Clinical evaluation of a mobile, low-cost system for fluorescence guided photodynamic therapy of early oral cancer in India.

Background: Morbidity and mortality due to oral cancer in India are exacerbated by a lack of access to effective treatments amongst medically underserved populations. We developed a user-friendly low-cost, portable fibre-coupled LED system for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of early oral lesions, using a smartphone fluorescence imaging device for treatment guidance, and 3D printed fibreoptic attachments for ergonomic intraoral light delivery.

Methods: 30 patients with TNM buccal mucosal cancer were recruited from the JN Medical College clinics, Aligarh, and rural screening camps.

Neurotoxicity: A Rare Side Effect of Programmed Cell Death 1 (PD-1) Inhibitors.

Immunotherapy is a biological therapy that helps the body's immune system to fight against cancer cells. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first immune checkpoint inhibitor in 2011. Since 2011, many immune checkpoint inhibitors have been approved.

Cardiac Myosin Activation in the Treatment of Congestive Heart Failure: New Therapeutic Options and Review of Literature.

Congestive heart failure (HF) remains a major cause of cardiac-related morbidity and mortality, despite major therapeutic advancements. A newer class of medications has recently been developed which targets the root cause of HF, which is reduced myocardial contractility. This article aims to highlight the cardiac myosin activator class of drugs and the trials to date highlighting their effects on HF outcomes.

Use of sulforaphane in COVID-19: Clinical trials are needed.

We read with interest the narrative review authored by Kiser et al. (2021), which discussed extensively the antioxidant effect and anti-inflammatory effect of sulforaphane, a dietary supplement found in high amounts in cruciferous vegetables that ais orally accessible and well-tolerated. Notably, in their review, the authors also discussed the potential use of sulforaphane in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Trends in per Capita Food and Protein Availability at the National Level of the Southeast Asian Countries: An Analysis of the FAO's Food Balance Sheet Data from 1961 to 2018.

We aimed to analyze the temporal trends in the per capita food (kcal/day/person) and protein (g/day/person) availability at the national level in the Southeast Asian (SEA) countries from 1961 to 2018. To avoid intercountry variations and errors, we used a dataset derived from the FAO's old and new food balance sheets. We used the joinpoint model and the jump model to analyze the temporal trends.

The symptom burden of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in tertiary care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruption to healthcare services worldwide with well-documented detrimental effects on mental health. Patients with refractory disorders of gut-brain interaction such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) seen in tertiary care tend to exhibit higher levels of psychological comorbidity, but the impact of the pandemic on IBS symptom severity in tertiary care is unknown.

Methods: As part of routine clinical care, consecutive tertiary referrals with refractory IBS patients prospectively completed a series of baseline questionnaires including IBS symptom severity score (IBS-SSS), non-colonic symptom score, Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD), and Illness impact scores.

The effects of Ginsenosides on PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Ginsenosides belong to a group of steroid glycosides that are extracted from the plant genus Panax (ginseng). This plant has been used for a long time for the treatment of a variety of disorders in traditional medicine. Recent studies have assessed the biological impact of Ginsenosides in cell culture or animal models.

Hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome: patient expectations and perceptions.

Introduction: Numerous studies have shown that hypnotherapy (HT) is effective in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using traditional symptom severity end points. However, there is now interest in capturing the patient's perception of their illness and treatment because what patients expect from their treatment may differ from that of their healthcare provider.

Objective: To record patient perceptions and expectations of hypnotherapy as well as their symptom response.

Metformin-based single pill drug combinations for type 2 diabetes in primary care England: A time trend analysis.

Aims: There has been an increase in prescribing and costs of oral hypoglycaemic agents in England and other countries. This study aims to investigate the trends in prescriptions, costs, and adverse events of metformin and metformin-based single pill drug combinations from 2015 to 2020 and explore why changes in use or cost are occurring.

Methods: Prescriptions and costs data from Prescription Cost Analysis database and Interactive Drug Analysis Profiles presenting all suspected ADRs reported for each drug were examined.

Dural Convexity Chondroma Mimicking Meningioma in a Young Female.

Intracranial meningeal convexity chondroma is a rare benign lesion hypothesized to stem from remnant chondrocyte precursors of embryonic origin. This lesion often masquerades as meningioma given the similar dural-based attachment and pattern of calcification. We describe the case of a 26-year-old female with incidentally discovered convexity meningeal chondroma, originally presumed to be a meningioma.

The effectiveness of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 caused by Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Meta-analyses were utilized to determine the overall effectiveness of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (Pfizer vaccine) against COVID-19 caused by Delta variant from large real-world studies. A systematic literature search with no language restriction was performed in electronic databases to identify eligible observational studies that reported the effectiveness of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine to prevent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed COVID-19 caused by Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.

Understanding The Rare Bone Tumor "ADAMANTINOMA".

Adamantinoma is a rare neoplastic bone tumor that has the potential to metastasize. The classic presentation is in the tibial region however; cases involving other bones of the body have been noticed. The tumour is very likely to be mistaken for other bone diseases and therefore it is important to investigate and study about its nature and thus differentiate it from other differentials.

Perception, Attitude, and Confidence of Physicians About Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Prescribing Among COVID-19 Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study From Punjab, Pakistan.

Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could experience multiple coinfections, and judicial antimicrobials, including antibiotics, is paramount to treat these coinfections. This study evaluated physicians' perception, attitude, and confidence about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial prescribing in patients with COVID-19. A self-administered and validated online questionnaire comprised of six sections was disseminated among physicians working in public sector hospitals in Punjab, Pakistan, using the convenience sampling method from April to May 2021.

Potential applications and performance of machine learning techniques and algorithms in clinical practice: A systematic review.

Purpose: The advent of clinically adapted machine learning algorithms can solve numerous problems ranging from disease diagnosis and prognosis to therapy recommendations. This systematic review examines the performance of machine learning (ML) algorithms and evaluates the progress made to date towards their implementation in clinical practice.

Methods: Systematic searching of databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and WHO Covid-19 database) to identify original articles published between January 2011 and October 2021.

The effectiveness of mRNA-1273 vaccine against COVID-19 caused by Delta variant: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

We aimed to perform meta-analyses to summarize the overall effectiveness of the mRNA-1273 vaccine against COVID-19 caused by the Delta variant from real-world studies. A systematic literature search with no language restriction was performed in electronic databases to identify eligible observational studies that reported the effectiveness of the mRNA-1273 vaccine to prevent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed COVID-19 caused by Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.

Pattern of medication utilization in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in three District Headquarters Hospitals in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

Purpose: In Pakistan, a wide range of repurposed drugs are recommended to manage hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Therefore, the current study was conducted to evaluate the pattern of utilization of repurposed drugs and other potential therapeutic options among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Pakistan.

Methods: This retrospective, multicenter, descriptive study enrolled consecutive hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who were admitted between March 1, 2021, and April 30, 2021, from three District Headquarter Hospitals in the Punjab province of Pakistan.

The effect of colchicine on mortality outcome and duration of hospital stay in patients with COVID-19: A meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Background: Overactivation of the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome can lead to severe illness in patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). The NLRP3 inhibitor, colchicine, therefore, appears to be promising for the treatment of COVID-19.

Aims: We aimed to perform a meta-analysis of randomized trials investigating the effect of colchicine in patients with COVID-19.

Multimodal Label-Free Monitoring of Adipogenic Stem Cell Differentiation Using Endogenous Optical Biomarkers.

Stem cell-based therapies carry significant promise for treating human diseases. However, clinical translation of stem cell transplants for effective treatment requires precise non-destructive evaluation of the purity of stem cells with high sensitivity (<0.001% of the number of cells).

Gut-focused hypnotherapy for children and adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome.

Objective: Severe irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in school children and adolescents often leads to stigmatisation, social withdrawal, disrupted education and psychological distress. While there are few effective treatment options for IBS in this age group, gut-focused hypnotherapy (GFH) has shown promise in several trials. Unfortunately, GFH is not widely available, and clinical data outside of trials are scarce.