Gender Differences in Perception of Neurosurgery as a Career Choice in Pakistan: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND: A low neurosurgeon-to-patient ratio persists to be a problem in many developing nations including Pakistan. Concurrent gender disparities further exacerbate the challenges posed by the already limited workforce. An understanding of the perceptions of neurosurgery among female early career doctors is crucial in the evolution of the field in terms of both, workforce strength and inclusivity. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted across public and private medical schools of Pakistan. A close-ended self-administered questionnaire was employed to assess subject-reported challenges and perceptions regarding neurosurgery. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 28, and p< 0.05 was considered significant. The influence of these perceptions on the choice of neurosurgery as a career was determined by binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 387 responses received from over 45 institutions across the country, 55.6% were females and 44.4% were male respondents. Compared to men, women were more likely to opt out of neurosurgery due to fear of problems with parenting (p<0.001), absence of daycare facilities (p<0.001), lack of female role models (p=0.001), fear of gender discrimination (p<0.001), and the mental (p=0.04) and physical distress (p=0.008) associated with neurosurgery. Binary logistic regression revealed that these concerns were responsible for an increased likelihood of opting out of neurosurgery among female medical students and intern doctors. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences exist in how male and female medical students perceive neurosurgery as a career choice. Interventions including availability of day care facilities for children, creation of inclusive workplace environment, and promotion of mentorship programs catering to women can help bridge this gap and contribute to evolution of the field of neurosurgery in the developing world.

Bayesian Optimization of Low-Temperature Nonthermal Plasma Jet Sintering of Nanoinks.

In response to the escalating demand for flexible devices in applications such as wearables, sensors, and touch panels, there is a need for innovative fabrication approaches for devices made from nanomaterial-based inks. Subsequent to ink deposition, a pivotal stage in device manufacturing typically involves high-temperature sintering, posing challenges for heat-sensitive substrates. Nonthermal plasma jet sintering utilizing an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma jet enables sintering at room temperature and standard pressure, facilitating the sintering of printed nanoparticle films without compromising substrate or film surface integrity. However, determining optimal plasma jet sintering conditions can be challenging due to multiple processing variables with intricate interrelationships. This work employed Bayesian optimization (BO) and machine learning (ML) to identify optimal values for seven primary plasma jet sintering variables. Optimization yielded a 99.2% increase in the measured electrical conductivity for plasma jet-sintered indium tin oxide (ITO) films after five rounds of experiments. Moreover, the optimal sintering conditions achieved an electrical conductivity that was 81.4% of conventional furnace sintering at 300 °C, but was three times faster and with a peak substrate temperature below 47 °C. This result demonstrates the prospect of applying BO to optimize processing techniques for emerging low-temperature requirements.

RELATIONSHIP OF SERUM RESISTIN WITH INSULIN RESISTANCE AND OBESITY.

BACKGROUND: Adipokines have been implicated in the modulation of insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance and have thus gained importance in the study of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Resistin, a unique signalling molecule, is being proposed as a significant factor in the pathogenesis of obesity-related insulin resistance. However, its relevance to human diabetes mellitus remains uncertain and controversial. This study was therefore planned to compare and correlate the potential role of resistin in obese patients with T2DM and obese non-diabetic controls and also to evaluate the correlation between resistin and marker of obesity and glycaemic parameters. METHODS: Fasting serum resistin, glucose and insulin were measured in forty obese diabetics (mean±SD BMI 35±5 kg/m2) and forty obese non-diabetics (mean±SD BMI 33±3 kg/m2). Insulin resistance was assessed using the HOMA-IR formula derived from fasting insulin and glucose levels. RESULTS: Serum resistin levels (38±8 ng/ml) were significantly higher in type 2 diabetic patients as compared with the controls. Fasting blood glucose (164±46 mg/dl), serum insulin (37±7 µU/ml) and insulin resistance (19±8), were considerably higher among the studied diabetics than in the controls. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed positive correlation between serum resistin and BMI (p=0.001) and HOMA-IR (p=0.561) in diabetic subjects. Similarly, a correlation also existed between serum resistin and BMI (p=0.016) and HOMA-IR (p=0.307) in control obese subjects. However, it was highly significant in diabetics as compared to non-diabetic controls. CONCLUSION: A significant BMI-dependent association exists between resistin and insulin resistance in patients with T2DM. It appears that resistin may play a role in the pathogenesis of obesity and insulin resistance and that both of these may contribute to the development of T2DM.

Body mass index and dynamic lung volumes in office workers.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the association of body mass index (BMI) to lung volumes assessed by spirometer. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analytical study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, from February to August 2009. METHODOLOGY: Two hundred and twenty-five apparently healthy adult office workers of either gender aged > 20 years were recruited. Height and weight were measured and BMI was calculated as kg/m2. Subjects were categorized as normal (BMI=18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2); overweight (BMI=25 to 29.9 kg/m2); and obese Class 1 (BMI=30 to 34.9 kg/m2) on the basis of BMI. Lung volumes were measured by digital spirometer and were reported as percentage of predicted values for forced vital capacity (FVC%), forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1%) and ratio of FEV1 to FVC (FEV1:FVC). Groups were compared using t-test and ANOVA, correlation was assessed by Pearson's 'r'. RESULTS: Significant differences in lung volumes were found in different BMI categories. Obese subjects had significantly lower FVC% (p < 0.0001), as well as significantly lower FEV1% (p = 0.003) as compared to normal subjects. There were significant linear relationships between obesity and PFTs. BMI had significant negative linear association with FVC% in overweight (r = -0.197) and obese (r = - 0.488); and with FEV1% in obese subjects (r = -0.510). Gender and age had no significant effect on mean values of PFTs. CONCLUSION: Obese individuals in this sample had significant decline in lung volumes.

Relationship of thyroid-stimulating hormone with metabolic syndrome in a sample of euthyroid Pakistani population.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic Syndrome is a group of factors that predispose to cardiovascular diseases. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is rising rapidly. Recently, a few studies have suggested that lower thyroid function in the reference range may be associated with metabolic syndrome, but the issue remains unsettled. We aimed to elucidate the relationship between thyroid function and components of metabolic syndrome in a sample of euthyroid Pakistani population. METHODS: This analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Physiology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan, and extended over a period of 12 months. It included 100 subjects with metabolic syndrome in the study group and thirty subjects without metabolic syndrome in the control group with age ranging 45-55 years. Both groups had normal thyroid function. After a detailed history and clinical examination, fasting blood was analysed for glucose, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol along with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine. RESULTS: Serum TSH was significantly higher in study group than in control group (p = 0.040). Serum free thyroxine values of study group were slightly but not significantly lower than those of control group. Serum TSH correlated significantly and positively with serum triglycerides in all subjects and with waist circumference and diastolic blood pressure in men. Serum TSH showed a positive and linear relationship with the number of components of metabolic syndrome (p = 0.016) in all subjects. CONCLUSION: High-normal TSH is associated with metabolic syndrome and its components. There may be increased risk of cardiovascular diseases with high-normal TSH levels.