Prevalence, epidemiology, seasonality, and phylogeny of Anaplasma marginale in blood samples of goats collected from Punjab, Pakistan.

Purpose: In Pakistan, a major constrain to goat farming is the tick and tick-borne diseases that results in financial losses to livestock farmers. This study was conducted to report the molecular prevalence of Anaplasma (A.) marginale in goat blood samples collected during four seasons from Khanewal district in Punjab (Pakistan).

Variations in risks from smoking between high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: an analysis of data from 179 000 participants from 63 countries.

Background: Separate studies suggest that the risks from smoking might vary between high-income (HICs), middle-income (MICs), and low-income (LICs) countries, but this has not yet been systematically examined within a single study using standardised approaches. We examined the variations in risks from smoking across different country income groups and some of their potential reasons.

Methods: We analysed data from 134 909 participants from 21 countries followed up for a median of 11·3 years in the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) cohort study; 9711 participants with myocardial infarction and 11 362 controls from 52 countries in the INTERHEART case-control study; and 11 580 participants with stroke and 11 331 controls from 32 countries in the INTERSTROKE case-control study.

Pharmacological, Phytochemical and histopathological basis of Conyza bonariensis in the potential management of diabetes mellitus.

To evaluate the anti-diabetic potential of aqueous methanolic extract of Conyza bonariensis amongst the Wistar rats. Phytochemical and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analyses of phenols and flavonoids were examined. The plant extract (250 and 500mg/kg/day) was explored for its anti-hyperglycemic effect for 14 days in normoglycemic and alloxan-induced diabetic rats using the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

First report on molecular epidemiology, seasonality and phylogeny of Toxoplasma gondii infecting goats from Khanewal district in Punjab, Pakistan.

Raising small ruminants is the main source of income for farmers in Pakistan. Economic losses caused by Toxoplasma gondii to small ruminants have been reported worldwide, however reports on molecular detection of T. gondii are lacking in Pakistan despite a large goat population.

Safety and Efficacy of Suprachoroidal Injection of Triamcinolone in Treating Macular Edema Secondary to Noninfectious Uveitis.

Introduction  One of the leading causes of blindness throughout the world is uveitis, which predominantly results in the feared complication of macular edema. We report the safety and efficacy of suprachoroidal injection of triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of macular edema secondary to noninfectious uveitis.  Methodology  This prospective, nonrandomized interventional study was conducted at Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust (LRBT) Eye Hospital, Lahore, from August 2019 till July 2020.

Hepatocyte growth factor administration increases bone soluble phosphate and alters bone chemical structure in diabetic hypertensive rats.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a novel potential therapy for improving bone health in patients with type II diabetes and hypertension, but its effect on the bone molecular structure is not revealed yet. Here, X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy was used to explore the effects elicited by HGF on the bone chemical structure. This study assessed local calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) coordination of diabetic hypertensive rat bones, each with and without HGF treatment.

Effect of physical activity and vitamin D compared with vitamin D alone on muscle strength, back flexibility and aerobic activity in patients with chronic kidney disease: A comparative study from Pakistan.

Background And Objectives: To compare the differences in musculoskeletal health with vitamin D alone in comparison with vitamin D with physical activity (PA) among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

Methods And Study Design: An open labeled, randomized, controlled trial was conducted at two tertiary care centers in Pakistan. Patients with CKD stage 2-4 and vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) were recruited in the trial.

Variations in the association of height with mortality, cardiovascular disease and cancer in low-, middle- and high-income countries.

Background: Final adult height is a useful proxy measure of childhood nutrition and disease burden. Tall stature has been previously associated with decreased risk of all-cause mortality, decreased risk of major cardiovascular events and an increased risk of cancer. However, these associations have primarily been derived from people of European and East Asian backgrounds, and there are sparse data from other regions of the world.

Multinational prediction of household and personal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) in the PURE cohort study.

Introduction: Use of polluting cooking fuels generates household air pollution (HAP) containing health-damaging levels of fine particulate matter (PM). Many global epidemiological studies rely on categorical HAP exposure indicators, which are poor surrogates of measured PM levels. To quantitatively characterize HAP levels on a large scale, a multinational measurement campaign was leveraged to develop household and personal PM exposure models.

Diabetic retinopathy service delivery and integration into the health system in Pakistan-Findings from a multicentre qualitative study.

This paper is based on qualitative research carried out in a diabetic retinopathy (DR) programme in three districts of Pakistan. It analyses the organisation and delivery of DR services and the extent to which the interventions resulted in a fully functioning integrated approach to DR care and treatment. Between January and April 2019, we conducted 14 focus group discussions and 37 in-depth interviews with 144 purposively selected participants: patients, lady health workers (LHWs) and health professionals.

Psychosocial Risk Factors and Cardiovascular Disease and Death in a Population-Based Cohort From 21 Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Countries.

Importance: Stress may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Most studies on stress and CVD have been conducted in high-income Western countries, but whether stress is associated with CVD in other settings has been less well studied.

Objective: To investigate the association of a composite measure of psychosocial stress and the development of CVD events and mortality in a large prospective study involving populations from 21 high-, middle-, and low-income countries across 5 continents.

Diagnostic Performance of [F]FDG PET in Staging Grade 1-2, Estrogen Receptor Positive Breast Cancer.

Positron emission tomography using [F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG PET) potentially underperforms for staging of patients with grade 1-2 estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer. The aim of this study was to retrospectively investigate the diagnostic accuracy of FDG PET in this patient population. Suspect tumor lesions detected on conventional imaging and FDG PET were confirmed with pathology or follow up.

Measuring and predicting personal and household Black Carbon levels from 88 communities in eight countries.

Black Carbon (BC) is an important component of household air pollution (HAP) in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), but levels and drivers of exposure are poorly understood. As part of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study, we analyzed 48-hour BC measurements for 1187 individual and 2242 household samples from 88 communities in 8 LMICs (Bangladesh, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe). Light absorbance (10 m) of collected PM filters, a proxy for BC concentrations, was calculated via an image-based reflectance method.

Effectiveness of a multi-modal capacity-building initiative for upgrading biomedical waste management practices at healthcare facilities in Bangladesh: a 21 century challenge for developing countries.

Introduction: Biomedical waste management (BMWM) has attracted attention across the world as improper management can pose a serious threat for healthcare workers (HCWs), the general population and the environment. This study aimed to analyse the effectiveness of a multi-modal intervention (MMI) to upgrade BMWM practices at healthcare facilities across Bangladesh.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study, with a pre- and post-test design, was undertaken at nine healthcare facilities (five public, three private and one autonomous) over three phases, and concluded in 2019.

Tricuspid insufficiency after cardiac-implantable electronic device placement.

Objective: Device-related stimates of incidence and significance of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is mainly based on case reports and small observational studies. We sought to determine whether right-heart device implantation increased the risk of TR in this interventional study.

Methods: All patients who underwent permanent pacemaker (PPM) or other device implantation were assessed for degree of TR at one year.

Study of Guillain-Barre syndrome etiology in Pakistani patients.

Objective: To examine clinical features, biochemical markers, demographic features, antecedent infections, frequency and treatment strategies related to Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Methods: The case-control study was conducted at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan, and the District Headquarters Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from 2018 to 2020, and comprised Guillain-Barré syndrome patients in group A and healthy controls in group B. The patients were diagnosed on the basis of clinical presentation, nerve conduction study, electromyography, cerebrospinal fluid analysis and biochemical profile.

Mobile consulting as an option for delivering healthcare services in low-resource settings in low- and middle-income countries: A mixed-methods study.

Objective: Remote or mobile consulting is being promoted to strengthen health systems, deliver universal health coverage and facilitate safe clinical communication during coronavirus disease 2019 and beyond. We explored whether mobile consulting is a viable option for communities with minimal resources in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods: We reviewed evidence published since 2018 about mobile consulting in low- and middle-income countries and undertook a scoping study (pre-coronavirus disease) in two rural settings (Pakistan and Tanzania) and five urban slums (Kenya, Nigeria and Bangladesh), using policy/document review, secondary analysis of survey data (from the urban sites) and thematic analysis of interviews/workshops with community members, healthcare workers, digital/telecommunications experts, mobile consulting providers, and local and national decision-makers.

Effects of bisphenol a on hematological, serum biochemical, and histopathological biomarkers in bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) under long-term exposure.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the highest volume chemicals produced in the world and is frequently used in dental sealants, water bottles, food, and beverage packaging. Due to persistent applications, BPA has become a potential threat to a variety of organisms including public health. In this study, a total of 80 bighead carps were randomly placed in different four groups (A-D).

Antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Artemisia absinthium and Citrus paradisi extracts repress viability of aggressive liver cancer cell line.

Background: Numerous reports show that herbal medicines can be utilized in the treatment of different liver disorders. In this study, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer activities of individual as well as combined 80% ethanolic extracts of Artemisia absinthium leaves and Citrus paradisi peels were investigated.

Methods And Results: Values of total phenolic contents (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC), DPPH-radical scavenging activity, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were measured to explore the antioxidant capacity.

Assessing the potential of exogenous caffeic acid application in boosting wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop productivity under salt stress.

Caffeic acid (CA) is known as an antioxidant to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), but the underlying mechanism of mediation of plant salt tolerance against various abiotic stresses by caffeic acid is only partially understood. A field experiment (120 days duration) was conducted to investigate the protective role of caffeic acid under a high saline medium (EC 8.7 dS m-1 and textural class: sandy loam) in two wheat genotypes (FSD -08 and Zincol-16).

Assessment of macronutrients consumption in the diet of adolescent school children in four seasons: a longitudinal study from an urban city in Pakistan.

Background: A healthy diet in the adolescence period is essential for physical, mental, and immunological development. We aimed to assess macronutrient consumption in the diet of adolescent school children using 24 h recalls in four seasons of the year.

Method: This was a longitudinal study conducted from February 2014 to June 2015.

The influence of the urban food environment on diet, nutrition and health outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

Introduction: Diet and nutrition are leading causes of global morbidity and mortality. Our study aimed to identify and synthesise evidence on the association between food environment characteristics and diet, nutrition and health outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), relevant to urban settings, to support development and implementation of appropriate interventions.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of 9 databases from 1 January 2000 to 16 September 2020 with no language restrictions.

Large-aperture experimental characterization of the acoustic field generated by a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle.

Unmanned aerial vehicles, specifically quadrotor drones, are increasingly commonplace in community and workplace settings and are often used for photography, cinematography, and small parcel transport. The presence of these flying robotic systems has a substantial impact on the surrounding environment. To better understand the ergonomic impacts of quadrotor drones, a quantitative description of their acoustic signature is needed.