Do Legal and Institutional Reforms in Punjab, Pakistan Protect Women’s Inherited Land Rights?

Economic marginalization is a key feature of gender inequality globally. In Pakistan, which ranks 153 out of 156 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index Report 2020, economic marginalization has significantly hampered efforts towards inclusivity. In comparison to dismal levels of female literacy and formal occupation (traditional measures of development), inheritance is an interesting category—a right enshrined both in Islam (the official state religion) and the country’s constitution. Given Pakistan’s agrarian and otherwise rent-seeking economic orientation, land inheritance plays a pivotal role in financial wellbeing regardless of gender. However, a pervasive denial of women’s inheritance rights has been the norm. Considering the data and impelled by its international obligations, the Government criminalized denial of inheritance in 2011, followed by a series of legal and institutional reforms in the province of Punjab. These reforms include provisions for help desks dedicated to women at key offices, digitization of land records, and clamping down on anti-women practices that aid denial of inheritance. It is alarming to note that not much has changed in terms of women’s land inheritance since 2011. To understand what is impeding the amendment’s efficacy, the study frames these developments from a socialist feminist perspective and captures the opinions of experts engaged with the cause in various capacities. We selected Punjab as a case study and recruited twelve legal, revenue, Islamic, and women’s right experts through purposive sampling. In-depth interviews were conducted, and the findings were thematically organized. Experts largely agreed that cultural change is a long-term process and that there has been a patriarchal monopoly of Islamic interpretation. On a more practical end, issues plaguing developing economies were highlighted in addition to institutionalized patriarchy, female mobility, patriarchal control of citizenship and land documents, and bureaucratic hurdles. We recommend the recruitment of more female staff in all relevant offices, adoption of better data management practices catering to institutional harmony, and that district inheritance committees be operationalized, among other measures

Brain Abscesses in Children: A Study of Microbiological Spectrum and Outcome of 80 Cases

Objective:  Brain abscess is a focus of pus in the brain due to infection somewhere else in the body. It is common in males than females and the average age in children ranges from 4 to 7 years. It develops by skull trauma or contiguous or hematogenous spread of infection. The study aimed to identify the pattern of microbiological involvement in the etiology of pediatric brain abscesses and the outcome so as to enable us to ensure definitive treatment with the appropriate and specific antimicrobial regimen. Materials and Methods:  A prospective study was conducted in 80 pediatric patients of brain abscess admitted to the Pediatric Neurosurgery Department, Children Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. Results:  The median age was 5.2 years with a predominance of males (60%). The most common presentation was fever (72.5%) and then fits (35%). Congenital heart disease was the commonest factor in 32% of cases. Streptococcus was a commonly isolated pathogen in 17% cases out of 70% of culture positive cases. Recovery was seen in 70% of cases and the mortality was 7.5%. Conclusion:  Congenital heart disease is the most common causative factor in pediatric brain abscesses and most of the abscesses were found culture negative. There is a pressing need to carry out multicenter studies over a large sample size over extended study duration in developing countries to help establish guidelines in treating pediatric brain abscesses

Ameliorative effects of alpha lipoic acid, quercetin and ascorbic acid against zinc oxide nanoparticles induced hepatic damage : in vivo

The current study envisioned to evaluate time related protective effect of quercetin, alpha lipoic acid and ascorbic acid on liver of mice against sub-acute exposure of zinc oxide (ZnO-NP) nanoparticle. Male Swiss albino mice (n=72) were randomly divided into eight groups (n=9, each group). G1 received saline solution 0.9%; G2 received quercetin (100 mg/kg b.w); G3 received alpha lipoic acid (100 mg/kg b.w); G4 received ascorbic acid (100 mg/kg b.w); G5 received ZnO-NPs (50 mg/kg b.w); G6 received ZnO-NPs with quercetin; G7 received ZnO-NPs with Alpha lipoic acid and G8 co-treated with ZnO-NPs and ascorbic acid for 21 consecutive days. Body weight, hepatosomatic index and plasma biochemical parameters (total protein, albumin, globulin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoproteins, low density lipoprotein, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase & bilirubin) were estimated. ZnO showed significant increase in body weight and cause alterations in all biochemical parameters. Co-administration of quercetin (100 mg/kg b.w), alpha lipoic acid and ascorbic acid daily along with ZnONPs, significantly ameliorate the dramatic alteration in biochemical parameters and hepatocellular necrosis caused by ZnO nanoparticles. Brine shrimp larvae cytotoxicity assay of ZnO nanoparticles showed 0% mortality. Present study concluded that all three active ingredients showed hepatoprotective effects against nanoparticles induced time dependent toxicity

A Sociological Study about the Adoption of Contraception Methods and Their Effects on the Married Females’ Health in Rural Areas of Tehsil Dera Ghazi Khan-Pakistan

Population is growing rapidly & adoption of FP has been neglected by Govt. of Pakistan due to lack of services, awareness and education, traditional believes, employment & misconception. Mostly people think that the use of contraception methods is against the nature and Islam and is also harmful for health. So present study was designed in rural areas of Tehsil Dera Ghazi Khan in 2013 to investigate the knowledge level, adoption of contraception as well as to perceived positive and negative effects of contraception methods on the health of married females in rural community. 160 rural married females were interviewed to find out their demographic features; utilization of contraception and its side effects on their health in tehsil Dera Ghazi Khan. The data was analyzed by using Uni-variate (frequency distribution and percentage) and Bi-variate analysis (Chi square and Gamma Statistics) was carried out. Predominating age categories were <15 and 16-20 years, 45.6% were illiterate, and 55.6% had good mutual understandings. More than one fifth (26.2%) had 1-2 pregnancies, 59.4% had sometimes heard about contraceptive methods while 84.4% had favorable attitude towards adoption of contraception methods. Whereas 58.1% had sometimes used contraceptive methods, 31.9% got information about contraceptive methods from relatives. In adoption of different contraception methods during the life span, respondents reported both types i.e. modern injections (60.6%), spermicides (50.6%), and in traditional methods i.e. withdrawal (6.2%); adoption of herbs (5.7%) and 44.4% had faced positive effects while 19.4% faced negative effects whereas 36.2% of the respondents had both type of effects (positive/ negative) on their health after the adoption of FP methods during reproductive span. Bi-variate analysis showed positive relationship between desired of family size and utilization of contraception, Freedom of decision making vs utilization of contraception methods and mutual understanding of spouse vs adoption of contraception method. There was a need to bring positive change in societal attitude for the utilization of family planning. Keywords: FP Methods, Contraception adoption, effects, Religious opinion, Decision making, Rural Females, Socio-economic statu

Impedance Spectroscopy Analysis of PbSe Nanostructures Deposited by Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition Approach

From MDPI via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: accepted 2021-08-21, pub-electronic 2021-10-23Publication status: PublishedFunder: Higher Education Commision, Pakistan; Grant(s): 7363This research endeavor aimed to synthesize the lead (II) diphenyldiselenophosphinate complex and its use to obtain lead selenide nanostructured depositions and further the impedance spectroscopic analysis of these obtained PbSe nanostructures, to determine their roles in the electronics industry. The aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique was used to provide lead selenide deposition by decomposition of the complex at different temperatures using the glass substrates. The obtained films were revealed to be a pure cubic phase PbSe, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. SEM and TEM micrographs demonstrated three-dimensionally grown interlocked or aggregated nanocubes of the obtained PbSe. Characteristic dielectric measurements and the impedance spectroscopy analysis at room temperature were executed to evaluate PbSe properties over the frequency range of 100 Hz–5 MHz. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss gave similar trends, along with altering frequency, which was well explained by the Koops theory and Maxwell–Wagner theory. The effective short-range translational carrier hopping gave rise to an overdue remarkable increase in ac conductivity (σac) on the frequency increase. Fitting of a complex impedance plot was carried out with an equivalent circuit model (Rg Cg) (Rgb Qgb Cgb), which proved that grains, as well as grain boundaries, are responsible for the relaxation processes. The asymmetric depressed semicircle with the center lower to the impedance real axis provided a clear explanation of non-Debye dielectric behavior

“We are the soul, pearl and beauty of Hindu Kush Mountains”: exploring resilience and psychological wellbeing of Kalasha, an ethnic and religious minority group in Pakistan

The Kalasha are a marginalized ethnic and religious minority group in northern Pakistan. The Kalasha minority is known for their divergent polytheistic beliefs, and represents the outliers of the collectively monotheistic Muslim population of Pakistan. This study aimed to explore the psychological resilience beliefs and lived experiences of the Kalasha and to identify cultural protective factors and indigenous beliefs that help them maintain psychological wellbeing and resilience. Seven semi-structured interviews and two focus-group discussions were conducted. The total sample consisted of 6 women and 8 men, aged 20–58 years (Mage = 36.29, SD = 12.58). The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis qualitative method was chosen. Study findings identified that factors contributing to the wellbeing, happiness and resilience enhancement beliefs of Kalasha included five main themes, all influenced by their unique spirituality: contentment, pride in social identity, tolerance, gender collaboration and gratitude. The study also revealed the Kalasha’s perception of their marginalization related to challenges and threats. The Kalasha emphasized bringing these resilience enhancement beliefs into practice, as a mean to buffer against challenges. In conclusion, this study revealed Kalasha’s wellbeing and resilience enhancement factors, which they believed in and practiced as an element of their indigenous culture and religion

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

A Comparison of Academic Achievement and Well-Being of Students Studying in Mid and Full-Day Private Schools

This study aims to compare the academic achievement and socio- emotional well-being of students studying in mid and full-day schools located in the district Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. Initially, the schools are carefully selected from the population. Then 163 students from mid-day schools and 219 students from full-day schools are randomly selected which made a sample of 382 students in total. To collect the data, we adapted the questionnaire comprising five factors based on the work of Schonert-Reichl, et al. (2012) concerning promoting children’s prosocial behaviors in schools. The results of our study show that though the academic achievement of full-day students is better, it is at the cost of their social and emotional well-being. The students of full-day schools exhibit problems of having less peer interaction, short-temperedness and emotional imbalance as compared to students at mid-day schools, though mid-day school students are also not completely free of such issues. However, the students from full-day schools show some positive attributes of developing more social skills related to volunteerism, kindness, and helping peers and other people in schools. The study thus suggests that students need to be engaged in schools for longer hours, so that they may develop autonomy and responsibility along with making their academic achievements better. However, schools may provide continuous counseling sessions to students for their better social and emotional well-being

Comparison of Post-Operative Infectious Morbidity in Patients Undergoing Elective Caesarean Section with Administration of Antibiotic Before Skin Incision and After Cord Clamping

Introduction: To compare post-operative infectious morbidity in patients undergoing elective cesarean section with administration of antibiotic before skin incision and after cord clampingMethods: In this prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial all the women of age 18-40 years, being scheduled for cesarean section on elective list due to any reason, were included. They were divided into two groups: Group A included pre-incision group and Group B included cord-clamp group. Patients in group A were given 1G Ceftriaxone intravenously (IV), about 15-30 minutes before skin incision while in group B patients; antibiotic was administered after cord clamping. Post-operatively, patients were assessed for wound infection, endometritis, pyelonephritis, UTI and overall infectious morbidity.Results: A total of 174 patients were enrolled in the study. The mean age of the patients was 27.17 ± 4.68 years. The demographic characteristics were generally evenly distributed in both groups. Maternal outcomes in both groups including wound infection,urinary tract infections, endometriosis, pyelonephritis and overall infectious morbidity did not reach a statistically significant level.Conclusion: Administration of prophylactic antibiotic at 30–60 min before skin incision resulted in better maternal outcome than after cord clamp. However it is not significant and we recommend more clinical trials