Multiple Effects of Host Density on Egg Density and the Sex Ratio of Progeny of Bracon hebetor (Say.) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Insect parasitoid optimises their reproductive potential by exploiting host immune system, varying clutch size and progeny sex ratio with reference to the host density. Egg density and the progeny sex ratio of Bracon hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was studied in relation to the larval density of its host Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Our findings revealed that parasitoid’s egg density increased with the increase in host density. A comparison was made between egg laying and egg hatching on different host densities and maximum number of egg laying was observed (134.7 eggs) at the highest host densities (16 larvae) while a minimum number of egg laying (15.6 eggs) was registered at lowest host density (one larvae). The egg hatching was decreased due to crowding of eggs laid on host’s larvae and the percentage of adult emergence was also decreased with the increase in crowding of eggs on host’s larvae. It was observed that progeny sex ratio (male/total) increased with the increase in host density. Further dispersion pattern of parasitoid eggs on different host densities were estimated by the Green index. This study has generated novel information on egg laying, egg dispersion and sex ratio of B. hebetor which may lead to the development of sustainable biocontrol programs for lepidopteron insect pests

Physical and Psychological Impacts on COVID-19 Hospitalized Patients of 3rd Wave

Background: COVID shelters and many emergency centers were established as a countermeasure to control this pandemic that hit the word by the end of 2019. Due to unavailability of medical care, along with physical health issues, these patients suffer with mental health related issues. Aims: This study aimed to explore the both, physical and psychological impacts upon the patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted in intensive care units of hospitals of Pakistan during the third wave. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was performed during the peak time of COVID-19 for the duration of two months i.e. April & May 2021. After getting ethical approval from Shifa International Hopsital (Ref# 070-021), permission was sorted from public and private hospitals of Pakistan. 183 conscious patients diagnosed with COVID and currently admitted in intensive care units were randomly selected from hospitals of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Written consent was taken from patients and their caregivers after they were briefed regarding the importance of the study. PHQ-15 was used to assess somatic symptoms related to COVID-19 whereas DASS-21 was used to assess level of depression, anxiety and stress among patients. Results: Of 183 hospitalized patients of COVID-19 in intensive care units, 170 (92.9%) participants showed mild to severe level of somatic symptoms on PHQ-15. Shortness of breath, feeling hearth race, back pain, stomach pain, low energy and sleeping difficulties were the most common somatic complaints reported by patients. The statistics of DASS-21 showed that 51 (27.86%) participants had mild to severe level of depression, 74 (40.4%) had mild to profound level of anxiety and 96 (52.45%) reported mild to profound level of stress. Conclusion: This study portrayed a better understanding and confirms the physical and psychological impacts upon hospitalized COVID-19 patients, therefore highlighting the need of both physical and mental health interventions to minimize these impacts

Model-based in silico analysis of the PI3K/Akt pathway: the elucidation of cross-talk between diabetes and breast cancer

Background A positive association between diabetes and breast cancer has been identified by various epidemiological and clinical studies. However, the possible molecular interactions between the two heterogeneous diseases have not been fully determined yet. There are several underlying mechanisms which may increase the risk of breast cancer in diabetic patients. Introduction In this study, we focused on the role of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) enzyme in the regulation of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) pathway through activation/deactivation of Akt protein. The efficiency of insulin signaling in adipocytes is reduced as a result of OGT overexpression which further attenuates Akt signaling; as a result, the efficiency of insulin signaling is reduced by downregulation of insulin-responsive genes. On the other hand, increased expression of OGT results in Akt activation in breast cancer cells, leading to enhanced cell proliferation and inhibition of the apoptosis. However, the interplay amongst these signaling pathways is still under investigation. Methods In this study, we used Petri nets (PNs) to model and investigate the role of PI3K and OGT pathways, acting as key players in crosstalk between diabetes and breast cancer, resulting in progression of these chronic diseases. Moreover, in silico perturbation experiments were applied on the model to analyze the effects of anti-cancer agents (shRNA and BZX) and anti-diabetic drug (Metformin) on the system. Results Our PN model reflects the alterations in protein expression and behavior and the correlation between breast cancer and diabetes. The analysis proposed two combination therapies to combat breast cancer progression in diabetic patients including combination of OGTmRNA silencing and OGT inhibitor (BZX) as first combination and BZX and Metformin as the second. Conclusion The PN model verified that alterations in O-GlcNAc signaling affect both insulin resistance and breast cancer. Moreover, the combination therapy for breast cancer patients consisting of anti-diabetic drugs such as Metformin along with OGT inhibitors, for example BZX, can produce better treatment regimens

Effectiveness of a peer-delivered, psychosocial intervention on maternal depression and child development at 3 years postnatal: a cluster randomised trial in Pakistan

Maternal depression has a recurring course that can influence offspring outcomes. Evidence on how to treat maternal depression to improve longer-term maternal outcomes and reduce intergenerational transmission of psychopathology is scarce, particularly for task-shifted, low-intensity, and scalable psychosocial interventions. We evaluated the effects of a peer-delivered, psychosocial intervention on maternal depression and child development at 3 years postnatal

Predictors of Prenatal Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural Pakistan

Objective: To determine the prevalence and association of prenatal depression with socioeconomic, demographic and personal factors among pregnant women living in Kallar Syedan, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Methods: Five hundred women in the second and third trimester of pregnancy, living in Kallar Syedan, a rural area of district Rawalpindi Pakistan, were included in the study. Depression was assessed using “Patient health questionnaire” (PHQ9) in Urdu, with a cut-off score of 10. Multi-dimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS) was used to assess perceived social support. Life Events and Difficulties Schedule (LEDS) were used to measure stressful life events in past 1 year. Tool to assess intimate partner violence (IPV) was based on WHO Multi Country Study on “Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women.” Results: Prevalence of prenatal depression was found to be 27%. Number of pregnancies was significantly associated with prenatal depression (p < 0.01). Women living in a joint family and those who perceived themselves as moderately satisfied or not satisfied with their life in the next 4 years were found to be depressed (p < 0.01, OR 6.9, CI 1.77–26.73). Depressive symptomatology in women who experienced more than five stressful life events in last 1 year was three times higher (p < 0.001, OR 3.2, CI 1.68–5.98) than in women with 1–2 stressful events. Women who were supported by their significant others or their family members had 0.9 times (p < 0.01, OR 0.9, CI 0.85–0.96) less chance of getting depressed. Pregnant women who were psychologically abused by their partners were 1.5 times more depressed (p < 0.05 CI 1.12–2.51). Odds of having depression was also high in women who had less mean score of MSSI (p < 0.05, OR 1.1, CI 1.01–1.09). Women who had suitable accommodation had 0.5 times less chance of having depression than others (p < 0.05, OR 0.5, CI 0.27–0.92). Conclusion: Over a quarter of the women in the study population reported prenatal depression, which were predicted predominantly by psychosocial variables

Effectiveness of a peer-delivered, psychosocial intervention on maternal depression and child development at 3 years of age: a cluster randomized trial in Pakistan

Background Maternal depression has a recurring course that can influence offspring outcomes. Evidence on how to treat maternal depression to improve longer-term maternal outcomes and reduce intergenerational transmission of psychopathology is scarce, particularly for task-shifted, low-intensity, and scalable psychosocial interventions. We evaluated the effects of a peer-delivered, psychosocial intervention on maternal depression and child development at 3 years postnatal. Methods 40 village clusters in Pakistan were randomly allocated using a computerised randomisation sequence to receive a group-based, psychosocial intervention and enhanced usual care for 36 months, or enhanced usual care alone. Pregnant women (≥18 years) were screened for moderate or severe symptoms of depression (patient health questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9] score ≥10) and were recruited into the trial (570 participants), and a cohort without depression (PHQ-9 score <10) was also enrolled (584 participants). Including the non-depressed dyads enabled us to determine how much of the excess risk due to maternal depression exposure the intervention could mitigate. Research teams responsible for identifying, obtaining consent, and recruiting trial participants were blind to the allocation status throughout the duration of the study, and principal investigators, site coordinators, statisticians, and members of the trial steering committee were also blinded to the allocation status until the analysis of 6-month data for the intervention. Primary outcomes were maternal depression symptoms and remission (PHQ-9 score <10) and child socioemotional skills (strengths and difficulties questionnaire [SDQ-TD]) at 36-months postnatal. Analyses were by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02658994. Findings From Oct 15, 2014 to Feb 25, 2016 46 village clusters were assessed for eligibility, of which 40 (including 1910 mothers were enrolled. After exclusions, 288 women were randomly assigned to the enhanced usual care group and 284 to the intervention group, and 1159 women were included in a group without prenatal depression. At 36-months postnatal, complete data were available from 889 mother-child dyads: 206 (72·5%) in the intervention group, 216 (75·3%) in the enhanced usual care group, and 467 (80·0%) women who did not have prenatal-depression. We did not observe significant outcome differences between the intervention group and the enhanced usual care group for the primary outcomes. The standardised mean difference of PHQ-9 total score was −0·13 (95% CI −0·33 to 0·07), relative risk of patient health questionnaire-9 remission was 1·00 (95% CI 0·88 to 1·14), and the SDQ-TD treatment estimate was −0·10 (95% CI −1·39 to 1·19). Interpretation Reduced symptom severity and high remission rates were seen across both the intervention and enhanced usual care groups, possibly masking any effects of the intervention. A multi-year, psychosocial intervention can be task-shifted via peers but might be susceptible to reductions in fidelity and dosage over time (which were not among the outcomes of this trial). Early intervention efforts might need to rely on multiple models (eg, collaborative care), be of greater intensity, and potentially targeted at mothers who are at high risk for depression to reduce the intergenerational transmission of psychopathology from mothers to children. Funding National Institutes of Health

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of EAT-26 questionnaire in Urdu

EAT-26 questionnaire is used globally to screen people for the risk of eating disorders. In addition to this, the EAT-26 is being used in its original English version in research and clinical settings due to unavailability of the Urdu version. Therefore, the aim of this study was to introduce the Urdu version of EAT-26 to clinicians and academicians in Pakistan, interested in the assessment of population at risk of eating disorders. After getting the formal permission for translation by Dr. D. M. Garner, WHO guidelines were followed for the translation and adaptation process. Two independent translators with psychological background worked under the supervision of a lead to produce the definitive version following six steps of translation and adaptation. Cognitive interviews and focused group discussions helped in the assessment process for the understanding level of translated Urdu version. The pre-final version showed comprehension and acceptability during initial pilot testing. • The final translated version of EAT-26 in Urdu will be available on Internet to use. It is expected that the use of EAT-26 will be widespread in Pakistan, aiming at the assessment of eating disorders. • The Urdu version of EAT-26 is finalized, and ready to use by researchers and clinicians in Pakistan

A decision-making strategy to combat CO2 _2 emissions using sine trigonometric aggregation operators with cubic bipolar fuzzy input

A cubic bipolar fuzzy set (CBFS) is by far the most efficient model for handling bipolar fuzziness because it carries both single-valued (SV) and interval-valued (Ⅳ) bipolar fuzzy numbers at the same time. The sine trigonometric function possesses two consequential qualities, namely, periodicity and symmetry, both of which are helpful tools for matching decision makers' conjectures. This article aims to integrate the sine function and cubic bipolar fuzzy data. As a result, sine trigonometric operational laws (STOLs) for cubic bipolar fuzzy numbers (CBFNs) are defined in this article. Premised on these laws, a substantial range of aggregation operators (AOs) are introduced. Certain features of these operators, including monotonicity, idempotency, and boundedness, are explored as well. Using the proffered AOs, a novel multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) strategy is developed. An extensive case study of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has been provided to show the viability of the suggested method. A numerical example is provided to manifest the feasibility of the developed approach. Finally, a comparison study is executed to discuss the efficacy of the novel MCGDM framework

INTERDEPENDENCE OF CANDIDA GROWTH AMONG MALES AND FEMALES IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF USE OF COMPLETE DENTURES ALL DAY LONG AND NIGHT

Background: The factors associated with infection in oral candida are countless. This infection is mainly caused by bad prosthetic cleanliness. Objective: The goal of current research study was to assess that how oral candida growth is influenced by wearing false teeth all over night and gender. Patients and Methods: The present research was organized at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore (October 2017 to August 2019). Total patients enrolled for this research were forty. The males and females were in equal number i.e. 20. These patients were between fifty to sixty-five years of age and complete denture wearer for first time. Those patients were not selected for the study who were found with smoking habit, diabetes and with the record of treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the previous six months. For the assemblage of sample, the method used was oral rinse on some time in a day. In this method, each patient was given ten milliliter of sterile saline in a sterile container that was disposable. They were asked to rinse for the time period of sixty seconds. Quantitative and qualitative growth of candida was examined and Gram stain, microscopy and colony count were measured after sending the sample to Microbiology section of pathology department of the hospital. Results: It is concluded by the results that candida growth is increased by overnight denture wearing. It was also observed that after one month of wearing complete denture, the dissimilarity in candida growth in females was valuable. Conclusion: It is concluded that dentures should be removed during night, as in case of eyeglasses. In this way, denture stomatitis will be avoided. Moreover, information should be provided about oral cleanliness to common people, especially to females. Keywords: Denture, Candida and Sterile Container

Petri Net-Based Model of Helicobacter pylori Mediated Disruption of Tight Junction Proteins in Stomach Lining during Gastric Carcinoma

Tight junctions help prevent the passage of digestive enzymes and microorganisms through the space between adjacent epithelial cells lining. However, Helicobacter pylori encoded virulence factors negatively regulate these tight junctions and contribute to dysfunction of gastric mucosa. Here, we have predicted the regulation of important tight junction proteins, such as Zonula occludens-1, Claudin-2 and Connexin32 in the presence of pathogenic proteins. Molecular events such as post translational modifications and crosstalk between phosphorylation, O-glycosylation, palmitoylation and methylation are explored which may compromise the integrity of these tight junction proteins. Furthermore, the signaling pathways disrupted by dysregulated kinases, proteins and post-translational modifications are reviewed to design an abstracted computational model showing the situation-dependent dynamic behaviors of these biological processes and entities. A qualitative hybrid Petri Net model is therefore constructed showing the altered host pathways in the presence of virulence factor cytotoxin-associated gene A, leading to the disruption of tight junction proteins. The model is qualitative logic-based, which does not depend on any kinetic parameter and quantitative data and depends on knowledge derived from experiments. The designed model provides insights into the tight junction disruption and disease progression. Model is then verified by the available experimental data, nevertheless formal in vitro experimentation is a promising way to ensure its validation. The major findings propose that H. pylori activated kinases are responsible to trigger specific post translational modifications within tight junction proteins, at specific sites. These modifications may favor alterations in gastric barrier and provide a route to bacterial invasion into host cells