Hepatitis D virus （HDV） infection， the most severe form of viral hepatitis， remains underrecognized in the Asia due to inconsistent screening and limited surveillance. This systematic review （1970—2025） stratified HDV prevalence by population subgroups： community， hospital-based， and high-risk.Community studies showed high prevalence in Pakistan， Kazakhstan， and Kyrgyzstan； hospital cohorts revealed hyperendemicity in Mongolia and Uzbekistan； high-risk populations showed concentrated transmission in ［Hong Kong， China］， ［Taiwan， China］， Vietnam， and Sultanate of Oman. Many countries and regions lacked subgroup-specific data.The uneven， population-dependent burden underscores HDV as a major driver of advanced liver disease in Central and South Asia. Routine HDV screening and RNA-based diagnostics are essential to define burden and advance WHO 2030 elimination targets.¹

Background: Advancements in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy have improved survivalfor brain tumor patients, increasing the risk of second primary tumors (SPTs) among long-term survivors. This study examines the types and risks of SPTs in brain tumor patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This single-center, retrospective study explored occurrences of SPTs following prima-ry brain tumors and occurrences of brain tumors as SPTs following primary extra neural tumors. A total of 41 patients were included and analyzed presenting with histologically confirmed SPTs between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2020. Results: The study included 41 patients with SPTs, primarily female (65.9%). Of these, 20 pa-tients (48.7%) developed SPTs after a primary brain tumor, while 21 patients (51.2%) developed brain tumors as SPTs after extra-neural tumors. Among patients who developed SPTs after brain tumors (n=20), meningioma (n=8, 40.0%) and pituitary adenoma (n=6, 30.0%) were the most prevalent first primary tumors (FPTs) while breast tumors predominated as SPTs (n=4, 20.0%). Survival analysis indicated younger mean age (44.5 years) for patients marked alive, compared to those marked deceased (57.0 years) and those with unknown outcomes (63.0 years). Conclusion Based on this retrospective analysis, the median age at diagnosis was 44.5 years,with a considerable number of patients (36.6%) having uncertain outcomes at follow-up due to incomplete records. These findings highlight the need for improved follow-up data management to better assess long-term survival in patients with SPTs following brain tumors.

Background: Advancements in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy have improved survivalfor brain tumor patients, increasing the risk of second primary tumors (SPTs) among long-term survivors. This study examines the types and risks of SPTs in brain tumor patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This single-center, retrospective study explored occurrences of SPTs following prima-ry brain tumors and occurrences of brain tumors as SPTs following primary extra neural tumors. A total of 41 patients were included and analyzed presenting with histologically confirmed SPTs between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2020. Results: The study included 41 patients with SPTs, primarily female (65.9%). Of these, 20 pa-tients (48.7%) developed SPTs after a primary brain tumor, while 21 patients (51.2%) developed brain tumors as SPTs after extra-neural tumors. Among patients who developed SPTs after brain tumors (n=20), meningioma (n=8, 40.0%) and pituitary adenoma (n=6, 30.0%) were the most prevalent first primary tumors (FPTs) while breast tumors predominated as SPTs (n=4, 20.0%). Survival analysis indicated younger mean age (44.5 years) for patients marked alive, compared to those marked deceased (57.0 years) and those with unknown outcomes (63.0 years). Conclusion Based on this retrospective analysis, the median age at diagnosis was 44.5 years,with a considerable number of patients (36.6%) having uncertain outcomes at follow-up due to incomplete records. These findings highlight the need for improved follow-up data management to better assess long-term survival in patients with SPTs following brain tumors.

Background: Advancements in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy have improved survivalfor brain tumor patients, increasing the risk of second primary tumors (SPTs) among long-term survivors. This study examines the types and risks of SPTs in brain tumor patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This single-center, retrospective study explored occurrences of SPTs following prima-ry brain tumors and occurrences of brain tumors as SPTs following primary extra neural tumors. A total of 41 patients were included and analyzed presenting with histologically confirmed SPTs between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2020. Results: The study included 41 patients with SPTs, primarily female (65.9%). Of these, 20 pa-tients (48.7%) developed SPTs after a primary brain tumor, while 21 patients (51.2%) developed brain tumors as SPTs after extra-neural tumors. Among patients who developed SPTs after brain tumors (n=20), meningioma (n=8, 40.0%) and pituitary adenoma (n=6, 30.0%) were the most prevalent first primary tumors (FPTs) while breast tumors predominated as SPTs (n=4, 20.0%). Survival analysis indicated younger mean age (44.5 years) for patients marked alive, compared to those marked deceased (57.0 years) and those with unknown outcomes (63.0 years). Conclusion Based on this retrospective analysis, the median age at diagnosis was 44.5 years,with a considerable number of patients (36.6%) having uncertain outcomes at follow-up due to incomplete records. These findings highlight the need for improved follow-up data management to better assess long-term survival in patients with SPTs following brain tumors.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has proven time and time again to be a game-changer innovation in every walk of life, including medicine. Introduced by Dr. Gunn in 1976 to accurately diagnose acute abdominal pain and list potential differentials, AI has since come a long way. In particular, AI has been aiding in radiological diagnoses with good sensitivity and specificity by using machine learning algorithms. With the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, AI has proven to be more than just a tool to facilitate healthcare workers in decision making and limiting physician-patient contact during the pandemic. It has guided governments and key policymakers in formulating and implementing laws, such as lockdowns and travel restrictions, to curb the spread of this viral disease. This has been made possible by the use of social media to map severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 hotspots, laying the basis of the "smart lockdown" strategy that has been adopted globally. However, these benefits might be accompanied with concerns regarding privacy and unconsented surveillance, necessitating authorities to develop sincere and ethical government-public relations.
Artificial Intelligence ; COVID-19 ; Communicable Disease Control ; Humans ; Pandemics/prevention & control* ; SARS-CoV-2

Objective: To isolate and evaluate the cytotoxic activity of different actinomycetes species isolated from the Red Sea coast in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Methods: Forty actinomycetes strains were isolated from different sediments and seawater samples collected from the Red Sea coast in Egypt. Actinomycetes were recognized by morphological and microscopic examinations. Cell viability and cytotoxicity induced by the crude extracts on breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 were assessed using methylene blue assay. The strains with promising cytotoxic activity were identified by sequencing and amplifying the 16S rRNA genes. The antibacterial activities of the crude extracts were performed using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: The results indicated that five ethyl acetate extracts exhibited cytotoxicity towards breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231. The highest cytotoxic activity was found for the ethyl acetate extracts of EGY2 and EGY39. The isolate EGY3 was identified as a new Streptomyces species, while the actinomycete EGY22 was found to be a member of the genus Nocardiopsis sp. The crude extract of the isolate EGY8 showed slightly high antimicrobial activity against different test microorganisms. Conclusions: The results of the present study reveal that marine sediments of the Red Sea are a potent source of novel species of actinomycetes. The isolates may be useful in discovery of novel bioactive compounds and an important step in the development of microbial natural product research.