Objective: Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects approximately 2% of individuals over the age of 60. With more than two billion Muslims observing Ramadan, individuals with PD encounter specific challenges, such as deteriorating motor skills, sleep disturbances, and an increased risk of falls during fasting. Methods: Our study focused on 75 patients with idiopathic PD divided into two groups: the Ramadan Regime group, which consisted of 50 patients whose medication was adjusted to twice daily at Suhoor and Iftar, and the Nontreatment group, which included 25 patients who abstained from medication for religious reasons. Both groups were instructed to wear a Parkinson’s KinetiGraph (PKG) wrist device. Results: The study findings revealed that motor function worsened in the Nontreatment group (p<0.001) but improved in the Ramadan Regime group (p=0.007). Daytime sleepiness also significantly increased in the Nontreatment group (p<0.001). Conclusion Overall, the findings suggest that the Ramadan regime significantly enhances patient health and quality of life.

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a leading cause of preventable cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and liver-related mortality, yet current laboratory and imaging tools detect only late-stage disease. This narrative review synthesizes emerging evidence on novel biomarkers that capture the multidimensional pathophysiology of ALD and discusses their utility for routine clinical practice. Traditional serum-based liver fibrosis markers (e.g., cytokeratin-18 fragments, Pro-C3, or the enhanced liver fibrosis) improve non-invasive staging risk beyond aminotransferases, while elastography techniques, such as vibration-controlled transient elastography and magnetic resonance elastography, can also quantify liver stiffness with high precision. Among novel mechanistic biomarkers, genetic polymorphisms in PNPLA3, TM6SF2, MBOAT7, HSD17B13, and polygenic risk scores define lifetime risk, whereas sex-specific hormonal milieus also modify susceptibility and progression. Moreover, gut dysbiosis signatures, including reduced Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Akkermansia muciniphila, and a lower Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, and their metabolites (short-chain fatty acids, and bile acids, trimethylamine N-oxide) correlate with liver inflammation and fibrosis. Endocrine imbalances of cortisol, testosterone, and thyroid hormones further stratify metabolic vulnerability. Ultimately, multi-omics platforms (i.e., transcriptomics, lipidomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and epigenomics) can reveal distinct molecular signatures that predict steatohepatitis, fibrogenesis, and early HCC. Integrating these biomarkers enables phase-specific enrichment strategies, earlier intervention windows, adaptive dose-finding, and mechanismbased endpoints in ALD trials. Remaining challenges include assay standardization, validation across diverse cohorts, and incorporation into regulatory frameworks. Future work could evaluate cost-effectiveness and feasibility in routine clinical practice. Widespread adoption promises earlier diagnosis, personalized risk reduction, and more efficient drug development for this globally prevalent disorder.

Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is a severe necrotizing kidney infection characterized by gas formation. While EPN is recognized in native kidneys and occasionally in functional renal allografts, its occurrence in nonfunctional allografts is extremely rare.We present a case of EPN in a 38-year-old female with a history of renal transplantation who developed EPN in a nonfunctional graft 1 year after returning to hemodialysis.The patient initially demonstrated excellent graft function posttransplant but later developed chronic antibody-mediated rejection and calcineurin inhibitor toxicity, which led to graft failure and resumption of hemodialysis. One year later, she presented with fever and graft site tenderness. Imaging revealed stage 3 EPN in the allograft. Empirical broad-spectrum antibiotics and percutaneous drainage were initiated, followed by graft nephrectomy due to persistent fever spikes. This case highlights the occurrence of EPN in a nonfunctional graft, even after cessation of immunosuppression. The presence of a nonfunctioning graft with impaired blood supply may have provided a nidus for infection. It underscores the importance of considering nephrectomy as a primary therapeutic approach in such cases. This case also emphasizes the need for heightened clinical suspicion and prompt intervention in transplant recipients with suspected EPN, even in the absence of a functioning graft.

Ganoderma lucidum, a medicinal mushroom renowned for its production of a diverse array of compounds, accounts for the pharmacological effects including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anticancer characteristics. Thus, it is recognized as a valuable species of interest in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries due to its important medicinal properties. Recent advances in omics technologies such as genomes, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have considerably increased our understanding of the bioactives in G. lucidum. This review explores the application of molecular breeding techniques to enhance both the yield and quality of G. lucidum across the food, pharmaceutical, and industrial sectors. The article discusses the current state of research on the use of contemporary omics technologies which studies and highlights future research directions that may increase the production of bioactive compounds for their therapeutic potential. Additionally, predictive methods with computational studies have recently emerged as effective tools for investigating bioactive constituents in G. lucidum, providing an organized and cost-effective strategy for understanding their bioactivity, interactions, and possible therapeutic uses. Omics and machine learning techniques can be applied to identify the candidates for pharmaceutical applications and to enhance the production of bioactive compounds in G. lucidum. The quantification and production of the bioactive compounds can be streamlined by the integrating computational study of bioactive compounds with non-destructive predictive machine learning models of the same. Synergistically, these techniques have the potential to be a promising approach for the future prediction of the bioactive constituents, without compromising the integrity of the fungal organism.

Background: s/Aims: Assessing surgical difficulty in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is challenging due to variations in surgeon proficiency and institutional protocols. This study evaluates surgeons’ perspectives on procedural difficulty and examines how intraoperative findings and preoperative imaging contribute to refining difficulty assessment criteria. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 50 laparoscopic surgeons in India, providing insights into tolerances for surgical duration and blood loss, reasons for conversion, and predictors of complexity. Responses were analyzed using SPSS, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Among surveyed surgeons, 82.0% were male, and 78.0% worked in private institutions and 52.0% had performed over 1,000 LCs. Conversion to open surgery was primarily influenced by significant blood loss (68.0%) and biliary injury (94.0%). While 38.0% preferred surgeries under 60 minutes, 26.0% imposed no time constraints. Key intraoperative challenges included dense adhesions, cholecysto-enteric fistulas, and fibrosis. Less experienced surgeons reported greater challenges with scarring adhesions and anatomical variations, but no significant differences were found for other factors like edematous or necrotic changes. Preoperative imaging was considered essential by most surgeons. Conclusions This study underscores the limited reliability of traditional parameters for assessing difficulty in LC. Surgeons highlighted the importance of objective intraoperative findings and preoperative imaging in predicting surgical challenges. Factors such as adhesions, fibrosis, and anatomical variations significantly impact LC difficulty, with decisions regarding conversion to open surgery largely driven by individual judgment rather than experience. Standardized grading systems incorporating these factors could improve surgical planning, reduce complications, and enhance patient outcomes.

Incidental gallbladder cancer (iGBC) diagnosed post-histopathological examination of gallbladders removed assuming benign gallstone disease constitutes a significant proportion of GBC patients. Most iGBC patients present with early-stage disease. The standard care for localized (non-metastatic) iGBC includes a reoperation for complete extended (radical) cholecystectomy involving liver resection and lymphadenectomy, followed by postoperative adjuvant systemic therapy. However, a major drawback of this approach is the high recurrence rate within six months post-radical surgery, which undermines the benefits of the extensive procedure; notably, most recurrences are distant, highlighting the efficacy of systemic therapy. Similar to other gastrointestinal cancers, there appears to be a potential for neoadjuvant systemic therapy (chemotherapy) before reoperative surgery in iGBC cases. The premise that neoadjuvant systemic therapy aids in selecting diseases with more favorable biological characteristics and addresses micro-metastatic disease appears applicable to iGBC as well. This systematic review examines the current evidence supporting or refuting neoadjuvant therapy and discusses criteria for selecting patients who would derive significant benefit, along with proposing an optimal chemotherapy regimen for iGBC patients. Improved outcomes have been reported in patients undergoing reoperation after 4 to 14 weeks following the initial cholecystectomy compared to immediate reoperation. Limited, yet promising, evidence supports the use of 3 to 4 cycles of gemcitabine-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to reoperative surgery in select high-risk iGBC cases.

Background: s/Aims: Assessing surgical difficulty in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is challenging due to variations in surgeon proficiency and institutional protocols. This study evaluates surgeons’ perspectives on procedural difficulty and examines how intraoperative findings and preoperative imaging contribute to refining difficulty assessment criteria. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 50 laparoscopic surgeons in India, providing insights into tolerances for surgical duration and blood loss, reasons for conversion, and predictors of complexity. Responses were analyzed using SPSS, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Among surveyed surgeons, 82.0% were male, and 78.0% worked in private institutions and 52.0% had performed over 1,000 LCs. Conversion to open surgery was primarily influenced by significant blood loss (68.0%) and biliary injury (94.0%). While 38.0% preferred surgeries under 60 minutes, 26.0% imposed no time constraints. Key intraoperative challenges included dense adhesions, cholecysto-enteric fistulas, and fibrosis. Less experienced surgeons reported greater challenges with scarring adhesions and anatomical variations, but no significant differences were found for other factors like edematous or necrotic changes. Preoperative imaging was considered essential by most surgeons. Conclusions This study underscores the limited reliability of traditional parameters for assessing difficulty in LC. Surgeons highlighted the importance of objective intraoperative findings and preoperative imaging in predicting surgical challenges. Factors such as adhesions, fibrosis, and anatomical variations significantly impact LC difficulty, with decisions regarding conversion to open surgery largely driven by individual judgment rather than experience. Standardized grading systems incorporating these factors could improve surgical planning, reduce complications, and enhance patient outcomes.

Incidental gallbladder cancer (iGBC) diagnosed post-histopathological examination of gallbladders removed assuming benign gallstone disease constitutes a significant proportion of GBC patients. Most iGBC patients present with early-stage disease. The standard care for localized (non-metastatic) iGBC includes a reoperation for complete extended (radical) cholecystectomy involving liver resection and lymphadenectomy, followed by postoperative adjuvant systemic therapy. However, a major drawback of this approach is the high recurrence rate within six months post-radical surgery, which undermines the benefits of the extensive procedure; notably, most recurrences are distant, highlighting the efficacy of systemic therapy. Similar to other gastrointestinal cancers, there appears to be a potential for neoadjuvant systemic therapy (chemotherapy) before reoperative surgery in iGBC cases. The premise that neoadjuvant systemic therapy aids in selecting diseases with more favorable biological characteristics and addresses micro-metastatic disease appears applicable to iGBC as well. This systematic review examines the current evidence supporting or refuting neoadjuvant therapy and discusses criteria for selecting patients who would derive significant benefit, along with proposing an optimal chemotherapy regimen for iGBC patients. Improved outcomes have been reported in patients undergoing reoperation after 4 to 14 weeks following the initial cholecystectomy compared to immediate reoperation. Limited, yet promising, evidence supports the use of 3 to 4 cycles of gemcitabine-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to reoperative surgery in select high-risk iGBC cases.

Background: s/Aims: Assessing surgical difficulty in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is challenging due to variations in surgeon proficiency and institutional protocols. This study evaluates surgeons’ perspectives on procedural difficulty and examines how intraoperative findings and preoperative imaging contribute to refining difficulty assessment criteria. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 50 laparoscopic surgeons in India, providing insights into tolerances for surgical duration and blood loss, reasons for conversion, and predictors of complexity. Responses were analyzed using SPSS, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Among surveyed surgeons, 82.0% were male, and 78.0% worked in private institutions and 52.0% had performed over 1,000 LCs. Conversion to open surgery was primarily influenced by significant blood loss (68.0%) and biliary injury (94.0%). While 38.0% preferred surgeries under 60 minutes, 26.0% imposed no time constraints. Key intraoperative challenges included dense adhesions, cholecysto-enteric fistulas, and fibrosis. Less experienced surgeons reported greater challenges with scarring adhesions and anatomical variations, but no significant differences were found for other factors like edematous or necrotic changes. Preoperative imaging was considered essential by most surgeons. Conclusions This study underscores the limited reliability of traditional parameters for assessing difficulty in LC. Surgeons highlighted the importance of objective intraoperative findings and preoperative imaging in predicting surgical challenges. Factors such as adhesions, fibrosis, and anatomical variations significantly impact LC difficulty, with decisions regarding conversion to open surgery largely driven by individual judgment rather than experience. Standardized grading systems incorporating these factors could improve surgical planning, reduce complications, and enhance patient outcomes.

Incidental gallbladder cancer (iGBC) diagnosed post-histopathological examination of gallbladders removed assuming benign gallstone disease constitutes a significant proportion of GBC patients. Most iGBC patients present with early-stage disease. The standard care for localized (non-metastatic) iGBC includes a reoperation for complete extended (radical) cholecystectomy involving liver resection and lymphadenectomy, followed by postoperative adjuvant systemic therapy. However, a major drawback of this approach is the high recurrence rate within six months post-radical surgery, which undermines the benefits of the extensive procedure; notably, most recurrences are distant, highlighting the efficacy of systemic therapy. Similar to other gastrointestinal cancers, there appears to be a potential for neoadjuvant systemic therapy (chemotherapy) before reoperative surgery in iGBC cases. The premise that neoadjuvant systemic therapy aids in selecting diseases with more favorable biological characteristics and addresses micro-metastatic disease appears applicable to iGBC as well. This systematic review examines the current evidence supporting or refuting neoadjuvant therapy and discusses criteria for selecting patients who would derive significant benefit, along with proposing an optimal chemotherapy regimen for iGBC patients. Improved outcomes have been reported in patients undergoing reoperation after 4 to 14 weeks following the initial cholecystectomy compared to immediate reoperation. Limited, yet promising, evidence supports the use of 3 to 4 cycles of gemcitabine-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to reoperative surgery in select high-risk iGBC cases.