Phytotoxic, Antibacterial and Haemagglutination activities of the aerial parts of Myrsine africana L.

The crude methanolic extract and various fractions derived from the aerial parts of Myrsine africana were screened in vitro for possible phytotoxic, antibacterial and haemagglutination activities. Moderate phytotoxic activity (31.25 %) was observed against Lemna minor L at 1000 μg/ml by chloroform fraction (CHCl3). The crude methanolic extract and CHCl3 fraction showed good antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae (MIC50 = 2.45 and 2.1 mg/ml respectively). The crude methanolic extract and other fractions showed moderate activity against tested bacterial strains. The CHCl3 and aqueous fractions showed no activity against Escherichia coli. Similarly, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and butanol (BuOH) fractions were found to be non active against Bacillus pumilus and Enterobacter aerogenes, respectively. Moderate haemagglutination activity was observed against human red blood cells (RBCs) of blood group AB- by crude methanolic extract and CHCl3 fraction and against AB+ by aqueous fraction, respectively. The plant specie can be a source of antibacterial agent(s) and phytolectins.Keywords: Myrsine africana, phytotoxicity, haemagglutination, antibacterial and MIC5

Cross-sectional study identifying forms of tobacco used by Shisha smokers in Pakistan

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the frequency of different forms of tobacco intake such as smoker\u27s tobacco, chewable tobacco and snuff tobacco among shisha smoker\u27s and to study the patterns and predictors of shisha smoking affecting youth from different cities of Pakistan. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted including youth from four cities. Participants were asked to fill out a data collection tool at shisha cafes, shopping malls and restaurants. Data was analyzed using SPSSv.18. RESULTS: A total of 406 participants, 296 (73%) males and 110 (27%) females were included in the study. There were 163 (40%) cigarette smokers; 65 (16%) chewed tobacco and 33 (8%) snuffed it. The median age at initiation of Shisha smoking was 20 years. 280 (69%) considered Shisha smoking to be less deleterious to health than cigarettes. Respiratory disease was the most commonly cited health effect reported. Most 248 (61%) of the participants were infrequent shisha smokers. CONCLUSION: There is high frequency of tobacco usage in the form of cigarettes, chewable tobacco and snuff tobacco among shisha smokers of Pakistan. The highest frequency is for cigarette smoking. The rise in Shisha smoking as a trendy social habit appears to be occurring despite emerging scientific evidence of its potential health risks

Parallel Stochastic Evolution Algorithms for Constrained Multiobjective Optimization

Stochastic evolution (StocE) is an evolutionary metaheuristic that has shown to achieve better solution qualities and runtimes when compared to some other well established stochastic metaheuristics. However, unlike these metaheuristics, parallelization of StocE has not been explored before. In this paper, we discuss a comprehensive set of parallel strategies for StocE using a constrained multiobjective VLSI cell placement as an optimization problem. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is demonstrated by comparing its results with results of parallel SA algorithms on the same optimization problem

Parallel Stochastic Evolution Algorithms for Constrained Multiobjective Optimization

Stochastic evolution (StocE) is an evolutionary metaheuristic that has shown to achieve better solution qualities and runtimes when compared to some other well established stochastic metaheuristics. However, unlike these metaheuristics, parallelization of StocE has not been explored before. In this paper, we discuss a comprehensive set of parallel strategies for StocE using a constrained multiobjective VLSI cell placement as an optimization problem. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is demonstrated by comparing its results with results of parallel SA algorithms on the same optimization problem

Whole genome sequencing of drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from a high burden tuberculosis region of North West Pakistan

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, is a leading infectious cause of mortality worldwide, including in Pakistan. Drug resistant M. tuberculosis is an emerging threat for TB control, making it important to detect the underlying genetic mutations, and thereby inform treatment decision making and prevent transmission. Whole genome sequencing has emerged as the new diagnostic to reliably predict drug resistance within a clinically relevant time frame, and its deployment will have the greatest impact on TB control in highly endemic regions. To evaluate the mutations leading to drug resistance and to assess for evidence of the transmission of resistant strains, 81 M. tuberculosis samples from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (North West Pakistan) were subjected to whole genome sequencing and standard drug susceptibility testing for eleven anti-TB drugs. We found the majority of M. tuberculosis isolates were the CAS/Delhi strain-type (lineage 3; n = 57; 70.4%) and multi-drug resistant (MDR; n = 62; 76.5%). The most frequent resistance mutations were observed in the katG and rpoB genes, conferring resistance to isoniazid and rifampicin respectively. Mutations were also observed in genes conferring resistance to other first and second-line drugs, including in pncA (pyrazinamide), embB (ethambutol), gyrA (fluoroquinolones), rrs (aminoglycosides), rpsL, rrs and giB (streptomycin) loci. Whilst the majority of mutations have been reported in global datasets, we describe unreported putative resistance markers in katG, ethA (ethionamide), gyrA and gyrB (fluoroquinolones), and pncA. Analysis of the mutations revealed that acquisition of rifampicin resistance often preceded isoniazid in our isolates. We also observed a high proportion (17.6%) of pre-MDR isolates with fluoroquinolone resistance markers, potentially due to unregulated anti-TB drug use. Our isolates were compared to previously sequenced strains from Pakistan in a combined phylogenetic tree analysis. The presence of lineage 2 was only observed in our isolates. Using a cut-off of less than ten genome-wide mutation differences between isolates, a transmission analysis revealed 18 M. tuberculosis isolates clustering within eight networks, thereby providing evidence of drug-resistant TB transmission in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Overall, we have demonstrated that drug-resistant TB isolates are circulating and transmitted in North West Pakistan. Further, we have shown the usefulness of whole genome sequencing as a diagnostic tool for characterizing M. tuberculosis isolates, which will assist future epidemiological studies and disease control activities in Pakistan

Validation of verbal autopsy tool for ascertaining the causes of stillbirth

Objective: To assess performance of the WHO revised verbal autopsy tool for ascertaining the causes of still birth in comparison with reference standard cause of death ascertained by standardized clinical and supportive data.Methods: All stillbirths at a tertiary hospital in Karachi, Pakistan were prospectively recruited into study from August 2006- February 2008. The reference standard cause of death was established by two senior obstetricians within 48 hours using the ICD coding system. Verbal autopsy interviews using modified WHO tool were conducted by trained health workers within 2- 6 weeks of still birth and the cause of death was assigned by second panel of obstetricians. The performance was assessed in terms of sensitivity, specificity and Kappa.Results: There were 204 still births. Of these, 80.8% of antepartum and 50.5% of intrapartum deaths were correctly diagnosed by verbal autopsy. Sensitivity of verbal autopsy was highest 68.4%, (95%CI: 46-84.6) for congenital malformation followed by obstetric complication 57.6%, (95%CI: 25-84.2). The specificity for all major causes was greater than 90%. The level of agreement was high (kappa=0.72) for anomalies and moderate (k=0.4) for all major causes of still birth, except asphyxia.Conclusion: Our results suggest that verbal autopsy has reasonable validity in identifying and discriminating between causes of stillbirth in Pakistan. On the basis of these findings, we feel it has a place in resource constrained areas to inform strategic planning and mobilization of resources to attain Millennium Development Goal

Assessment of Machine Learning Detection of Environmental Enteropathy and Celiac Disease in Children

University of Virginia Center for Engineering in Medicine GrantBill and Melinda Gates Foundation grants OPP1066203 and OPP1066118University of Virginia THRIV Scholar Career Development Award awarded to Dr Syed

The Spread of HIV in Pakistan: Bridging of the Epidemic between Populations

In the last two decades, ‘concentrated epidemics’ of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have established in several high risk groups in Pakistan, including Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) and among men who have sex with men (MSM). To explore the transmission patterns of HIV infection in these major high-risk groups of Pakistan, 76 HIV samples were analyzed from MSM, their female spouses and children, along with 26 samples from a previously studied cohort of IDUs. Phylogenetic analysis of HIV gag gene sequences obtained from these samples indicated a substantial degree of intermixing between the IDU and MSM populations, suggesting a bridging of HIV infection from IDUs, via MSM, to the MSM spouses and children. HIV epidemic in Pakistan is now spreading to the female spouses and offspring of bisexual MSM. HIV control and awareness programs must be refocused to include IDUs, MSM, as well as bisexual MSM, and their spouses and children