From Ideology to Economics: Understanding the Conflict between two Countries

Religious and ideological disparities have contributed to tensions between the two nations. The division of British India in 1947 along religious lines created a deep-seated divide, leading to ongoing conflicts. A key factor is the territorial dispute over Kashmir. Both countries claim Kashmir, resulting in multiple wars and persistent tensions. Political, military, and economic interests, as well as national pride, drive this dispute. India and Pakistan both seek regional dominance in South Asia. Kashmir’s strategic location near China adds complexity. Control over Kashmir allows Pakistan a land link with China, while India sees it as crucial for its territorial integrity. The legacy of the 1947 partition of British India plays a significant role. Along religious lines, the partition caused riots and mass migrations, leaving a lasting impact on relations. International Involvement: Global powers have strategic and economic interests in the region, influencing the conflict dynamics. The international community has been concerned with various attempts at mediation and resolution. The G20 summit, which India is hosting in 2023, is another platform where the Kashmir issue may be raised or sidelined by the two countries, depending on their strategies and objectives. Pakistan has opposed India’s decision to hold a G20 meeting in Srinagar, the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir. Conversely, India has asserted its sovereignty over the entire region and dismissed Pakistan’s objections. The G20 summit may also offer an opportunity for dialogue and cooperation between India and Pakistan on other global issues, such as climate change, economy, and development. Kashmir’s rich natural resources, including fruits, saffron, and minerals, offer economic benefits. India and Pakistan aim to benefit from these resources and tourism potential, adding another layer to the conflict. The India-Pakistan conflict is complex, involving religious, ideological, territorial, historical, geopolitical, and economic factors. Resolving this multifaceted issue requires addressing all these dimensions comprehensively. To research the India-Pakistan conflict, we can employ a multidisciplinary research methodology to comprehensively address the various dimensions involved: Historical Analysis, case studies, geopolitical analysis, and economic analysis

A novel educational tool for teaching ocular ultrasound

Ocular ultrasound is now in increasing demand in routine ophthalmic clinical practice not only because it is noninvasive but also because of ever-advancing technology providing higher resolution imaging. It is however a difficult branch of ophthalmic investigations to grasp, as it requires a high skill level to interface with the technology and provide accurate interpretation of images for ophthalmic diagnosis and management. It is even more labor intensive to teach ocular ultrasound to another fellow clinician. One of the fundamental skills that proved difficult to learn and teach is the need for the examiner to “mentally convert” 2-dimensional B-scan images into 3-dimensional (3D) interpretations. An additional challenge is the requirement to carry out this task in real time. We have developed a novel approach to teach ocular ultrasound by using a novel 3D ocular model. A 3D virtual model is built using widely available, open source, software. The model is then used to generate movie clips simulating different movements and orientations of the scanner head. Using Blender, Quicktime motion clips are choreographed and collated into interactive quizzes and other pertinent pedagogical media. The process involves scripting motion vectors, rotation, and tracking of both the virtual stereo camera and the model. The resulting sequence is then rendered for twinned right- and left-eye views. Finally, the twinned views are synchronized and combined in a format compatible with the stereo projection apparatus. This new model will help the student with spatial awareness and allow for assimilation of this awareness into clinical practice. It will also help with grasping the nomenclature used in ocular ultrasound as well as helping with localization of lesions and obtaining the best possible images for echographic diagnosis, accurate measurements, and reporting

AI and Diplomacy: A New Era for Nuclear Arms Control

This in-depth analysis explains the complex implications and uses of AI technologies in influencing international security as it critically investigates the relationship between AI and nuclear arms control. The review begins by placing the difficulties surrounding nuclear arms control in context and emphasizes the critical role artificial intelligence plays in this field. The advantages and drawbacks of AI integration are carefully examined with particular reference to nuclear weapons detection, arms control agreement verification, and predictive modeling. Using both qualitative and quantitative data from primary and secondary sources, including surveys, interviews, scholarly publications, and official documents, the review uses a mixed-methods approach. To produce a thorough and exacting evaluation of the research questions, the data is analyzed using a variety of methodologies, including content analysis, statistical analysis, and scenario analysis. Including case studies on major agreements, like the START-3 agreement and the Iran nuclear deal, the review offers concrete insights into the useful application of AI in real-world scenarios. The ethical implications of AI’s role in nuclear arms control are examined in detail, highlighting the necessity of putting safeguards and procedures in place to guarantee deployment that is both responsible and moral. The conclusion’s summary of the main findings highlights AI’s transformative potential and stresses the need to address ethical issues to ensure a more secure future for everyone on the planet. This academic investigation offers significant contributions to the current discourse on the intersection of artificial intelligence and nuclear arms control, offering insightful information to scholars, decision-makers, and interested parties

Non-invasive discrimination of roasted and unroasted cocoa bean shell of cocoa clones in Ghana and quantification of nutritional and bioactive components: a chemometric approach

Cocoa bean shell (CBS) remains a commonly produced by-product of cocoa bean processing. It is usually obtained from fermented and dried cocoa beans that are roasted. The study investigated the potential use of Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis for discriminating roasted and unroasted CBS among cocoa clones and quantifying some nutritional and bioactive components in Ghana. Five clones, comprising four important seed gardens clones used across West Africa and one criollo were evaluated. Cocoa beans from the different clones (T60/887, VENC 4, MO 20, PA 150 and T60/887 × POUND 7) were divided into two parts, with one part roasted at a temperature of 120 °C for 50 min while the other part was kept unroasted. The CBSs were milled and passed through a 425 μm pore-sized sieve to obtain the powder. A handheld portable NIRS was used to scan the CBS powder in Ziplock bags. The nutritional and bioactive characterisation was carried out using official methods. NIRS discriminated the various clones of roasted and unroasted CBS. Carbohydrate was the predominant macronutrient, and ash content ranged from 5.25 to 8.24%. The CBS was high in potassium (2382–3144 mg/100 g) and low in sodium (25.67–51.33 mg/100 g). Total flavonoids and phenolics ranged from 8.61 to 40.71 mgQE/g and 6.34–12.25 mgGAE/g, respectively, for the roasted and unroasted CBS. To ensure better differentiation of cocoa beans from different clones using NIRS, incorporating roasting as a processing parameter is recommended.fals

Moderating effect of sleep quality in the relationship between coping and distress among medical students

Introduction: The present study examined the moderating effects of sleep quality in the relationship between coping and distress among medical college students. Present study was conducted to ensure the mental health of medical students and to dig out the reasons behind their disturbed health which can directly impact their performance at work. Methods: The study utilized a cross-sectional survey and was distributed to students at various medical institutions in the Punjab province of Pakistan from October 2019 to June 2020. The sample comprised 369 participants (120 males; 32.5%). The survey included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Kessler Scale of Psychological Distress (K10), Brief Cope Scale, and Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale. Results: The results showed there was a significant relationship between coping and distress. More specifically, adaptive coping and distress were negatively associated (r=-.24), and maladaptive coping and distress were positively associated (r=.46). Moreover, the present study found that poor sleep quality was a significant positive predictor of distress. Moderation analysis showed that sleep quality was a significant moderator in the relationship between adaptive coping and distress (ΔR2=.011, β=-.36, p<.01) as well as between maladaptive coping and distress (ΔR2=.021, β=-.17, p<.01). Conclusion: The study’s findings clearly showed that sleep quality is a significant moderator in the relationship between coping (both adaptive and maladaptive) and distress among medical students

Impact of severity, duration, and etiology of hyperthyroidism on bone turnover markers and bone mineral density in men

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hyperthyroidism is accompanied by osteoporosis with higher incidence of fracture rates. The present work aimed to study bone status in hyperthyroidism and to elucidate the impact of severity, duration, and etiology of hyperthyroidism on biochemical markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density (BMD).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifty-two male patients with hyperthyroidism, 31 with Graves' disease (GD) and 21 with toxic multinodular goiter (TNG), with an age ranging from 23 to 65 years were included, together with 25 healthy euthyroid men with matched age as a control group. In addition to full clinical examination, patients and controls were subjected to measurement of BMD using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometery scanning of the lower half of the left radius. Also, some biochemical markers of bone turnover were done for all patients and controls.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Biochemical markers of bone turnover: included serum bone specific alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, carboxy terminal telopeptide of type l collagen also, urinary deoxypyridinoline cross-links (DXP), urinary DXP/urinary creatinine ratio and urinary calcium/urinary creatinine ratio were significantly higher in patients with GD and TNG compared to controls (P < 0.01). However, there was non-significant difference in these parameters between GD and TNG patients (P > 0.05). BMD was significantly lower in GD and TNG compared to controls, but the Z-score of BMD at the lower half of the left radius in patients with GD (-1.7 ± 0.5 SD) was not significantly different from those with TNG (-1.6 ± 0.6 SD) (>0.05). There was significant positive correlation between free T3 and free T4 with biochemical markers of bone turnover, but negative correlation between TSH and those biochemical markers of bone turnover. The duration of the thyrotoxic state positively correlated with the assessed bone turnover markers, but it is negatively correlated with the Z-score of BMD in the studied hyperthyroid patients (r = -0.68, P < 0.0001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Men with hyperthyroidism have significant bone loss with higher biochemical markers of bone turnover. The severity and the duration of the thyrotoxic state are directly related to the derangement of biochemical markers of bone turnover and bone loss.</p

Cardiogenic Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells Streamlined Through a Conserved SDF-1/VEGF/BMP2 Integrated Network

BACKGROUND: Pluripotent stem cells produce tissue-specific lineages through programmed acquisition of sequential gene expression patterns that function as a blueprint for organ formation. As embryonic stem cells respond concomitantly to diverse signaling pathways during differentiation, extraction of a pro-cardiogenic network would offer a roadmap to streamline cardiac progenitor output. METHODS AND RESULTS: To resolve gene ontology priorities within precursor transcriptomes, cardiogenic subpopulations were here generated according to either growth factor guidance or stage-specific biomarker sorting. Innate expression profiles were independently delineated through unbiased systems biology mapping, and cross-referenced to filter transcriptional noise unmasking a conserved progenitor motif (55 up- and 233 down-regulated genes). The streamlined pool of 288 genes organized into a core biological network that prioritized the "Cardiovascular Development" function. Recursive in silico deconvolution of the cardiogenic neighborhood and associated canonical signaling pathways identified a combination of integrated axes, CXCR4/SDF-1, Flk-1/VEGF and BMP2r/BMP2, predicted to synchronize cardiac specification. In vitro targeting of the resolved triad in embryoid bodies accelerated expression of Nkx2.5, Mef2C and cardiac-MHC, enhanced beating activity, and augmented cardiogenic yield. CONCLUSIONS: Transcriptome-wide dissection of a conserved progenitor profile thus revealed functional highways that coordinate cardiogenic maturation from a pluripotent ground state. Validating the bioinformatics algorithm established a strategy to rationally modulate cell fate, and optimize stem cell-derived cardiogenesis

Acetonic Extract of Buxus sempervirens Induces Cell Cycle Arrest, Apoptosis and Autophagy in Breast Cancer Cells

Plants are an invaluable source of potential new anti-cancer drugs. Here, we investigated the cytotoxic activity of the acetonic extract of Buxus sempervirens on five breast cancer cell lines, MCF7, MCF10CA1a and T47D, three aggressive triple positive breast cancer cell lines, and BT-20 and MDA-MB-435, which are triple negative breast cancer cell lines. As a control, MCF10A, a spontaneously immortalized but non-tumoral cell line has been used. The acetonic extract of Buxus sempervirens showed cytotoxic activity towards all the five studied breast cancer cell lines with an IC50 ranging from 7.74 µg/ml to 12.5 µg/ml. Most importantly, the plant extract was less toxic towards MCF10A with an IC50 of 19.24 µg/ml. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis showed that the plant extract induced cell death and cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase in MCF7, T47D, MCF10CA1a and BT-20 cell lines, concomitant to cyclin D1 downregulation. Application of MCF7 and MCF10CA1a respective IC50 did not show such effects on the control cell line MCF10A. Propidium iodide/Annexin V double staining revealed a pre-apoptotic cell population with extract-treated MCF10CA1a, T47D and BT-20 cells. Transmission electron microscopy analyses indicated the occurrence of autophagy in MCF7 and MCF10CA1a cell lines. Immunofluorescence and Western blot assays confirmed the processing of microtubule-associated protein LC3 in the treated cancer cells. Moreover, we have demonstrated the upregulation of Beclin-1 in these cell lines and downregulation of Survivin and p21. Also, Caspase-3 detection in treated BT-20 and T47D confirmed the occurrence of apoptosis in these cells. Our findings indicate that Buxus sempervirens extract exhibit promising anti-cancer activity by triggering both autophagic cell death and apoptosis, suggesting that this plant may contain potential anti-cancer agents for single or combinatory cancer therapy against breast cancer