Clinical Characteristics and Cross Analysis of HIV and HCV Co-Infection in Faisalabad Region

About 150 and about 35 million human beings are infected with HCV (hepatitis C virus) as well as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) respectively. The increasing stress of HIV/HCV coinfection is supposed to infect five to seven million individuals globally due to their coinciding approaches of procurement. Co-infection of HCV/HIV in patients caused them to suffer from more liver-associated mortality and anguish. This paper aims to investigate the spread rate of the HIV and HCV coinfection in District Faisalabad. In this paper, blood samples of patients are evaluated and tested for anti-HIV/HCV antibodies employing the ICT (immune chromatography technique) for HIV/HCV confections. The six out 30 confirmed patients (real-time PCR) for HIV infection who also have HCV infection were analyzed for additional provisional clinical examination. In these patients, the hemoglobin (17.38±0.159 per dL), ALT (77 uL-1) and Hematocrit (50.60±0.255%) levels increased significantly than standard reference values. On the body, these facts could be developed due to HIV/HCV co-infection burden. An inverse relation has been demonstrated by these coinfected patients in the levels of hemoglobin as well as in platelets. With the usages of better supplements/nutrients, the above differential values can be improved and ultimately beneficial for the survival of the infected individuals. The Current paper could be convenient for appropriate perpetuation of HIV/HCV co-infected patients under related treatment

World Health Organization "School Mental Health Manual"-based training for school teachers in Urban Lahore, Pakistan: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background The teacher’s role in school mental health initiatives cannot be overemphasized. Despite global evidence of educational interventions in improving teachers’ knowledge and attitudes regarding mental health, this area remains under researched in Pakistan. This paper presents a study protocol of a pilot randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of a teacher training intervention for improving mental health literacy and self-efficacy among school teachers in urban Lahore, Pakistan. Methods The randomized controlled trial will follow the CONSORT guidelines. Participants will be allocated to the Intervention group (receiving the World Health Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO-EMRO) School Mental Health Manual-based intervention in three 6-h, face-to-face sessions) or a waitlist control group (not receiving training during the study period). Participants will be teachers of private schools with similar broad demographic characteristics in an inner city area of Lahore. The primary outcome measures for the trial is teachers’ mental health literacy. It will be assessed by using the previously applied (during WHO training of Master Trainers) self-administered questionnaire in both groups pre and post training and at 3 months’ follow-up. Secondary outcomes include: for teachers: Teachers’ self-efficacy (assessed by the Teachers’ Sense of Self Efficacy Scale (TSES) short form.); for students (11–16 years): socio-emotional skills and psychological problems measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (assessed at baseline and 3 months post intervention); for schools: the WHO School Psychosocial Profile Questionnaire (baseline and 3 months post intervention). Discussion Given the high prevalence of child mental health problems, stigma and lack of services, it is important to consider alternate avenues for promoting positive mental health among youth. This pilot study should establish the effectiveness of the WHO-EMRO School Mental Health Manual-based Intervention improving teacher’s mental health literacy and helping them to learn practical steps that can be implemented at low cost in school settings. It will also provide information regarding intervention implementation and sustainability. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02937714. Registered on 18 October 2016

Localized Algorithm for Segregation of Critical/Non-critical Nodes in Mobile Ad Hoc and Sensor Networks

AbstractTimely segregation of connectivity-centric critical/non-critical nodes is extremely crucial in mobile ad hoc and sensor networks to assess network vulnerabilities against critical node failures and provide precautionary means for survivability. This paper presents a localized algorithm for segregation of critical/non-critical nodes (LASCNN) that opts to distinguish critical/non-critical nodes to the network connectivity based on limited topology information. Each node establishes and maintains a k-hop connection list and employ LASCNN to determine whether it is critical/non- critical. Based on the list, LASCNN marks a node as critical if its k-hop neighbor's become disconnected without the node, non-critical otherwise. Simulation experiments demonstrate the scalability of LASCNN and shows the performance is quite competitive compared to a scheme with global network information. The accuracy of LASCNN in determining critical nodes is 87% (1-hop) and 93% (2-hop) and non-critical nodes 91% (1-hop) and 93% (2-hop)

Pattern of Presentation of Spinal Dysraphism: A Study of 72 Patients in Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar, Pakistan

Objective:  To review the pattern of presentation and current understanding of patients with spinal dysraphism in our local population. Material and Methods:  Cases of spinal dysraphism of any gender and age were admitted via OPD, emergency or referred from another department were included in the study. Information on demographics, developmental history, presenting symptoms , presence/absence of back swelling, hairy patches, a nevus, dimple, an appendage/ skin tag, lower limb function, sensory/ motor deficit, bowel and bladder dysfunction were recorded. MRI spine was done in all patients to know the exact diagnosis. Results:  Out of 72 cases, 52 (72.2%) presented with spina bifida Aperta (spina bifida cystica) while 20 (27.7%) with spina bifida occulta. Total 53 (73.6%) patients presented at the age of 0 – 1 years. 41 (56.9%) of the patient presented with visible sac, 35 (48.6%) swelling over the back, in 5 (6.9%) of patient have hairy patch and dermal sinus each, while 28 (38.8%) patients have neurological deficit. Most common type of spinal dysraphism was myelomeningocele 45 (62.5%). Postoperative course of patients with spinal dysraphism was found to be uneventful in 56 (77.7%), wound infection was seen in 11 (15.2%), deterioration of neurological status in 3 (4.16%) of cases. Conclusion:  Spinal dysraphism is not an uncommon condition in our local population its clinical presentation and features are in line with internationally reported literature. Our population is least aware of the adverse neurological outcomes of the condition and face difficulties to access the adequate healthcare for spinal dysraphism

A Review - Colorectal Cancer, Prevalence, along with Screening, Diagnosis, and Novel Therapies

Colorectal cancer is considering a communal health problem and in the whole world, its number is third in all cancers that were diagnosed. It causes a significant burden in terms of sickness and death with the estimation of seven lakhs annual deaths. In many countries of the world western way of life is rapidly adopted that is a well-debated factor for colorectal cancer and in term of primary preventive measures, it could be besieged. Comparatively slow advancement of this cancer allows severe reduction of occurrence and death rate with the help of secondary prevention. These facts motivate primary care physicians to play a key role in health plans that improve prevention and rapid diagnosis. In ancient years, the targeted therapies with combinational treatment have proven to be very effective for specific colorectal cancer patients. These therapies are epidermal growth factor, receptor inhibitor, and growth factor. As the advancements in clinic and science have visible that give new treatment options for metastatic colorectal cancer, the five-year existence rate is still fourteen percent low. But in other subtypes of colorectal cancer, the results may not be successful and not highly explored. We can reduce side effects and make the treatment effect by using alternative therapies instead of traditional therapies such as anticancer drugs, probiotics, etc. Herein, some major topics related to CRC in recent literature have been reviewed, to acknowledge its malignancy, risk, and defensive factors, along with the screening methodologies. Moreover, we also debate over preventive as well as screening strategies to fight against CRC

Sexual dysfunction in men after high energy pelvic fractures: Narrative review of targeted literature

Pelvic fractures represents high energy trauma with associated other organ injuries including intra-abdominal injuries, haemorrhage and extremity injuries. Anatomical location of genitourinary structures makes them vulnerable to injury with pelvic fracture. Incidence of sexual dysfunction varies in literature with 5% incidence of dysfunction in patients without urethral injury and 42% with urethral injuries. Hence in pelvic fracture, erectile dysfunction may be due to neurogenic, vascular, corporal and psychogenic injury. In this narrative review of targeted English literature from all level of evidences, which is written and supervised by experienced specialized orthopaedic, trauma and urology surgeons who were among the pioneers of conducting pelvis fracture management workshops in the country, we aim to describe the mechanism that can lead to erectile dysfunction after pelvic fracture, assessment principles, decision-making and preoperative planning and indications of operative managements

A Novel Machine Learning Based Two-Way Communication System for Deaf and Mute

first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle A Novel Machine Learning Based Two-Way Communication System for Deaf and Mute by Muhammad Imran Saleem 1,2,*ORCID,Atif Siddiqui 3ORCID,Shaheena Noor 4ORCID,Miguel-Angel Luque-Nieto 1,2ORCID andPablo Otero 1,2ORCID 1 Telecommunications Engineering School, University of Malaga, 29010 Malaga, Spain 2 Institute of Oceanic Engineering Research, University of Malaga, 29010 Malaga, Spain 3 Airbus Defence and Space, UK 4 Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi 75300, Pakistan * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(1), 453; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13010453 Received: 12 November 2022 / Revised: 22 December 2022 / Accepted: 26 December 2022 / Published: 29 December 2022 Download Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract Deaf and mute people are an integral part of society, and it is particularly important to provide them with a platform to be able to communicate without the need for any training or learning. These people rely on sign language, but for effective communication, it is expected that others can understand sign language. Learning sign language is a challenge for those with no impairment. Another challenge is to have a system in which hand gestures of different languages are supported. In this manuscript, a system is presented that provides communication between deaf and mute (DnM) and non-deaf and mute (NDnM). The hand gestures of DnM people are acquired and processed using deep learning, and multiple language support is achieved using supervised machine learning. The NDnM people are provided with an audio interface where the hand gestures are converted into speech and generated through the sound card interface of the computer. Speech from NDnM people is acquired using microphone input and converted into text. The system is easy to use and low cost. (...)This research has been partially funded by Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain

Dopamine-Agonist Induced Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea; a Case Report

Introduction: Prolactinomas are the most common pituitary adenomas. Medical therapy with dopamine agonists (DA) is the mainstay of treatment and rarely requires surgical manipulation. Patients may rarely present with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea after starting therapy with DA in case of massive or invasive prolactinomas. Case Description: We present a case of a 29-year-old lady with invasive prolactinoma who presented with CSF rhinorrhea after a month of starting bromocriptine therapy with the development of meningitis and warranting early surgical repair. Practical Implications: Patients with macroprolactinoma should be closely monitored initially after starting on dopamine agonists to avoid life-threatening complications