Hamza Arshad | St George's, University of London (original) (raw)

Papers by Hamza Arshad

Blood

Introduction: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is defined as the cancer of squamous epithelium lini... more Introduction: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is defined as the cancer of squamous epithelium lining nasopharynx. The single most common culprit of undifferentiated NPC is the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Recurrent local-regional or metastatic NPC cannot be treated with repeated chemo-radiotherapy because of poor overall survival and profound effect of these therapies on quality of life. One safer approach is immunotherapy with autologous EBV specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (EBV-CTLS) targeted to the EBV antigens EBNA1, latent membrane protein LMP1, and LMP2 expressed by most NPC tumors. This study aims to review the efficacy and toxicity of adoptive immunotherapy with EBV-CTLS in patients with EBV induced NPC. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Web of Science was performed for adoptive immunotherapy in EBV induced NPC patients from inception to May 28, 2020. Out of 604 studies, 07 phase I and II clinical trials were selected for the systematic revi...

Long-duration deep space missions pose a significant health risk for both humans and their reside... more Long-duration deep space missions pose a significant health risk for both humans and their resident microorganisms. The GeneSat, PharmaSat and O/OREOS missions have previously explored biological questions regarding the effects of spaceflight on S. cerevisiase, B.subtilis, and E. coli. However, there currently exists both a knowledge and an accessibility gap in small satellite biological experiments. These payloads require precise instrumentation and complex platforms that are usually reserved for large research organizations. This makes it difficult for smaller organizations to perform biological research in low Earth orbit (LEO). To address these challenges, the University of Toronto Aerospace Team (UTAT) Space Systems Division is currently developing the HERON CubeSat. HERON houses a payload platform which measures the effects of the LEO environment on the gene expression and drug resistance of Candida albicans, a yeast commonly found in the human gut microbiome. Previous researc...

Aim: This research aims at categorizing the different types of lung cancer in patient population ... more Aim: This research aims at categorizing the different types of lung cancer in patient population unique to Pakistan and providing an insight in the occurrence of various histological subtypes relative to the patient’s smoking status. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Study setting and duration: February to June 2015 at four major hospitals of Lahore Methods: All diagnosed cases of lung cancer presenting between January 2013 to December 2014 were considered eligible for the study. A questionnaire regarding smoking status, particulars of the disease and risk factors was filled either by accessing patient records or contacting the patient/next of kin. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM's SPSS, version 24.0. Results: 229 patients were considered eligible for the study. The study population consisted of 84.3% males and 15.7% females. Univariate analyses showed that the non-smokers were more likely to have adenocarcinoma (63.6%) vs. 28.8% for ever-smokers. Small cell lun...

Rawal Medical Journal, 2020

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of certain microorganisms in urine and their antibiotic sen... more Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of certain microorganisms in urine and their antibiotic sensitivities. Methodology: This retrospective descriptive study was done collecting data from records of Chughtai Lab between May 2016 and March 2018 from their branch near Mayo Hospital, Lahore. By convenience sampling, only those 290 out of total 722 reports of urine culture and sensitivity were included, which yielded at least one microorganism. All age groups and genders were included. All negative reports were excluded. Results: Mean age of patients was 59.49years (range 1-90). A total of 290 reports yielded 319 microorganisms among which 29 reports showed two organisms each. Candida spp. co-existed in 26 cases. E.coli was found to be the most prevalent organism; 181/319 (56.74%), followed by Enterococcus faecalis; 58/319 (18.18%). Most active antibiotics against gram positive organisms were; Linezolid (100%, n=58), Doxycycline (96.55%, n=58), Vancomycin (91.22%, n=57) and Nitrofurant...

Journal of Mechanical Design

With the availability of cloud-based software, ubiquitous internet, and advanced digital modeling... more With the availability of cloud-based software, ubiquitous internet, and advanced digital modeling capabilities, a new potential has emerged to design physical products with methods previously embraced by the software engineering community. One such example is pair programming, where two coders work together synchronously to develop one piece of code. Pair programming has been shown to lead to higher-quality code and user satisfaction. Cutting-edge collaborative computer-aided design (CAD) technology affords the possibility to apply synchronous collaborative access in mechanical design. We test the generalizability of findings from the pair programming literature to the same dyadic configuration of work in CAD, which we call pair CAD. We performed human subject experiments with 60 participants to test three working styles: individuals working by themselves, pairs sharing control of one model instance and input, and pairs able to edit the same model simultaneously from two inputs. We ...

Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science

The Lancet

Background Tranexamic acid reduces surgical bleeding and reduces death due to bleeding in patient... more Background Tranexamic acid reduces surgical bleeding and reduces death due to bleeding in patients with trauma. Meta-analyses of small trials show that tranexamic acid might decrease deaths from gastrointestinal bleeding. We aimed to assess the effects of tranexamic acid in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Methods We did an international, multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 164 hospitals in 15 countries. Patients were enrolled if the responsible clinician was uncertain whether to use tranexamic acid, were aged above the minimum age considered an adult in their country (either aged 16 years and older or aged 18 years and older), and had significant (defined as at risk of bleeding to death) upper or lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients were randomly assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Patients received either a loading dose of 1 g tranexamic acid, which was added to 100 mL infusion bag of 0•9% sodium chloride and infused by slow intravenous injection over 10 min, followed by a maintenance dose of 3 g tranexamic acid added to 1 L of any isotonic intravenous solution and infused at 125 mg/h for 24 h, or placebo (sodium chloride 0•9%). Patients, caregivers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. The primary outcome was death due to bleeding within 5 days of randomisation; analysis excluded patients who received neither dose of the allocated treatment and those for whom outcome data on death were unavailable. This trial was registered with Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN11225767, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01658124.

Solar Energy

Abstract Indoor solar cells have a prospective to influence the ecology of the Internet of Things... more Abstract Indoor solar cells have a prospective to influence the ecology of the Internet of Things (IoTs), containing communication devices, actuators, remote, and distributed sensors. Smart IoT sensors have the potential of performing control functions and mass monitoring, which leads to modernize the industrial and domestic automation systems. These sensor devices necessitate exceptionally less electrical power in several applications, and it will be remarkable if they could be driven by an indoor power gathering system. The technology of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell has engraved a significant space in the field of photovoltaics due to its various distinctive merits like relatively cheap methods of fabrication, roll-to-roll compatibility, using readily available materials and easy processing ability on the flexible substrates. Multi-colored, semi-transparent dye solar cells/panels also exhibit exceptional performance in indoor/artificial light, consequently streamlining the stage for the indoor light-harvesting and self-power the applications of IoTs. The objective of this review is to emphasize applications of DSSCs for IoTs, factors affecting the performance, and challenges in their commercialization. This paper consists of four parts. The first part will explain the importance of solar energy and the merits of photovoltaic technology over other technologies. The second part will describe the evolution of DSSC from the laboratory to commercialization. The potential of DSSCs for IoT applications will be discussed in the third part. Finally, challenges and future outlook will be discussed in the last part of this literature.

Cogent Economics & Finance

International Journal of Asian Social Science

Pakistan and China share a long lasting cordial relationship. To extend this relationship a free ... more Pakistan and China share a long lasting cordial relationship. To extend this relationship a free trade agreement (FTA) was signed in 2006 which came into effect in 2007. This study examined the impact of this FTA on patterns of goods traded by both nations. Before-After analysis reveals that the trade patterns have improved generally (Pakistan exports as well as imports from China have increased) but the trade deficit of Pakistan has also increased; the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) and SWOT analysis shows that there is a difference in goods traded by both countries in world markets and bilaterally except the top ranked products. Conversely, Pakistan's GDP does not have much influence on its exports to China. Therefore, in present conditions, Pakistan benefits more from the bilateral trade because its' exports to China are positively correlated with China's GDP, which is growing faster than Pakistan's GDP.

Asian Economic and Financial Review, 2016

The interaction of nations shaped by their bilateral ties and the multilateral associations in th... more The interaction of nations shaped by their bilateral ties and the multilateral associations in the shape of triangles demonstrates an opportunity to acknowledge some interesting and motivating dynamics of the existing international trade relations among nations. This study on Pakistan-Association of Southeast Asian Nations-China Free Trade Agreement is an effort to highlight the potentials of the structure of this triangle and opportunities for Pakistan. The analysis shows Pakistan trade with China and ASEAN countries is rapidly growing in recent years but exports are still in lacking position. China-Pakistan Economics Corridor totally favorable for Pakistan and it will create more opportunities and long terms benefits for Pakistan. FTA with ASEAN is really potential from which Pakistan can get advantage in various areas to make cooperation such as trade and industry, environment, investment, science and technology, narcotics control, information technology, agriculture, education, tourism and human resource development. Pakistan and ASEAN countries share familiar aspirations for peace, development and prosperity of the region: therefore, it will be great if both parties can cooperate on a larger scale to benefit from each other.

Journal of economics and sustainable development, 2015