sheet electron beam with a voltage of 29 kV, beam compression ratio of 16, and a beam waist of size 0.17 mm × 0.

Comparative Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Assessment of Methylparaben and Propylparaben on Allium cepa Root Tips by Comet and Allium cepa Assays.

Parabens (PBs) are alkyl esters of para-hydroxybenzoic acid and are widely used in pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, and cosmetics due to their antimicrobial properties. Parabens are also known as "Endocrine disruptors" and can cause toxicity in different organisms. Parabens, especially methylparaben and propylparaben are also present in many environmental matrices, such as water sources and soil, and can cause cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in different organisms.

Improved early-stage crop classification using a novel fusion-based machine learning approach with Sentinel-2A and Landsat 8-9 data.

Crop classification during the early stages is challenging because of the striking similarity in spectral and texture features among various crops. To improve classification accuracy, this study proposes a novel fusion-based deep learning approach. The approach integrates textural and spectral features from a fused dataset generated by merging Landsat 8-9 and Sentinel-2A data using the Gram-Schmidt fusion approach.

Structural substitutions on the methoxybenzene ring retain the biological activity of the zaxinone mimics MiZax3.

The plant growth regulator zaxinone is essential for proper rice growth and development. Additionally, zaxinone and its two synthetic mimics, MiZax3 and MiZax5, have been shown to significantly promote crop growth and reduce infestation by the root parasitic plant by suppressing strigolactone (SL) production, highlighting their potential for field application. Here, we developed 4 new MiZax through structural modifications of the methoxybenzene ring in MiZax3 and evaluated their effects on plant growth and SL exudation.

Real-World Outcomes of Upfront Abiraterone in Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Background  Metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer is defined as prostate cancer with de novo metastatic disease that responds to androgen deprivation therapy by keeping the testosterone levels low. Endogenous androgen synthesis is further blocked by abiraterone acetate along with prednisolone and indicated in patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer. However, over time, these patients will become castration-resistant.

Metabolomic Analysis of Uremic Pruritus in Patients on Hemodialysis.

Background: Uremic pruritus (UP) is a prevalent and distressing complication among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving maintenance hemodialysis (HD). Despite its significant impact on quality of life and mortality, the underlying pathophysiology remains incompletely understood, with evidence implicating metabolic and inflammatory factors.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of UP and assess its association with selected metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in patients undergoing maintenance HD.

A multi-compartment physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model coupled with Fourier-ARIMA (auto regressive integrated moving average) for estimation and prediction of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) concentration in tuna.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent environmental contaminants that accumulate in aquatic organisms, posing health risks to humans through the consumption of fish and other aquatic animals. As a top predator, tuna is particularly susceptible to PCB bioaccumulation due to its position in the food chain, highlighting the importance of accurate contamination prediction. This study introduces a novel hybrid methodology that integrates a six-compartment PBPK-inspired model with a Fourier-ARIMA statistical framework to estimate and forecast PCB concentrations in tuna tissues, including blood, muscle, gill, intestine, kidney, and liver, within one year.

Unveiling barriers to maternal mental health in Pakistan: knowledge, attitudes and stigmas toward postpartum depression in social support systems.

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) poses a significant mental health concern for mothers globally. Despite a substantial prevalence, PPD often goes undetected and untreated, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Pakistan. This study assesses the knowledge and attitudes toward postpartum depression among the social support system of pregnant women in Pakistan.

Prevalence and Pattern of Cognitive Impairment in Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis.

Background Despite the rising burden of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), cognitive assessment is not routinely incorporated into dialysis care, particularly in low-resource settings. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, severity, and predictors of cognitive impairment among patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary dialysis center from December 2023 to May 2024.

Quality of Life Among Attendants/Caregivers of Dialysis Patients.

Aim And Background: Caregivers of dialysis patients often face substantial physical, psychological, and social challenges impacting their quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate caregivers' quality of life across multiple domains using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) assessment tool.

Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the Dialysis Center of Services Hospital Lahore from March to August 2024.

Beyond The Usual Suspects: Primary Breast Lymphoma Incidentally Detected With Routine Mammographic Screening.

Primary breast lymphoma (PBL) is a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, comprising less than 1% of all lymphomas and 0.5% of breast malignancies. The majority of PBL cases are of B-cell origin, with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) being the most common subtype, though follicular lymphoma (FL) also occurs.

Progress towards the 95-95-95 targets to end HIV by 2030 in Lebanon, 2023.

Background: Lebanon faces an HIV epidemic concentrated in key populations. The national AIDS programme [NAP] hosted by WHO since 1989 achieved substantial progress towards the 95-95-95 UNAIDS targets. In 2023, we reviewed the programme to guide its planned transition back into the structure of the Ministry of Health [MOH].

High-Resolution, Motion-Corrected, Volume-Fused OCT for Investigating Longitudinal Changes in Subretinal Drusenoid Deposits in Intermediate AMD.

Purpose: To demonstrate high-resolution, motion-corrected, volume-fused optical coherence tomography (OCT) for assessing longitudinal changes in macular dot form subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDDs).

Methods: Six consecutive isotropic volume raster scans over 6 × 6 mm (500 × 500 A-scans) were acquired using a high-resolution (2.7 µm axial resolution) spectral domain OCT prototype instrument.

Maternal HIV retesting during pregnancy and postpartum among high-risk populations in Kenya, South Africa, and Ukraine: Cost-effectiveness of preventing vertical transmission.

Introduction: Key populations, including female sex workers (FSW), people who inject drugs (PWID), and people in serodiscordant partnerships, experience higher HIV incidence compared to the general population. Maternal HIV retesting, particularly during late pregnancy, helps detect new infections and prevent vertical HIV transmission, but optimal testing schedules among key populations are unknown.

Methods: We used a Markov model to estimate the health and economic impacts of maternal HIV retesting on vertical HIV transmission outcomes among FSW and PWID in Kenya, South Africa, and pre-war Ukraine as well as among pregnant people in serodiscordant partnerships in Kenya and South Africa.

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder.

Aim And Background: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its individual components among treatment-naïve patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and to evaluate their association with depression severity among patients presenting to a tertiary care hospital. Understanding this relationship is essential, as coexisting MetS in patients with MDD contributes to elevated cardiovascular risk and complicates long-term psychiatric and medical outcomes.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Psychiatry, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, from January 2023 to August 2024.

Secure medical image encryption with hyperelliptic curve based S-boxes.

Two fundamental prerequisites are needed for symmetric encryption techniques. Diffusion is the first of them. Confusion is the most significant and second factor.