The Study "Insightroads: Exploration of Data Dissemination Techniques for Ensuring Safety in Vanets"

Vehicle Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) are ad hoc networks created for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in which vehicles communicate with one another to improve driving effectiveness and traffic safety without depending on a centralised infrastructure. To increase road safety, efficiency, and comfort, these networks allow vehicles to communicate data via sensors, GPS, and communication systems. By assuring accurate message transmission and lowering delivery delays, data dissemination mechanisms used in VANETs serve to further improve driver and passenger safety, productivity, and comfort. The existing literature on Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) includes a variety of proposed mechanisms for data dissemination. This paper aims to conduct literature review to examine the data dissemination techniques for safety applications in VANETs

Impact of postpartum anxiety and depression on child’s mental development from two peri-urban communities of Karachi, Pakistan: a quasi-experimental study

Background Postpartum anxiety and depression has detrimental effects on the overall mental development of children. This study aims to assess the impact of postpartum anxiety and depression on children’s mental development on all sub-scales in a Pakistani population. Methods A quasi-experimental study was conducted in two peri-urban communities of Karachi, a mega city of Pakistan, to assess the impact of postpartum anxiety and depression on children’s growth and mental development. A total of 420 women were enrolled, who had given consent out of 651 pregnant women identified, during February 2004 to December 2005. Data for socio-demographic, home environment and family relationship variables were collected between 36 weeks of pregnancy and within 10 days of childbirth. Mother’s levels of anxiety and depression were assessed at 1, 2, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 months of childbirth. An indigenous, validated screening instrument- Aga Khan University Anxiety and Depression scale was used and diagnostic confirmation was done through a psychologist’s interview, based on DSM IV criteria. Children’s growth and development was monitored in the same sequence using an Early Childhood Development tool that consists of five subscales; socio emotional, language, cognitive, gross motor and fine motor development. Physical growth was monitored by measuring height and weight of the child. Data was analyzed using SAS 9.2. Multivariable Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) logistic regression was conducted to identify association of postpartum anxiety and depression with each early childhood development indicator, adjusting for parental and child factors. Results A significant association of postpartum anxiety and depression with delayed development on all five subscales of children’s mental development was found in our study. Interestingly, our study found that higher maternal age had adverse effects on child’s emotional whereas positive impact on child’s cognitive development. Children’s stunting had an adverse impact on all five subscales of children’s development. Male children were at higher risk for delayed language and gross motor development relative to female children. Conclusions Our study found that postpartum anxiety and depression is associated with adverse outcomes regarding children’s mental development on all sub-scales. The impact was accentuated by low family income or child’s increasing age

Feeding Ecology of Reintroduced Blackbucks in Lal Suhanra National Park, Bahawalpur

The study was conducted in Lal Suhanra National Park, Bahawalpur, in June 2021. This study aimed to explore the food habits and dry matter intake of reintroduced blackbuck in Lal Suhanra. The critical methods employed in this study were the direct observation of food, bite rate, and fecal output of blackbuck aided with binoculars (8 × 50). A total of 3840 bites in the RD 65 enclosure and 3929 edges in the RD 65 enclosure were recorded, accounting for the average bite rates of 43.5 bites/min in RD 25 and 44.03 bites/min in RD 65. The average dry weight of the bite was 0.067 g in the enclosure RD 25 and 0.081g in RD 65. Total dry matter intake for an adult blackbuck was 1.07 kg/day in RD 25 and 1.09 kg/day in RD 65. The average daily defecation rate was 7.34 times and 7.89 times in both enclosures. Daily fecal output in average dry weight was 362g for RD 25 and 340 g for RD 65. Dry matter digestibility was, on average, 66.32 % for RD 25 and 68.97 % for RD 65. The blackbuck at RD 65 are more healthy, with a high birth rate and less mortality. The blackbuck preferred 8 plant species and 10 plant species for feeding at RD 25 and RD 65 respectively. For their long-term survival in LSNP, control of diseases, cultivation of seasonal food, plantation of edible plants, habitat extension, and proper management should be considered

Effects of Low Molecular Weight and Unfractionated Heparin on Lipoprotein Lipase and Lipid Profile in haemodialysis patients

Introduction: In haemodialysis patients, mortality from cardiovascular disease is much greater than in the general population. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of two different types of heparin, low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) and high molecular weight heparin (HMWH), on lipid profile in patients undergoing haemodialysis. Material & Methods: A total of 60 patients on haemodialysis were selected from two main hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan and were divided into two major groups based on the type of heparin used. A 5 ml blood sample was taken from the dialysis machine to get the serum and was kept frozen at -20ºC for analysis of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein. Comparison of lipoprotein lipase activity between groups were evaluated by using the student t-test. A P-value of ? 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Gender wise distribution of study population (n=60) was 67% (n=40) males and 33% (n=20) females. The age distribution of individuals varied from 39-43 years. Moreover, use of HMWH was high in males (73%) as compared to female (27%) with an average age of 39 ± 12 years where duration of haemodialysis was 4.44 ± 2.83. A significant difference in LPL activity related to different times in all patients was observed. A clearer difference observed in case of LDL where LPL activity was markedly different in both groups. Our data showed that individuals using LMWH had less chances of dyslipidaemia as compared to those using HMWH. Conclusion: LMWH is a useful and safe anticoagulant during haemodialysis as compared to HMWH

Adapting an undergraduate dental objectively structured clinical examination (OSCE) during COVID‑19

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Assessment of anxiety and depression in hospitalized cardiac patients of Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology, Pakistan

Purpose: To assess the level of anxiety and depression in hospitalized cardiac patients in Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology, Faisalabad, Pakistan.Methods: The study was conducted on hospitalized cardiac patients at Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology (FIC), Faisalabad. Aga Khan University Anxiety and Depression Scale (AKUADS) was applied to estimate the occurrence of depression and anxiety in selected participants. This study involved 400 diagnosed hospitalized cardiac patients and another 400 participants without cardiac disease as control group.Results: The anxiety and depression level in hospitalized cardiac patient’s was 79.5% (318), compared with 68.25 % (273) of the control group. Female patients were also more prone to depression than male patients. Psychological suffering was 1.80 times more in the hospitalized cardiac patients (OR = 1.804, 95 %CI = 1.308 - 2.488, p = 0.0001). The results showed that gender was the leading factor in the occurrence of co-morbidities such as depression and anxiety.Conclusion: Depression symptoms are more common among hospitalized patients than in those without cardiac disease. Close monitoring is required and patients with psychiatric illness should be referred for appropriate treatment to overcome this risk.Keywords: Hypertension, Anxiety, Depression, Gender, Cardiac patient

Prevalence of AntiHelicobacter pylori Antibodies among Students of Cihan University, Erbil

Helicobacter pylori is resident in human stomach and causes chronic disease (peptic ulcer and gastritis). The mouth and colon were both known to host a large number of microbes. This study was carried out to investigate the seroprevalence of H. pylori infection among Cihan University students. A total of 197 blood samples were collected from the students (53 females and 144 males) from 13 departments of Cihan University, Erbil, and tested for anti-H. pylori antibodies, using rapid immunochromatography assay. Among 197 students tested, 44 (22.3%) showed positive reaction for H. pylori, 32 males and 12 females. It was non-significantly higher among students with ages ranged between 29 and 32 years old. Twenty-one of infected students were using tap water for drinking. Twenty-six (59.1%) of positive students experienced no symptoms and 18 (40.9%) were symptomatic (13.63% epigastric pain and 27.2% abdominal pain)

Post-auricular leech therapy reduced headache & migraine days in chronic migraine

Background: Migraine is an exceedingly common disorder that causes substantial pain, disability and societal burden. Unfortunately, conventional treatments are insufficient, inadequate, or associated with significant risks, such as overuse, abuse or addiction. The Unani system of Medicine has been treating migraine since centuries. Leech therapy (Irsale Alaq) has been employed successfully in severe persistent headache, mania and insomnia since decades. Aim: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the impact of post auricular leech therapy in migraine and to collect data to warrant further clinical trials. Methods: We conducted a case series on 7 patients who had failed conventional oral treatments for the migraine. After informed consent, post auricular leech therapy was done.  Patients were asked to keep detailed headache calendars, documenting the number of headache days, migraine days, the intensity of headaches/ migraines and analgesic usage. We compared these parameters before and after 2 months of therapy. Results: We observed a reduction in the number of headache & migraine days and amount of painkillers used without any adverse effects. (P≤ 0.01) Improvement in quality of life was also observed. Discussion: We reviewed the literature related to the medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis), used for the treatment in these cases. Leech saliva contains certain potent anesthetic, anti-inflammatory and vasodilator substances, suggesting plausible mechanisms of action in these cases. Conclusion: The preliminary findings indicate the safe and potential therapeutic role of leech therapy. So further trials should be carried out to explore the therapeutic potential of this therapy in chronic migraine. Keywords: Chronic Migraine, leech therapy, hirudo medicinalis, headache, Unani Medicine, complementary Medicine

N-(3-Eth­oxy­phen­yl)-4-methyl­benzene­sulfonamide

In the title compound, C15H17NO3S, the two aromatic rings make a dihedral angle of 69.42 (9)° with each other and the bridging C—N—S—C torsion angle is 65.76 (16)°. Weak intra­molecular C—H⋯O inter­actions may affect the mol­ecular conformation. Two neighbouring mol­ecules generate a hydrogen-bonded dimer about a center of inversion through a pair of inter­molecular N—H⋯O inter­actions, forming an R 2 2(8) ring motif. Furthermore, two inter­molecular C—H⋯π inter­actions contribute to the stability of the crystal packing

Predictors of diarrheal mortality and patterns of caregiver health seeking behavior in in Karachi, Pakistan

Background: Pakistan is unfortunately among the five countries that contributed to the most deaths due to diarrhea and pneumonia in 2010. To explore factors associated with diarrheal deaths we assessed care-seeking behavior and other predictors of diarrhea-related mortality in children in selected low-income peri-urban communities of Karachi, Pakistan.Methods: A mixed methods study (qualitative and quantitative) using matched case-control design and focus group discussions with parents of children with moderate to severe diarrhea (MSD) was undertaken. Cases were children Demographic, clinical, and care-related behavioral predictors of mortality were assessed. Conditional logistic regression was performed, matched adjusted odds ratios (mOR) are reported.Results: Parents of 77 cases and 154 controls were interviewed. Cases were less likely to receive appropriate care compared to controls (mOR=0.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.05-0.91). Refusal for hospital admission (OR=8.9, 95% CI 2.6-30.8), and delays in reaching the health facility (OR=3.6, 95% CI 1.0-12.9) were significant independent predictors of mortality. We found strong beliefs in traditional and spiritual healing in the population; use of both modern and traditional/spiritual treatments concurrently was common.Conclusion: Appropriate care seeking behavior predicts survival in children with diarrhea in Pakistan. There is a complex belief system relating to traditional and standard therapies. Health education for appropriate health care seeking should be implemented in order to achieve a substantial decline in diarrheal disease mortality in Pakistan