Pakistan BioMedical Journal

Exploring the Interplay between Academic Procrastination and Self-Generated Stress among Medical Students. A Multi-Institutional Cross-Sectional Study from KPK, Pakistan

Muhammad Shoaib — 2025-05-31

Academic procrastination is the deliberate postponement of assignments even when one is aware of the possible drawbacks. It is a common problem among students, especially in demanding professions like medicine, where procrastination is exacerbated by stress and a heavy workload. Objective: To investigate the connection between medical students' self-generated stress and academic procrastination. Methods: In KPK, Pakistan, 382 undergraduate medical students participated in a cross-sectional study. The Self-Generated Stress Scale, the Academic Procrastination Scale-Short Form, and a sociodemographic part were all included in the questionnaire. Using SPSS (version 27.0), descriptive and inferential statistical analysis, such as regression and correlation analyses, were carried out. P-values less than 0.05 were regarded as statistically significant. Results: Procrastination and stress exhibited a weak but significant positive correlation. A bidirectional relationship was observed, where procrastination predicted stress and vice versa, each explaining 3.4% of the variance. No significant differences in procrastination and stress were found across gender or academic years. Conclusions: Stress and procrastination among MBBS students in KPK were shown to be weakly but significantly correlated in this study, indicating that they have an impact on one another. The results highlight the necessity of techniques like time management training and cognitive-behavioral treatments to lessen stress from procrastination, notwithstanding the tiny effect size. Longitudinal studies should be used in future study to gain a deeper understanding of causality and other affecting factors.

Ultrasound Findings in Premenopausal Non-Pregnant Females Presented with Pelvic Pain

Maryam Mubbarka — 2025-05-31

Pelvic pain is a frequent complaint with gynecologic and non-gynecologic origins. Concerning the wide range of diagnoses, ultrasound is the gold-standard imaging modality of choice for premenopausal women. Objectives: To determine the ultrasonographic findings of pelvic pain and the association of pelvic pain accompanying symptoms with age groups and marital status. Methods: The analytic cross-sectional study was conducted at a Government Hospital in Gujrat, Pakistan, over four months, from October 2022 to February 2023. A sample size of 138 was considered by a convenient approach. All non-pregnant, premenopausal female patients with pelvic pain associated with the reproductive, urinary and gastrointestinal systems were included after informed consent. The Aplio 300 ultrasound machine was used to conduct the transabdominal scan, and SPSS version 23.0 was used to analyze the data. Results: In the current study, 138 patients were ranged in age groups from 14 to 49 years, and the majority were between the ages of 26-31 years. There were 109 married patients and 29 unmarried. In 11.6% of the cases, the results were normal. There was no significant association of pelvic pain accompanying symptoms observed with age groups and marital status (p-value>0.05). Most of the findings were from the reproductive system (65.9%). Uterine fibroids were most frequently observed, 38 (27.5%), followed by complex ovarian cysts, 20 (14.5%). Conclusions: Pelvic pain in premenopausal women is most often linked to gynaecological causes, especially uterine fibroids, and occurs with or without other symptoms, regardless of age or marital status.

Characterization of Placenta Using Ultrasound

Ayesha Noor — 2025-05-31

The placenta is an organ which grows in the uterus when one is pregnant. It aids in the transport of nutrients, oxygen, and eliminates waste products. The placenta is attached to the uterus wall, and the baby's umbilical cord will grow out of it. Usually, it is attached to the top, side, front or back of the uterus. Objectives: To determine placenta, placental thickness, and echotexture and correlate them with gestational age using ultrasonography. Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at the Radiology Department, the private sector, Tehsil Kharian, District Gujrat, Pakistan. The mixed-method sampling approach was applied to collect the data between December 2023 and March 2023. The data were collected on a sample size of 107 patients. The data were taken with the informed consent of the patients in adherence to the ethical norms. SPSS version 20.0 was utilized as the data were entered and analyzed. Results: This study shows 37.4% of female with an anterior, 32.7% of female with a posterior, 7.5% with a left lateral placental location, and 22.4% with a fundal placenta. The study shows a weak positive relationship between placental thickness and gestational age. Conclusions: It was concluded that ultrasonography is reliable for the accurate determination of placental location, thickness, and its correlation with gestational age.

High-Resolution Computed Tomography in the Detection of Lung Abnormalities

Mahnoor Aslam — 2025-05-31

Lung disease is a major global issue. High-resolution computed tomography is the best modality for detecting lung abnormalities. Objective: To evaluate lung abnormalities on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and assess the progression of fibrosis. Methods: It was a retrospective analysis of HRCT Findings in Lung Abnormalities at a tertiary Care Centre in Sargodha. A sample size of 50 was collected, reviewed retrospectively. The convenient sampling technique was used. This research included patients who visited the CT department for the diagnosis of lung disease. The study included emphysema, bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive disease, interstitial lung disease, and fibrosis, and the study excluded pneumonia, sarcoidosis, bronchitis, pulmonary hypertension respiratory tract infections. Results: A statistical analysis using SPSS version 23.0 was conducted to examine the relationships between these variables and the occurrence of lung abnormalities. The majority were 50 patients, of whom 54% were males and 46% were females. In the current study, interstitial fluid was 14%, Bronchiectasis and pneumonia were 22%, and fibrosis and pulmonary nodules were 14%. A significant relationship was noted between bronchiectasis and the patient according to age. Conclusions: The study concluded that the lung cancer that affects the lungs and alters the tissues and airways of the respiratory system is bronchiectasis. High-resolution computed tomography provides an accurate diagnosis of lung diseases.

The Antiemetic Drug Aprepitant as a Broad-Spectrum Anticancer Drug?

Rafael Covenas — 2025-05-31

Is it possible for a drug to exert the same antitumor effect against many different types of cancer? Bioactive peptides promote and counteract the development of tumors [1, 2]: some endogenous peptides (galanin) promote or block tumor development, while others (substance P (SP)) generally favor its development. Thus, it is possible to inhibit the development of the tumor by blocking with antagonists the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) that facilitates the oncogenic signal mediated by SP, because the SP/NK-1R system promotes tumor development (tumor cell proliferation/migration, anti-apoptotic effect, angiogenesis) [1]. This occurs in many types of cancer where the overexpression of the NK-1R occurs, something that does not occur in normal cells. Therefore, many different tumors could be treated by applying the same therapeutic strategy: the administration of NK-1R antagonists.

Aprepitant (Emend, MK-869, L-754,030) a non-peptide NK-1R antagonist is administered orally as antiemetic drug to treat chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and it is safe; it binds specifically to the human NK-1R, crosses the blood-brain barrier, and exerts antitumor effects (inhibits proliferation, promotes apoptosis, blocks migration/invasion, anti-angiogenic) against different types of human cancer cells as many as twenty-one [1, 3, 4]. That is, all the opposite effects that SP performs on cancer cells. If aprepitant is used in clinical practice as an antiemetic, why has an antitumor effect not been observed then? It seems that this is due to the dose administered in clinical practice (125 mg (day 1), 80 mg (days 2 and 3)); to observe an antitumor effect, the dose and the days of treatment with aprepitant would have to be increased (20-40 mg/kg/day; administered daily until a response to the treatment was observed) compared to the dose/days of treatment as an antiemetic. This dose must be increased since there is an overexpression of the NK-1R in tumors and hence the right dose to be administered is absolutely associated to such overexpression and to the size of the tumor (larger size, higher dose) [1]. The use of aprepitant as an antitumor drug alone or in combination therapy with chemotherapy or radiotherapy is a possibility that should be tested as soon as possible. And even more so when it is known that the combination of aprepitant with chemotherapy or radiotherapy favored a synergic anticancer effect, promoted chemosensitization and radiosensitization, and decreased the side-effects (cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity) induced by both therapies [5]. Is there any drug on the market that can potentially act against so many different types of cancer? Aprepitant perfectly meets this requirement. Its repositioning is urgent, its use as an antitumor drug would open new promising and unsuspected doors to fight cancer, and its administration is independent of the tumor biology, clinical stage, location, and tumor type. The SP/NK-1R system opens the door to new tumor research avenues, cancer diagnosis, tumor predictive factors, and anticancer strategies.