Background: Osteoporosis is a major global health concern, affecting over 200 million individuals worldwide. Although numerous clinical and experimental studies exist, comprehensive analyses integrating fracture-related and drug-specific research remain limited. Examining global research trends can highlight evolving themes, key contributors, and areas requiring scientific attention. Methods: We performed a bibliometric analysis of literature on osteoporosis and fractures, including drug-specific terms (denosumab, romosozumab, teriparatide), published between 2015 and 2025 in the Scopus Core Collection. Data were assessed for publication trends, authorship, institutional output, international collaboration, and thematic evolution using Bibliometrix-Biblioshiny in RStudio. Network analyses included co-authorship and keyword co-occurrence mapping for both quantitative and qualitative insights. Results: From 4,450 articles, annual output showed steady growth, peaking between 2021 and 2024. The United States, Japan, and China led in publication volume and citation impact, while Osteoporosis International was the most productive journal. Citation averages declined recently due to lag in newer publications. Thematic mapping identified pharmacological therapies such as denosumab and teriparatide as core themes, while “fracture prevention” and “DXA-based assessment” emerged as active research fronts. International collaboration decreased after 2020, particularly affecting contributions from low- and middle-income countries. Conclusions Global osteoporosis research demonstrates sustained productivity but declining collaboration and limited thematic diversification. Strengthening international networks, supporting underrepresented regions, and expanding focus to preventive and non-pharmacological strategies are essential for equitable and impactful progress.

Enterococcus species are Gram-positive cocci normally found in the gut but have emerged as opportunistic pathogens in healthcare settings, with rising multidrug resistance, particularly vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) posing major therapeutic challenges. This study evaluated the antibacterial and synergistic effects of plant-derived stilbenes from Reynoutria japonica against clinical VRE isolates. Ten clinical Enterococcus faecalis isolates were identified using standard morphological, biochemical, and Gram-staining methods, and antibiotic susceptibility testing. The antibacterial activity of polydatin, resveratroloside, and trans-resveratrol was assessed by agar well diffusion, and evaluation of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and evaluation of bactericidal activity concentrations (MBCs), with synergistic effects tested in combination with vancomycin.Molecular docking was performed with DapF, vanA, and gelE proteins. All isolates were resistant to vancomycin, ampicillin, imipenem, gentamicin, and ciprofloxacin but sensitive to linezolid. All three stilbenes displayed antibacterial activity. Notably, trans-resveratrol was the most active compound, with a MIC value of 0.156 mM and bactericidal activity (an MBC value equal to the MIC). Furthermore, all compounds exhibited synergistic effects when combined with vancomycin. Phytochemical analysis confirmed these stilbenes as major constituents in the root extract of R. japonica. Molecular docking studies revealed strong binding affinities of the compounds to key virulence and resistance-associated proteins (DapF, VanA, and GelE). These results indicate that transresveratrol and related stilbenes are promising candidates for development as alternative or adjunct therapeutic agents against VRE infections. Additionally, this study substantiates the traditional use of R. japonica as a source of bioactive antimicrobial compounds.

Pakistan is at intersection of hyperendemic regions for hydatidosis. Current study aimed to determine the prevalence of hydatid cysts and cyst characteristics in different intermediate hosts (sheep, goats, cattle and buffaloes) across the 4 provinces of Pakistan. A total of 991 sheep, 1,478 goats, 1,602 cattle and 1,343 buffaloes were examined for presence of hydatid cysts during 2 years (January 2016-December 2018). Differences in frequency of hydatidosis were observed with highest overall prevalence in buffaloes (11.9%) and sheep (11.5%). Highest prevalence and burden of infection were observed in older age animals (23.8%, 9.78±0.49) and females (26.5%, 12.53±0.67). Data for seasonal prevalence alluded to year-round presence of disease with non-significant statistical difference. Organ predilection indicated liver as the most preferred site of cyst localization followed mainly by lungs. An over-dispersion pattern was observed in all infected animals as majority of cysts belonged <10 cysts per infected host category. Highest percentage of fertile cysts was observed in liver of sheep. Interestingly, solitary form of cysts had higher fertility rate than multiple form. Amid lack of data and wide gap of knowledge, this study would try to fill up the lacunae regarding this neglected tropical disease. Extensive rearing of livestock, unregulated official slaughter and home slaughtering have played role in adaptability of E. granulosus in Pakistan.

PURPOSE: The MammaPrint™ gene signature, currently used in clinical practice, provides prognostic information regarding the recurrence and potential metastasis in breast cancer patients. However, the prognostic information of the 70 genes included can only be estimated at the RNA expression level. In this study, we investigated whether copy number information of MammaPrint™ genes at the DNA level can be used as a prognostic tool for breast cancer, as copy number variations (CNVs) are major contributors to cancer progression. METHODS: We performed CNV profiling of MammaPrint™ genes in 59 breast cancer cell lines and 650 breast cancer patients, using publicly available data in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Statistical analyses including Fisher exact test, chi-square test, and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed. RESULTS: All MammaPrint™ genes showed recurrent CNVs, particularly in TCGA cohort. CNVs of 32 and 36 genes showed significant associations with progesterone receptor and estrogen rector, respectively. No genes showed a significant association with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status and lymph node status. In addition, only six genes were associated with tumor stages. RFC4, HRASLS, NMU, GPR126, SCUBE2, C20orf46, and EBF4 were associated with reduced survival and RASSF7 and ESM1 were associated with reduced disease-free survival. CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, a concordance of CNV-based genomic rearrangement with expression profiling of these genes and their putative roles in disease tumorigenesis was established. The results suggested that the CNV profiles of the MammaPrint™ genes can be used to predict the prognosis of breast cancer patients. In addition, this approach may lead to the development of new cancer biomarkers at the DNA level.
Biomarkers ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Line ; Cohort Studies ; Disease-Free Survival ; DNA ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Estrogens ; Genome ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis* ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Recurrence ; RNA

From 2013 to 2015, the National Institute of Health, Pakistan, received 1,270 blood samples of suspected dengue cases reported from inpatient and outpatient departments of various hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province. In this study, we determined the circulating dengue virus (DENV) serotypes using real-time reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR to understand the serotype-based epidemiology of DENV. All four serotypes (DENV-1 [6%], DENV-2 [33%], DENV-3 [47%], and DENV-4 [0.1%]) were found circulating during the study period. Our findings suggest the need for an active surveillance system coupled with the laboratory diagnosis, especially in the chronic endemic areas of the country. Public awareness programs are needed for effective control and prevention of outbreaks in the future.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Dengue/diagnosis/*epidemiology/virology ; Dengue Virus/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Disease Outbreaks ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pakistan/epidemiology ; RNA, Viral/genetics/metabolism ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Serogroup ; Young Adult

Objective To report the indigenous people's uses of plants from a multidimensional perspective in a remote area where strong ethnobotanical cultural practices prevail. Methods An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in the field during 2014–2016. Ethnobotanical data were gathered from 182 informants through oral interviews and semi-structured questionnaires. The distribution of plants was explored using both descriptive and graphical methods. Further, a Multinomial Logit Specification was applied to find out the probability of the occurrence of diverse utilization of plants in multipurpose domains. Results The study identified 202 plant species distributed among 71 families and 156 genera. Ethnobotanical data indicate that there are more medicinal (36.96%) uses of plants as compared to all other use categories. The output from the Multinomial Logit Specifications (MLS) model reveals that perennial and non-woody plants are exploited more for medicinal and food uses than annual and woody plants. In the context of ethnomedicinal uses, aerial plant parts particularly leaves are more extensively used for the preparation of herbal recipes as compared to underground parts. Conclusions The results of the study emphasize the need to create awareness among the local communities about the conservation status of plant species in order to maintain a sustainable resource of plant-derived materials into the future. The novel econometric approach employed in this study adds a new insightful methodology to the existing body of literature in the field of ethnobotany. We strongly recommend conservation measures, alongside phytochemical and pharmacological studies on the useful plant species identified in this study in order to ensure their sustainable and effective utilization.

PURPOSE: The promoter methylation status of cell cycle regulatory genes plays a crucial role in the regulation of the eukaryotic cell cycle. CpG cytosines are actively subjected to methylation during tumorigenesis, resulting in gain/loss of function. E2F5 gene has growth repressive activities; various studies suggest its involvement in tumorigenesis. This study aims to investigate the epigenetic regulation of E2F5 in breast cancer to better understand tumor biology. METHODS: The promoter methylation status of 50 breast tumor tissues and adjacent normal control tissues was analyzed. mRNA expression was determined using SYBR® green quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and methylation-specific PCR was performed for bisulfite-modified genomic DNA using E2F5-specific primers to assess promoter methylation. Data was statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Significant (p<0.001) upregulation was observed in E2F5 expression among tumor tissues, relative to the control group. These samples were hypo-methylated at the E2F5 promoter region in the tumor tissues, compared to the control. Change in the methylation status (Δmeth) was significantly lower (p=0.022) in the tumor samples, indicating possible involvement in tumorigenesis. Patients at the postmenopausal stage showed higher methylation (75%) than those at the premenopausal stage (23.1%). Interestingly, methylation levels gradually increased from the early to the advanced stages of the disease (p<0.001), which suggests a putative role of E2F5 methylation in disease progression that can significantly modulate tumor biology at more advanced stage and at postmenopausal age (Pearson's r=0.99 and 0.86, respectively). Among tissues with different histological status, methylation frequency was higher in invasive lobular carcinoma (80.0%), followed by invasive ductal carcinoma (46.7%) and ductal carcinoma in situ (20.0%). CONCLUSION: Methylation is an important epigenetic factor that might be involved in the upregulation of E2F5 gene in tumor tissues, which can be used as a prognostic marker for breast cancer.
Biology ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; Carcinoma, Lobular ; Cell Cycle ; Disease Progression ; DNA ; E2F5 Transcription Factor ; Epigenomics ; Eukaryotic Cells ; Genes, Regulator ; Humans ; Methylation* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; RNA, Messenger ; Up-Regulation*

Toxoplasmosis is a protozoan disease that is caused by Toxoplasma gondii in livestock and humans. Due to its medical and veterinary importance, it is essential to study the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection among humans and animals in various parts of the world. The major objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence and spatial distribution of toxoplasmosis in small ruminants (sheep and goats) of north-eastern region, Pakistan. A total of 1,000 animals comprising of sheep (n=470) and goats (n=530) were examined for T. gondii infection by using ELISA. An epidemiological data was collected in the form of questionnaire. A surface has been generated by using method of interpolation in Arc GIS with the help of IDW (inverse distance weight). The results showed higher seroprevalence of T. gondii in goats (42.8%) as compared to sheep (26.2%). The seroprevalence was higher in females as compared to males in all examined ruminants. Similarly, there is a wide variation in the seroprevalence of T. gondii in different breeds of sheep and goats showing higher seroprevalence in Teddy (52.8%) and Damani breed (34.5%) of goat and sheep's, respectively. The geographical and spatial distribution of T. gondii shows that it is widely distributed in different parts of the north-eastern region of Pakistan. Our results suggest widespread environmental contamination with T. gondii oocysts. It suggests us that small ruminants could be a potentially important source of T. gondii infection if their infected meat is consumed undercooked.
Animals ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Goats* ; Humans ; Livestock ; Male ; Meat ; Methods ; Oocysts ; Pakistan* ; Ruminants ; Seroepidemiologic Studies* ; Sheep* ; Toxoplasma ; Toxoplasmosis*