New horizons: COVID-19 and the burden of neuropsychiatric illness in Pakistan

This manuscript reviews the current state of knowledge about the burden of mental illness and assesses the impact of COVID-19 illness on mental health in Pakistan. For this we analyzed secondary data obtained from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study draws from a wide range of data sources to quantify global and regional effects of a disease. We also did a literature search on the effects of COVID-19 illness on mental health and the psychosocial effects of COVID-19 and other Corona virus related illnesses such as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Data from the studies obtained was utilized to extrapolate the anticipated effects of COVID-19 illness on healthcare workers, COVID-19 patients and the general public in Pakistan. Mental illness poses a significant challenge to Pakistan\u27s under resourced health care system. COVID-19 has the potential to strain Pakistan\u27s healthcare system to the breaking point. So far, the general morbidity from COVID-19 illness in Pakistan has been low compared to other countries but this could change in the coming weeks and months. Hidden within this crisis are also some opportunities for both healthcare and education

A systematic review of the treatment and management of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in Pakistan

Pakistan is one of the six countries that account for more than 50 percent of the world’s maternal deaths. According to Population Council estimates, each year nearly 8.6 million women become pregnant in the country. Of these, 1.2 million women are likely to face obstetric complications. Each year, there are nearly 14,000 pregnancy-related deaths. Information is lacking on context-specific health-system barriers that prevent optimal use of the lifesaving medicine magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) in Pakistan. Although efforts in Pakistan both at the national and subnational level are ongoing on the prevention and treatment of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (PE/E), results are generally suboptimal and program interventions remain uncoordinated and fragmented. A fragmented system for registration, procurement, and distribution is at the source of the low use of magnesium sulfate, even though policies are all aligned with international standards. To fully appreciate the enormity of the problem at the country level, this systematic review of published papers on PE/E was conducted in Pakistan from 2005 to 2015 to understand key challenges, gaps, and interventions related to the prevention and treatment of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia

Lamento antecipado e norma moral na intenção dos consumidores de selecionar restaurantes de trabalho infantil: aumentando a teoria do comportamento planejado

Child labor is very severe social obstacle of the world of under develop nations like Pakistan. Still most of the young children are working in different sectors for the livelihood of their homes. This study explore the anticipated regret and moral norm in consumers’ intention to select child labor restaurants with the uses of augmenting the theory of planned behavior. Present study carried out in the five districts of south Punjab, Pakistan. There are three hundred questionnaires is filled from the owners of the restaurants from the selected regions. SPSS is used for the analysis of the data and multiple regression is used for testing the hypothesis. The results showed that theory of planned behavior constructs are significantly influence the intention of the child. Many owners took child as a labor because its cheap. While augmenting version of the planned behavior theory also good predictor of the child labor intentions. Government and NGOs take some actions to eliminate the child labor and sent into the schools.El trabajo infantil es un obstáculo social muy severo en el mundo de las naciones subdesarrolladas como Pakistán. Aún así, la mayoría de los niños pequeños están trabajando en diferentes sectores para el sustento de sus hogares. Este estudio explora el arrepentimiento anticipado y la norma moral en la intención de los consumidores de seleccionar restaurantes de trabajo infantil con el fin de aumentar la teoría del comportamiento planificado. Estudio actual realizado en los cinco distritos del sur de Punjab, Pakistán. Hay trescientos cuestionarios llenados por los propietarios de los restaurantes de las regiones seleccionadas. SPSS se utiliza para el análisis de los datos y la regresión múltiple se utiliza para probar la hipótesis. Los resultados mostraron que la teoría de los comportamientos planificados influye significativamente en la intención del niño. Muchos dueños tomaron al niño como mano de obra porque es barato. Si bien la versión aumentada de la teoría de la conducta planificada también es un buen predictor de las intenciones del trabajo infantil. El gobierno y las ONG toman algunas medidas para eliminar el trabajo infantil y las envían a las escuelas.O trabalho infantil é um obstáculo social muito grave do mundo dos países em desenvolvimento, como o Paquistão. Ainda a maioria das crianças jovens estão trabalhando em diferentes setores para o sustento de suas casas. Este estudo explora o lamento antecipado e a norma moral na intenção dos consumidores de selecionar restaurantes de trabalho infantil com o objetivo de aumentar a teoria do comportamento planejado. Presente estudo realizado nos cinco distritos do sul de Punjab, Paquistão. Existem trezentos questionários preenchidos pelos proprietários dos restaurantes das regiões selecionadas. O SPSS é usado para a análise dos dados e a regressão múltipla é usada para testar a hipótese. Os resultados mostraram que a teoria dos construtos de comportamento planejados influencia significativamente a intenção da criança. Muitos proprietários levaram criança como um trabalho de parto porque é barato. Enquanto aumenta a versão da teoria do comportamento planejado também bom preditor das intenções de trabalho infantil. O governo e as ONGs tomam algumas medidas para eliminar o trabalho infantil e enviá-las para as escolas

Application of potassium, zinc and boron as potential plant growth modulators in Gossypium hirsutum L. under heat stress

High temperature stress at reproductive stages of cotton crop severely affects the yield and quality of cotton crop under changing climatic conditions. To alleviate the adverse effects of high temperature stress on cotton crop, the regulatory effects of potassium (K), zinc (Zn), and boron (B) were assessed by applying different temperature regimes at three reproductive stages of cotton crop under field and glass house conditions. Cotton plants were subjected to low (32/20 °C ± 2), medium (38/24 °C ± 2), and high (45/30 °C ± 2) temperatures under glasshouse, but sown at specific dates in field to provide different temperatures at three reproductive stages. High-temperature stress at squaring, flowering and boll formation stages in both field studies increased relative cell injury (RCI), total soluble proteins (TSP), reactive oxygen species and reduced fiber yield attributes i.e. total number of bolls per plant (TNBPP), number of sympodial branches per plant (NSBPP) and quality traits. For example, RCI, TNBPP and fiber fineness were reduced by 73%, 42% and 29%, respectively under supra thermal regime (SupTR) of glass house study over the optimal thermal regime (OpTR). Foliar application of K and Zn followed by B increased TSP, RWC, TNBPP, NSBPP, fiber fineness, fiber length and fiber strength. Further, foliar spray of K and Zn followed by B also reduced H2 O2 under SupTR and SubTR over the OpTR. The findings of the present study clearly demonstrate that foliar spray of Zn, K and B alleviated adverse effects of high temperature stress at squaring, flowering and boll formation stages and increased seed cotton yield and quality of cotton crop. © TÜBİTAK

Variable structure based control strategy for treatment of HCV infection

Hepatitis C is such a harmful disease which can lead to serious health problems and it is caused by the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) which causes liver inflammation and sometimes liver cancer. In this work, the control treatment strategy for HCV infection has been proposed. The advanced nonlinear dynamical mathematical model of HCV that has two control inputs and three state variables such as virions, infected hepatocytes and uninfected hepatocytes are considered for controller design in this research work. Moreover, four nonlinear controllers such as the Fractional Order Terminal Sliding Mode Controller (FOTSMC), Integral Terminal Sliding Mode Controller (ITSMC), Double Integral Sliding Mode Controller (DISMC) and Integral Sliding Mode Controller (ISMC) have been proposed in this work for HCV infection control inside the human body. In order to control the amount of uninfected hepatocytes to its required maximum safe limit, controllers are designed for antiviral therapy in which the amount of virions and infected hepatocytes are tracked to zero. One control input is ribavirin which blocks virions production and the other is pegylated interferon (peg-IFN-a) that acts as reducing infected hepatocytes. By doing so, uninfected hepatocytes increase and achieve the required maximum safe limit. To prove the stability of the whole system, Lyapunov stability analysis is used in this work. Simulation results and comparative analysis are carried out by using MATLAB/Simulink. It can be depicted from the given results that the virions and infected hepatocytes are reduced to their required levels completely using FOTSMC and the Sustained Virologic Response (SVR) rate is also enhanced in it. It reduces the treatment period as compared to previous strategies introduced in the literature and also system behaves very nicely even in the presence of un-modeled disturbances

Variable Structure-Based Control for Dynamic Temperature Setpoint Regulation in Hospital Extreme Healthcare Zones

In critical healthcare units, such as operation theaters and intensive care units, healthcare workers require specific temperature environments at different stages of an operation, which depends upon the condition of the patient and the requirements of the surgical procedures. Therefore, the need for a dynamically controlled temperature environment and the availability of the required heating/cooling electric power is relatively more necessary for the provision of a better healthcare environment as compared to other commercial and residential buildings, where only comfortable room temperature is required. In order to establish a dynamic temperature zone, a setpoint regulator is required that can control the zone temperature with a fast dynamic response, little overshoot, and a low settling time. Thus, two zone temperature regulators have been proposed in this article, including double integral sliding mode control (DISMC) and integral terminal sliding mode control (ITSMC). A realistic scenario of a hospital operation theater is considered for evaluating their responses and performance to desired temperature setpoints. The performance analysis and superiority of the proposed controllers have been established by comparison with an already installed Johnson temperature controller (JTC) for various time spans and specific environmental conditions that require setpoints based on doctors’ and patients’ desires. The proposed controllers showed minimal overshoot and a fast settling response, making them ideal controllers for operation theater (OT) zone temperature control

CSR Practices of a Company Toward Stakeholders: The Case of Pakistan Tobacco Company (PTC)

The performance of the companies in corporate sector is reliant greatly on the practices of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); therefore in today’s business environment companies are paying more attention to the sense of CSR. These companies also consider the aspects of socio-culture environment into business practices and compliance with other regulatory and ethical issues. However, it has been found that CSR is being practiced in Pakistani firms in tobacco industry because the concept is new for the emerging economies like Pakistan. The paper consists of brief study about the CSR practices on stakeholder dimension of Pakistan Tobacco Company (PTC). The basic aim of this paper is to examine that how companies engage their stakeholders in CSR activities and what is the role of stakeholders in CSR policies. This research was conducted by using a qualitative method and the case study of PTC.  Data has been collected from relevant scientific articles, research books, and online resources regarding CSR and stakeholders theoretical framework while empirical data was gathered through interviews and company annual reports. However, PTC products are injurious for customers’ health but their efforts for the environment and community make a good image of the company in the minds of customer and stakeholders. Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Stakeholder, Health & Safety Environment (HSE), Community Involvement, Pakistan Tobacco Company (PTC)