Mazhar Raja - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Mazhar Raja

Aging, Mar 28, 2022

The beneficial effects of caloric restriction (CR) against cardiac aging and for prevention of ca... more The beneficial effects of caloric restriction (CR) against cardiac aging and for prevention of cardiovascular diseases are numerous. However, to our knowledge, there is no scientific evidence about how a high-calorie diet (HCD) background influences the mechanisms underlying CR in whole heart tissue (WHT) in experimental murine models. In the current study, CR-treated mice with different alimentary backgrounds were subjected to transthoracic echocardiographic measurements. WHT was then analyzed to determine cardiac energetics, telomerase activity, the expression of energy-sensing networks, tissue-specific adiponectin, and cardiac precursor/cardiac stem cell markers. Animals with a balanced diet consumption before CR presented marked cardiac remodeling with improved ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS), enhanced OXPHOS complex I, III, and IV, and CKMT2 enzymatic activity. Mice fed an HCD before CR presented moderate changes in cardiac geometry with diminished EF and FS values, but improved OXPHOS complex IV and CKMT2 activity. Differences in cardiac remodeling, left ventricular systolic/diastolic performance, and mitochondrial energetics, found in the CR-treated mice with contrasting alimentary backgrounds, were corroborated by inconsistencies in the expression of mitochondrial-biogenesis-related markers and associated regulatory networks. In particular, disruption of eNOS and AMPK-PGC-1α-mTOR-related axes. The impact of a past habit of caloric overload on the effects of CR in the WHT is a scarcely explored subject that requires deeper study in combination with analyses of other tissues and organs at higher levels of organization within the organ system. Such research will eventually lead to the development of preventative and therapeutic strategies to promote health and longevity.

Socio-economic and psychological impact of skin complexion on female segment of Pakistan

Aging, 2021

The beneficial effects of calorie restriction (CR) are numerous. However, there is no scientific ... more The beneficial effects of calorie restriction (CR) are numerous. However, there is no scientific evidence about how a high-calorie diet (HCD) background influences the mechanisms underlying CR on skeletal muscles in an experimental mouse model. Herein we present empirical evidence showing significant interactions between HCD (4 months) and CR (3 months). Pectoralis major and quadriceps femoris vastus medialis, in the experimental and control groups, displayed metabolic and physiologic heterogeneity and remarkable plasticity, according to the dietary interventions. HCD-CR not only altered genetic activation patterns of satellite SC markers but also boosted the expression of myogenic regulatory factors and key activators of mitochondrial biogenesis, which in turn were also associated with metabolic fiber transition. Our data prompt us to theorize that the effects of CR may vary according to the physiologic, metabolic, and genetic peculiarities of the skeletal muscle described here and that INTM/IM lipid infiltration and tissue-specific fuel-energy status (demand/supply) both hold dependent-interacting roles with other key anti-aging mechanisms triggered by CR. Systematic integration of an HCD with CR appears to bring potential benefits for skeletal muscle function and energy metabolism. However, at this stage of our research, an optimal balance between the two dietary conditions, where anti-aging effects can be accomplished, is under intensive investigation in combination with other tissues and organs at different levels of organization within the organ system.

Day Surgery is fast becoming an option for Surgeons when admitting Emergency/Trauma patients who ... more Day Surgery is fast becoming an option for Surgeons when admitting Emergency/Trauma patients who require surgical intervention. By developing a pathway for this process, patient satisfaction may be improved, and there may be more efficient planning of Emergency/ Trauma lists with a reduction in length of stay. Following a retrospective audit, identifying potential patients who would have been suitable for emergency day surgery, a new trauma pathway was implemented in Withybush Hospital, a small district hospital in West Wales.

International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2021

Purpose: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinopathies affecting wo... more Purpose: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinopathies affecting women of reproductive age and leads to metabolic disorders and infertility. The present study was conducted to investigate the therapeutic effects of curcumin (Cur) encapsulated arginine (Arg) and N-acetyl histidine (NAcHis) modified chitosan (Arg-CS-NAcHis /Cur) nanoparticles (NPs). Methods: In this study, amphiphilic chitosan (CS) conjugate was developed by modification with hydrophilic arginine (Arg) and hydrophobic N-acetyl histidine (NAcHis) group (Arg-CS-NAcHis). The synthesized conjugate was well characterized by FTIR and NMR studies. Self-assembled nanoparticles based on the synthesized conjugate were developed by simple sonication method and characterized for the physicochemical properties of zeta potential, particle size and drug encapsulation. Next, in vitro drug release, cytotoxicity, and cellular uptake studies of the NPs were evaluated. Finally, the developed nanoparticles were examined for their therapeutic potential against estradiol valerate (EV) induced PCOS rats by evaluating hormone level changes and ovarian morphology. Results: The results showed that zeta potential of the nanoparticles was 39.8±2.52 mV and the average size was 200 nm. The in vitro drug release profile showed sustained release pattern. Cytotoxicity and cellular uptake studies also showed preferential effectiveness than free curcumin. Both the biochemical and histopathological studies showed positive effects in reverting the symptoms of PCOS rats to normalcy. Conclusion: Curcumin encapsulated arginine and N-acetyl histidine modified chitosan (Arg-CS-NAcHis/Cur) nanoparticles have been successfully developed. The present study suggested that treatment of the nanoparticles might reverse many of the PCOS symptoms. Therefore, these nanoparticles might be used as promising new candidate for delivery of curcumin to treat PCOS.

Advances in Water Purification Techniques, 2019

Abstract Water contamination by micropollutants, such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal... more Abstract Water contamination by micropollutants, such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), surfactants, plasticizers, and pathogens is a global issue of immense attention, owing to the frequency of incidences of waterborne diseases, including human deaths. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs, e.g., photolysis, photochemical, photocatalysis, cavitation, and electrochemical processes), advanced reduction processes (ARPs, e.g., UV/sulfite process), or combined advanced oxidation/reduction processes (AO/RPs, e.g., electron beam and gamma radiation), have emerged to be very promising for the degradation of micropollutants. This review describes the fundamentals of AOPs, ARPs, or combined AO/RPs for water decontamination. Factors affecting the efficiency of AO/RPs, including solution pHs, initial concentrations of pollutant, the presence of natural organic matter and inorganic ions, dissolved oxygen, oxidant concentrations and catalyst loadings, dose rates, and wavelength and intensity of light, are discussed. The mechanisms of pollutant degradation by AO/RPs are described. Recent advances, current challenges and future opportunities in the field of AO/RPs are addressed. Pilot-plant studies and full-scale extension of AO/RPs toward water purification are also discussed, considering practical applications. Cost comparison of various AO/RPs is also made according to the data provided by various suppliers. It is concluded that AO/RPs are promising in the decontamination of water, especially for selected applications.

NUST Journal of International Peace & Stability, 2020

Mohammad ElBaradei, an Egyptian born Lawyer, has been the Director-General of International Atomi... more Mohammad ElBaradei, an Egyptian born Lawyer, has been the Director-General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1997 to 2009. A Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and longest-serving Director General, who got the honour of becoming Director General Emeritus of the agency towards the end of his service. His failed bid to become the president of Egypt after Hosni Mubarak brought him back in the news during the Arab Spring of 2011. His tenure as a Director-General was one of the most happening times of world nuclear era. Cold War had ended, and the risks of proliferation had grown considerably. Revelations about multiple nations ambitious to lay their hands on nuclear energy, both for peaceful as well as weapon purposes were increasing rapidly. The book is a compelling account of chronological events and challenges faced by IAEA during his tenure.

Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 2020

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the outcome of upper respiratory tract infect... more Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the outcome of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) in healthy children. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on 314 children aged 3-36 months in the paediatric outpatient clinic and emergency department with symptoms of URTI (fever, cough, rhinorrhoea) for ≤5 days. Patient’s demographics, clinical features, laboratory data and outcome were recorded. Follow up phone calls were made to parents on day 7 (response 93.6%) and day 14 (response 94.6%) to record outcome. Results: A total of 314 children with URTIs were included. Majority (57.6%) were males and <1year of age (40%). Common manifestations of URTI were fever (89%), cough (79%), rhinorrhoea (62%), pharyngitis (79%) and conjunctivitis (46%). More than half (53%) had history of contact with URTI in a family member. Mean duration of symptoms was 2.7±1.3 days. Majority (93%) of children were given supportive treatment and only 6.7% received antibiotics initially. ...

BMJ Case Reports, 2020

A 60-year-old woman was presented in emergency department with abdominal pain and vomiting for 1 ... more A 60-year-old woman was presented in emergency department with abdominal pain and vomiting for 1 day. She was known to have seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. Importantly, she was treated surgically for complex jejunal atresia and duplication surgery, when she was 6 days old. CT scan showed intestinal obstruction secondary to intussception. Patient had lapartomy and operative findings revealed side-to-side anastomosis with gut duplication 10 cm distal to duodenal jejunum junction (due to her previous surgery during infancy). Redundant part of the loop dilated up to 300 mL with large hard stone (4×3.5 cm) was excised. Patient recovered well postoperatively and was discharged to go home. To our knowledge, this is the first case report to show formation of large stone 60 years after surgical treatment of complex jejunal atresia and duplication surgery in infancy.

BMJ case reports, Jan 6, 2017

Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical emergency worldwide. However, it can still present... more Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical emergency worldwide. However, it can still present a challenging diagnosis especially in the young, elderly and those individuals of reproductive age, thus encompassing a wide spectrum of varied clinical presentations. Parasitic infections of the appendix are a rare cause of acute appendicitis. However, they must be considered in children presenting with abdominal pain. We report a case of Enterobius vermicularis infestation mimicking the features of acute appendicitis in a 10-year-old girl. This case is a cautionary reminder of the importance of considering E. vermicularis infestation in children presenting with abdominal pain, but who do not have a significantly raised white cell count or high Alvarado scores. A history of anal pruritus is the most characteristic symptom, but the parasites can cause severe abdominal pain mimicking appendicitis. Prompt recognition and a high clinical index of suspicion are required to prevent an unnece...

Journal of Current Surgery, 2017

Background: Acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergencies. Accurate diagnosis... more Background: Acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergencies. Accurate diagnosis of acute appendicitis is based on careful history, physical examination, laboratory and imaging findings. The aim of this study was to analyze the role of C-reactive protein (CRP) in improving the accuracy of diagnosis of acute appendicitis and to compare it with the histopathology findings. Methods: A retrospective study of 100 patients aged between 7 and 69 years who presented to the A&E in 2013-2014, in whom the diagnosis of appendicitis was the attending physician's primary consideration, was conducted. Measures included age, gender, initial CRP counts, and discharge diagnosis. Based on histology, appendicitis was classified as simple (inflammation) or complicated suppurative, gangrenous, necrotizing perforation. Results: Out of 100 patients, 32% were classified as an inflamed appendicitis. Of the patients, 34% were shown to have suppurative appendicitis, 17% gangrenous, 13% perforated, and 5% necrotizing. Very high CRP is likely to be associated with necrotizing appendicitis, while CRP of 40 or more can be associated with suppurative or inflammatory one. CRP more than 100 and less than 150 may suggest possible perforated or gangrenous appendicitis. Conclusion: Our data provided provisional evidence that very high CRP may be related to necrotizing appendicitis, while CRP above 40 mg/L may suggest suppurative or inflammatory appendicitis.

International journal of biological macromolecules, Jan 6, 2016

The primary constraints for efficient oral delivery of anticancer drugs include the efflux pump f... more The primary constraints for efficient oral delivery of anticancer drugs include the efflux pump function of the multidrug transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) for anticancer drugs and the barriers to drug absorption in gastrointestinal (GI) tract. To improve bypassing P-gp drug efflux pumps and oral bioavailability of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX), Multilayer micro-dispersing system (MMS) was constructed by co-immobilization of DOX loaded chitosan/carboxymethyl chitosan nanogels (DOX:CS/CMCS-NGs), along with quercetin (Qu) in the core of multilayer sodium alginate beads (DOX:NGs/Qu-M-ALG-Beads). The obtained DOX:NGs/Qu-M-ALG-Beads possessed layer-by-layer structure and porous core with many nanoscale particles. The swelling characteristic and drug release results indicated that DOX:NGs/Qu-M-ALG-Beads exhibited favorable gastric acid tolerance and targeting release of intact DOX:CS/CMCS-NGs and Qu in small intestine. After oral administration of DOX:NGs/Qu-M-ALG-Beads in rats, DOX was...

Saudi Medical Journal, May 1, 2010

One in 1000 cancers occur during pregnancy. Epithelial tumors of the appendix occur in approximat... more One in 1000 cancers occur during pregnancy. Epithelial tumors of the appendix occur in approximately 1% of all colorectal tumors, and the occurrence of this neoplasm during pregnancy is extremely rare. We report an unusual case of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) in a 41-year-old full-term pregnant woman. Cesarean section was carried out, and the abdomen was found to contain an appendiceal mucinous tumor with large volume PMP. This case illustrates the incidental nature of the disease and its occurrence in a pregnant woman with no clinical features during the antenatal period. A review of recent literature is also documented. Pseudomyxoma peritonei is commonly discovered during surgery for other conditions, and a high index of suspicion is required to make a diagnosis. Diagnostic modalities such as ultrasound, CT, and MRI can provide some evidence for PMP, but the definitive diagnosis is only made laparoscopically or by exploratory laparotomy.

Journal of biomaterials applications, Jul 24, 2016

Phenylalanine ethyl ester (PAE)-alginate (Alg) conjugate (PAE-Alg, PEA) was synthesized and forma... more Phenylalanine ethyl ester (PAE)-alginate (Alg) conjugate (PAE-Alg, PEA) was synthesized and formation of an amide bond between PAE and Alg was confirmed by Fourier transformed-infrared and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The degree of PAE substitution was 3.5-4.7 (PAE group per hundred sugar residues of Alg) which was determined by elemental analysis. The critical aggregation concentration values determined for PEA conjugates PEA1, PEA2, and PEA3 were 0.20, 0.12, and 0.10 mg/ml, respectively. The particle size of PEA nanoparticles (PEA-NPs) decreased from 425 nm to 226 nm with the increasing degree of PAE substitution. Vitamin B2 (VB2), as a model nutrient, was encapsulated into the nanoparticles. The drug-loading content increased with increasing degree of PAE substitution. The maximum VB2 loading capacity and loading efficiency of PEA3 nanoparticles were 3.53 ± 0.03% and 91.48 ± 0.80%, respectively. The in vitro release behavior of VB2 from the PEA-NPs showed a bipha...

Journal of surgical case reports, 2015

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are rare. GISTs comprise 0.2% of gastrointestinal tumour... more Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are rare. GISTs comprise 0.2% of gastrointestinal tumours and only 0.04% of small intestinal tumours. Jejunal GISTs are the rarest subtype. Only 10-30% progress to malignancy [Choi (Response evaluation of gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Oncologist 2008; 13: :4-7)]. We present a 70-year-old male, with multiple co-morbidities, who had extensive investigations over 5 years for vague abdominal pain. All investigations were normal. He presented with symptoms and signs of small bowel obstruction (SBO), confirmed on a computed tomography scan and demonstrated to be secondary to lesion-induced intussusception. The patient had emergency small bowel resection, was discharged after 4 days and remains well. This case report highlights the rarity of jejunal GISTs and, as extensive initial investigation yielded all false-negative results, indicates the difficulty in diagnosing jejunal GISTs. Adhesions are the commonest cause of SBO in patients with previo...

JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 2012

Anomalous origin of left coronary artery from pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare congenital card... more Anomalous origin of left coronary artery from pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare congenital cardiovascular anomaly which presents in early infancy with congestive cardiac failure, sometimes precipitated by inter current respiratory tract infections. We report a case of an eight week old baby boy, with a short history of cough, difficulty in breathing, marked tachycardia and signs of respiratory distress. He was managed for bronchiolitis but eight hours later had major desaturation during feeding which needed intubation and mechanical ventilation. He improved over the next few hours and self extubated but after 12 hours needed reintubation and ventilation following a similar event of desaturation as observed previously. The chest x ray revealed cardiomegaly and diuretics were added in the on going management and he was gradually weaned off from the ventilator. The echocardiography examination revealed ALCAPA, resulting in myocardial ischaemia. Surgical revascularization was performe...

Introduction: Colour discrimination privileges light-skinned people over dark in areas such as in... more Introduction: Colour discrimination privileges light-skinned people over dark in areas such as income, level of confidence, education, housing and the marriage market.

Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 1995

Limitations of local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) technology are cause for concern in submicromet... more Limitations of local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) technology are cause for concern in submicrometer device technology, mostly because of the lateral encroachment of the field oxide in the active areas of the device. Trench isolation technology appears to offer solutions to this intricate problem. Computer simulations and experiments have been performed to develop a new trench isolation process. Polysilicon-filled trenches have been planarized using a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process. SEM and TEM cross-sectional analyses of post-planarized trenches showed complete planarization of the surface. The dishing of the trench area was characterized using surface profilometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM). This was found to be in the range 300-700 A with an average surface roughness of 38 A. Defect characterization using TEM, and thermal activation at 900~ for 1 h followed by Schimmel etching (HF:DI water:CrQ) showed no visible defects on the wafer surface. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) of post-CMP wafers showed that CMP is not at all harmful in trench isolation from a contamination point of view.