Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies, primarily due to late-stage diagnosis and limited therapeutic options. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) contribute to tumor heterogeneity, therapy resistance, and recurrence through activation of developmental pathways such as Hedgehog, Wnt, Notch, JAK-STAT, and Hippo. Identifying CSCs is therefore essential for understanding pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) pathogenesis and advancing targeted therapies. This study compares the expression of key CSC-associated markers (CD44, CD117, OCT3/4, and c-Myc) in PDAC, fetal, and adult pancreas to elucidate CSC dynamics. Immunohistochemistry for CSC markers (CD44, CD117, OCT3/4, and c-Myc) was performed on PDAC tissues and control pancreatic samples (fetal pancreas 28–36 weeks and adult pancreas) to evaluate marker expression. Proliferative potential was assessed using CK7 and Ki-67 expression patterns. CD44 showed strong membranous and cytoplasmic expression in PDAC, moderate in fetal pancreas (epithelial/ductal regions), and minimal expression in adult tissue. CD117 was mainly restricted to stromal cells in PDAC, also present in fetal tissue but low in adults.c-Myc and Ki-67 were moderately expressed in PDAC, significantly higher than the control samples. CK7 demonstrated strong cytoplasmic staining in PDAC, moderate expression in adults, and weak expression in fetal samples. CD44 and c-Myc re-expression in PDAC supports their role as CSC-associated markers and potential drivers of tumor progression. CD117’s stromal localization suggests tumor–stroma interactions. These findings highlight developmental reactivation of CSC markers in PDAC, with implications for early detection and targeted therapy.

Transforaminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy (TELD) is increasingly used as an effective alternative to open discectomy or microdiscectomy, supported by comparable outcomes in the literature. Advances in techniques and instrumentation now permit selective endoscopic decompression of diverse disc pathologies, including complex stenosis cases. However, the rising number of procedures has been accompanied by a corresponding increase in complications, which has been exacerbated by heterogeneous reporting standards in literature. Standardized systems for defining, classifying, and scoring TELD complications are lacking, but would be essential for quality assurance, comparative studies, research, and outcome assessment. Therefore, we systematically reviewed the literature to identify studies focusing on TELD complications and propose a consensus classification system. PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct were searched to identify studies primarily addressing complications, or their classification, in patients with lumbar disc herniation or lumbar canal stenosis undergoing TELD. The exclusion criteria encompassed studies involving other pathologies, such as infections or tumors, and studies with patients undergoing revision surgery. Initial database searches yielded 887 articles, with 560 unique articles after duplicate removal. Title and abstract screening excluded 313 articles, leaving 247 articles for full-text assessment. Ultimately, 95 articles met the inclusion criteria. The narrative synthesis focused on compiling complications associated with TELD, which helped propose a structured classification system. Complications in TELD can match or exceed those of traditional surgical procedures, influenced by a steep learning curve and longer initial operation times. Expanded indications introduce the potential for encountering previously unreported complications even among experienced surgeons. Effective documentation, rating, and follow-up of complications are crucial for informed treatment decisions, enhancing patient consent processes, and improving overall outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 369 patients with symptoms of cervical myelopathy assessed using cervical dMRI. After assessing the subaxial cervical spine at each disc level (C3–T1), significant changes in the degree of central canal stenosis were determined. The appearance and extent of hyperintense lesions on T2-weighted sequences were also noted. Results: Overall, 653/1,845 (35.39%) disc levels showed an increase in stenosis grade on extension MRI, with 168/653 (25.72%) and 180/653 (27.56%) disc levels changing from grades 0/1 to grades 2 and 3, respectively. Moreover, 120/369 (32.52%) patients showed a mean increase of 1.55±0.75 levels of compression on extension MRI when compared to neutral MRI. A fresh-appearing hyperintense lesion was observed in 79 (4.28%) disc levels on flexion MRI, which was not visualized on neutral MRI. Conclusions Cervical dMRI may help surgeons plan for surgery, discuss the prognosis with the patient, and safeguard themselves from medico-legal issues arising from improper or missed diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: The study comprised 62 subjects. Of this number, 32 subjects (group A) were unskilled laborers from the construction industry; the other 30 subjects (group B) were in the control group and had never previously carried heavy weights on their heads. Cervical spine radiographs were taken for all the 62 subjects. Subjects in group A were asked to carry a load (approximately 35 kg) on their heads and walk for about 65 m, with their cervical spine radiographs taken afterward. Results: The mean ages of patients in groups A and B were 27.17 and 25.75 years, respectively. The mean cervical lordosis observed in group A (18.96°) was dramatically less compared with group B (25.40°), showing a further decrease in head loading (3.35°). Five subjects had a reversal of lordosis (−5.61°). A statistically significant reduction in disc height and listhesis was observed when the load was carried on the head with a further decrease after walking with the load. Accelerated degenerative changes, particularly affecting the upper cervical spine, were observed in head loaders. Conclusions Carrying a load on the head leads to accelerated degenerative changes, which involve the upper cervical spine more than the lower cervical spine and predisposes it to injury at a lower threshold. Thus, alternative methods of carrying loads should be proposed.

Midgut malrotation and incomplete rotation are common causes of neonatal intestinal obstruction. At end of 10 week of intrauterine life, cecum will be placed in subhepatic region temporarily and descends to right lower quadrant by eleventh week. Arrest of cecum in subhepatic region or undescended cecum is a rare congenital anomaly of mid gut. Usually, it remains asymptomatic and is diagnosed incidentally. If any pathology occurs in anomalous part, like appendicitis then the diagnosis and treatment will be challenging in all age groups. Variation in blood supply have also been reported with anomalies leading to iatrogenic injuries during colonoscopy and surgeries. Lack of knowledge of these rare variations may lead to delayed diagnosis of appendicitis leading to perforation and surgical emergencies. In the present case, we describe an undescended cecum and its associated variation in branching pattern of superior mesenteric artery.
Appendicitis ; Arteries* ; Cecum* ; Colic* ; Colonoscopy ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Pathology

Endophytic actinomycetes are considered as one of the relatively unexplored potential sources in search of antibiotic producer against antibiotic resistant pathogens. A potent strain isolated from Catharanthus roseus that displays antibacterial potential against antibiotic resistant human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus was characterized and designated as Micrococcus yunnanensis strain rsk5. Rsk5 is capable of producing optimum antibacterial metabolites on starch casein medium at 30 ℃, pH 5 and 2% NaCl condition. The crude antibacterial agent was extracted from fermentation broth by ethyl acetate and separated by TLC using chloroform-methanol (24:1, v/v) solvent system with Rf value of 0.26. It was partially purified by flash chromatography, followed by HPLC and analyzed by ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer to get absorption maxima at 208.4 nm. The ESI-MS spectra showed molecular ion peaks at m/z 472.4 [M-H], which does not match with any known antibacterial compound.

Endophytic actinomycetes are considered as one of the relatively unexplored potential sources in search of antibiotic producer against antibiotic resistant pathogens. A potent strain isolated from Catharanthus roseus that displays antibacterial potential against antibiotic resistant human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus was characterized and designated as Micrococcus yunnanensis strain rsk5. Rsk5 is capable of producing optimum antibacterial metabolites on starch casein medium at 30 ℃, pH 5 and 2% NaCl condition. The crude antibacterial agent was extracted from fermentation broth by ethyl acetate and separated by TLC using chloroform-methanol (24:1, v/v) solvent system with Rf value of 0.26. It was partially purified by flash chromatography, followed by HPLC and analyzed by ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer to get absorption maxima at 208.4 nm. The ESI-MS spectra showed molecular ion peaks at m/z 472.4 [M-H], which does not match with any known antibacterial compound.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant myeloid antigen (MA) co-expression and high expression of CD34 antigen on the blasts of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients are independently reported to have a role in pathogenesis and prognosis. This study was conducted to determine whether these two parameters are related. METHODS: A total of 204 cases of ALL were included in an analysis of blast immunophenotypic data. CD34 expression was categorized as low when less than 50% of blasts were CD34-positive (CD34low) and as high when 50% or more were CD34-positive (CD34high). RESULTS: Of 204 cases of ALL, 163 and 41 were of B-cell origin (B-ALL) and T-cell origin (T-ALL), respectively. Of all cases, 132 (64.7%) showed co-expression of MA and among these, 101 (76.51%) were CD34high, while the remaining 31 (23.48%) were CD34low. Of 72 cases without MA co-expression, 25 (34.72%) were CD34high and 47 (67.25%) were CD34low. Furthermore, of 163 cases of B-ALL, 111 showed co-expression of MA and 84 of these were CD34high. Of 52 cases of B-ALL without MA expression, 22 were CD34high. Among 41 cases of T-ALL, 21 co-expressed MA, 17 of which were CD34high. Moreover, all 20 cases of T-ALL without co-expression of MA were CD34low. These differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: We observed a strong correlation between aberrant MA expression and CD34high expression on the blasts of ALL. We hypothesize that these different patient subsets may represent unique prognostic characteristics.
Antigens, CD34 ; B-Lymphocytes ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* ; Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Prognosis ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tertiary Care Centers*