Socio-demographic risk factors for hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke: a study in tertiary care hospital of hyderabad

Stroke is a common neurological disorder and major cause of death and disability worldwide. Stroke is a second leading cause of death after cancer and ischemic heart disease. Incidence of stroke has not been well studied in Pakistan but it is estimated that 350,000 cases of stroke occur per year. Objective: To determine the frequencies and Socio-demographic features of Hemorrhagic and Ischemic strokes among stroke patients in tertiary care hospital.Material & method:This cross-sectional study was carried out at department of medicine Liaquat university hospital Hyderabad from June to September 2010, Patients were included in study according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. A data was collected on pre-designed proforma and data was analyzed according to study design.Results: Out of 261 included stroke patients, 54% were males and 46% were female patients. The mean age of patients was 54.7 years. In 172 patients (66%) had Ischemic stroke whereas 89 (34%) patients had hemorrhagic stroke noted in this study. The high proportion of patients (36.4%) were between i.e., 55-64 years, Most of them (79%) were married, only 8% were unmarried and 13% were widowed, divorced or separated. In this study (67.0%) patients of both sexes were illiterate, Positive family history of stroke was noted in 24.5% patients. Regarding Stroke types 66% had Ischemic and 34% had hemorrhagic stroke. Incidence of Ischemic stroke was more in females (70.8%) and hemorrhagic stroke was more in males (38.3%).CONCLUSION: This study on socio demographic factors of stroke patients is the effort by which we would be able to take appropriate preventive measures to create awareness about stroke. In future more extensive surveys should be conducted to get knowledge about the effects of demographic and other factors on the onset of stroke

Do international migration and remittances reduce poverty in developing countries?

International migration and remittances have an important role in economic and social development of the developing countries as it helps in achieving the gains of globalization. This paper endeavors to explore the relationship by forming and evaluating a new data set on foreign remittances, international migration, poverty and inequality in South Asian countries. As poverty and income inequality are the prime issues faced by the developing countries meanwhile a handsome number of skilled and educated workers of such countries is employed abroad in the high income countries, so the foreign remittances sent by these workers to home countries is expected to have positive impacts on poverty reduction. The contribution of foreign remittances in the total income of South Asia is 4.2% which shows a significant proportion of GDP and it has significant impact on poverty alleviation

Do international migration and remittances reduce poverty in developing countries?

International migration and remittances have an important role in economic and social development of the developing countries as it helps in achieving the gains of globalization. This paper endeavors to explore the relationship by forming and evaluating a new data set on foreign remittances, international migration, poverty and inequality in South Asian countries. As poverty and income inequality are the prime issues faced by the developing countries meanwhile a handsome number of skilled and educated workers of such countries is employed abroad in the high income countries, so the foreign remittances sent by these workers to home countries is expected to have positive impacts on poverty reduction. The contribution of foreign remittances in the total income of South Asia is 4.2% which shows a significant proportion of GDP and it has significant impact on poverty alleviation

A Comparative Study of Customer Preferences for Telecommunication Technologies in Pakistan

The telecommunication industry is a huge and ever-growing industry and it is contributing dominantly to the economy in terms of revenue generation and being one of the biggest taxpayers to the government. Telecommunication is now considered to be a basic necessity. In this paper, a study has been conducted to know the customer preferences of telecommunication technologies in Lahore, Pakistan, and also to compare different customer preferences for telecommunication technologies. From the results of our study, we have concluded that there is a great variation among people in terms of their usage of mobile phones and internet services. Furthermore, results regarding the relationship between the socio-demographic characteristics and the preference towards specific telephony and internet service providers have also been analyzed. This work is unique when the scenario of Pakistan is considered. No such study has been conducted in Pakistan to know the customer preferences in Pakistan. Some recommendations for the telecommunication operators have also been discussed which can help to know their customer needs in a better fashion

Performance of Some Advance Desi Chickpea Genotypes against Pod Borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) Resistance

Abstract.-Twelve advance desi chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes developed at Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology, Faisalabad were evaluated along with check variety for resistance against chickpea pod borer (CPB), Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) infestation in a field trial during 2006-2007. None of the tested genotypes showed complete resistance against CPB after studying larval population, pod damage and grain yield parameters. Pod damage ranged from 10.9 to 22.8% among different genotypes. With respect to the check (CM 98) the minimum damage was −35.9% and maximum as 33.1%. Grain yield increase was recorded up to 100% over check in CH 16/02. Comparison of resistance among the genotypes against CPB showed that CM 188/01, CH 07/02, CH 20/02 and CH 84/02 possessed good resistance with increased grain yield over check. Intermediate resistance was evinced in CH 11/02, CH 15/02, CH 17/02 and CH 85/02. While genotypes CM 72/02, CM 246/02, CM 282/02 and CM 98 possessed minimum resistance against CPB. So genotype CH 16/02 showed over all better resistance against CPB, with low larval population, low pod damage and high grain yield

First Report of the Molecular Characterization of the Endosymbiont Candidatus portiera aleyrodidarum from Cotton Whiteflies Collected from Pakistan

Abstract Candidatus portiera aleyrodidarum is an obligate primary endosymbiont harboured by whiteflies including the cotton whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius). A survey of C. portiere endosymbionts was conducted by using polymerase chain reaction with universal primers for 16SrDNA within Pakistani whitefly population collected from different cotton growing areas of the Punjab, further analysed by cloning of the PCR products, RFLP analysis. Finally sequences were obtained from commercial labs and phylogenetic analysis were done of all the detected C. portiera clones. This is the first report regarding the identification of C. protiera from the Pakistan. The C. portiera was detected almost in all the samples of whiteflies from 16 different locations of Punjab, Pakistan. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of the primary endosymbionts, their host specificity and their diversity across the world

Harnessing Soil Potential: Innovation in Strategic Tillage and Management - New Perspectives

The sustainability of the environment and the productivity of agriculture are both critically dependent on soil. Maximizing agricultural yields while reducing agriculture’s negative environmental effects is becoming more and more important as the world’s population continues to expand. Innovating tillage and management techniques to harness the potential of the soil is a topic that is explored in this chapter. The first section of the chapter describes the difficulties that contemporary agriculture faces, such as soil erosion, nutrient depletion, and water shortages. The part new technology has played in managing soil. Making educated management decisions is made easier by using precision agricultural technology like soil sensors, remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS). These technologies provide useful insights into soil variability. It emphasizes how crucial it is to implement sustainable soil management techniques in order to guarantee long-term agricultural output and ecological harmony. The chapter’s conclusion emphasizes the need of maximizing soil potential through creative methods of tactical tillage and management. Agricultural systems may raise crop yield, lessen their environmental effect, and become more resilient to climate change by using sustainable soil practises, assuring a more sustainable and food-secure future

Population and fertility by age and sex for 195 countries and territories, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: Population estimates underpin demographic and epidemiological research and are used to track progress on numerous international indicators of health and development. To date, internationally available estimates of population and fertility, although useful, have not been produced with transparent and replicable methods and do not use standardised estimates of mortality. We present single-calendar year and single-year of age estimates of fertility and population by sex with standardised and replicable methods. Methods: We estimated population in 195 locations by single year of age and single calendar year from 1950 to 2017 with standardised and replicable methods. We based the estimates on the demographic balancing equation, with inputs of fertility, mortality, population, and migration data. Fertility data came from 7817 location-years of vital registration data, 429 surveys reporting complete birth histories, and 977 surveys and censuses reporting summary birth histories. We estimated age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs; the annual number of livebirths to women of a specified age group per 1000 women in that age group) by use of spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression and used the ASFRs to estimate total fertility rates (TFRs; the average number of children a woman would bear if she survived through the end of the reproductive age span [age 10–54 years] and experienced at each age a particular set of ASFRs observed in the year of interest). Because of sparse data, fertility at ages 10–14 years and 50–54 years was estimated from data on fertility in women aged 15–19 years and 45–49 years, through use of linear regression. Age-specific mortality data came from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 estimates. Data on population came from 1257 censuses and 761 population registry location-years and were adjusted for underenumeration and age misreporting with standard demographic methods. Migration was estimated with the GBD Bayesian demographic balancing model, after incorporating information about refugee migration into the model prior. Final population estimates used the cohort-component method of population projection, with inputs of fertility, mortality, and migration data. Population uncertainty was estimated by use of out-of-sample predictive validity testing. With these data, we estimated the trends in population by age and sex and in fertility by age between 1950 and 2017 in 195 countries and territories. Findings: From 1950 to 2017, TFRs decreased by 49\ub74% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 46\ub74–52\ub70). The TFR decreased from 4\ub77 livebirths (4\ub75–4\ub79) to 2\ub74 livebirths (2\ub72–2\ub75), and the ASFR of mothers aged 10–19 years decreased from 37 livebirths (34–40) to 22 livebirths (19–24) per 1000 women. Despite reductions in the TFR, the global population has been increasing by an average of 83\ub78 million people per year since 1985. The global population increased by 197\ub72% (193\ub73–200\ub78) since 1950, from 2\ub76 billion (2\ub75–2\ub76) to 7\ub76 billion (7\ub74–7\ub79) people in 2017; much of this increase was in the proportion of the global population in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The global annual rate of population growth increased between 1950 and 1964, when it peaked at 2\ub70%; this rate then remained nearly constant until 1970 and then decreased to 1\ub71% in 2017. Population growth rates in the southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania GBD super-region decreased from 2\ub75% in 1963 to 0\ub77% in 2017, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, population growth rates were almost at the highest reported levels ever in 2017, when they were at 2\ub77%. The global average age increased from 26\ub76 years in 1950 to 32\ub71 years in 2017, and the proportion of the population that is of working age (age 15–64 years) increased from 59\ub79% to 65\ub73%. At the national level, the TFR decreased in all countries and territories between 1950 and 2017; in 2017, TFRs ranged from a low of 1\ub70 livebirths (95% UI 0\ub79–1\ub72) in Cyprus to a high of 7\ub71 livebirths (6\ub78–7\ub74) in Niger. The TFR under age 25 years (TFU25; number of livebirths expected by age 25 years for a hypothetical woman who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) in 2017 ranged from 0\ub708 livebirths (0\ub707–0\ub709) in South Korea to 2\ub74 livebirths (2\ub72–2\ub76) in Niger, and the TFR over age 30 years (TFO30; number of livebirths expected for a hypothetical woman ageing from 30 to 54 years who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) ranged from a low of 0\ub73 livebirths (0\ub73–0\ub74) in Puerto Rico to a high of 3\ub71 livebirths (3\ub70–3\ub72) in Niger. TFO30 was higher than TFU25 in 145 countries and territories in 2017. 33 countries had a negative population growth rate from 2010 to 2017, most of which were located in central, eastern, and western Europe, whereas population growth rates of more than 2\ub70% were seen in 33 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, less than 65% of the national population was of working age in 12 of 34 high-income countries, and less than 50% of the national population was of working age in Mali, Chad, and Niger. Interpretation: Population trends create demographic dividends and headwinds (ie, economic benefits and detriments) that affect national economies and determine national planning needs. Although TFRs are decreasing, the global population continues to grow as mortality declines, with diverse patterns at the national level and across age groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide transparent and replicable estimates of population and fertility, which can be used to inform decision making and to monitor progress. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Population and fertility by age and sex for 195 countries and territories, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: Population estimates underpin demographic and epidemiological research and are used to track progress on numerous international indicators of health and development. To date, internationally available estimates of population and fertility, although useful, have not been produced with transparent and replicable methods and do not use standardised estimates of mortality. We present single-calendar year and single-year of age estimates of fertility and population by sex with standardised and replicable methods. Methods: We estimated population in 195 locations by single year of age and single calendar year from 1950 to 2017 with standardised and replicable methods. We based the estimates on the demographic balancing equation, with inputs of fertility, mortality, population, and migration data. Fertility data came from 7817 location-years of vital registration data, 429 surveys reporting complete birth histories, and 977 surveys and censuses reporting summary birth histories. We estimated age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs; the annual number of livebirths to women of a specified age group per 1000 women in that age group) by use of spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression and used the ASFRs to estimate total fertility rates (TFRs; the average number of children a woman would bear if she survived through the end of the reproductive age span [age 10–54 years] and experienced at each age a particular set of ASFRs observed in the year of interest). Because of sparse data, fertility at ages 10–14 years and 50–54 years was estimated from data on fertility in women aged 15–19 years and 45–49 years, through use of linear regression. Age-specific mortality data came from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 estimates. Data on population came from 1257 censuses and 761 population registry location-years and were adjusted for underenumeration and age misreporting with standard demographic methods. Migration was estimated with the GBD Bayesian demographic balancing model, after incorporating information about refugee migration into the model prior. Final population estimates used the cohort-component method of population projection, with inputs of fertility, mortality, and migration data. Population uncertainty was estimated by use of out-of-sample predictive validity testing. With these data, we estimated the trends in population by age and sex and in fertility by age between 1950 and 2017 in 195 countries and territories. Findings: From 1950 to 2017, TFRs decreased by 49·4% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 46·4–52·0). The TFR decreased from 4·7 livebirths (4·5–4·9) to 2·4 livebirths (2·2–2·5), and the ASFR of mothers aged 10–19 years decreased from 37 livebirths (34–40) to 22 livebirths (19–24) per 1000 women. Despite reductions in the TFR, the global population has been increasing by an average of 83·8 million people per year since 1985. The global population increased by 197·2% (193·3–200·8) since 1950, from 2·6 billion (2·5–2·6) to 7·6 billion (7·4–7·9) people in 2017; much of this increase was in the proportion of the global population in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The global annual rate of population growth increased between 1950 and 1964, when it peaked at 2·0%; this rate then remained nearly constant until 1970 and then decreased to 1·1% in 2017. Population growth rates in the southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania GBD super-region decreased from 2·5% in 1963 to 0·7% in 2017, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, population growth rates were almost at the highest reported levels ever in 2017, when they were at 2·7%. The global average age increased from 26·6 years in 1950 to 32·1 years in 2017, and the proportion of the population that is of working age (age 15–64 years) increased from 59·9% to 65·3%. At the national level, the TFR decreased in all countries and territories between 1950 and 2017; in 2017, TFRs ranged from a low of 1·0 livebirths (95% UI 0·9–1·2) in Cyprus to a high of 7·1 livebirths (6·8–7·4) in Niger. The TFR under age 25 years (TFU25; number of livebirths expected by age 25 years for a hypothetical woman who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) in 2017 ranged from 0·08 livebirths (0·07–0·09) in South Korea to 2·4 livebirths (2·2–2·6) in Niger, and the TFR over age 30 years (TFO30; number of livebirths expected for a hypothetical woman ageing from 30 to 54 years who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) ranged from a low of 0·3 livebirths (0·3–0·4) in Puerto Rico to a high of 3·1 livebirths (3·0–3·2) in Niger. TFO30 was higher than TFU25 in 145 countries and territories in 2017. 33 countries had a negative population growth rate from 2010 to 2017, most of which were located in central, eastern, and western Europe, whereas population growth rates of more than 2·0% were seen in 33 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, less than 65% of the national population was of working age in 12 of 34 high-income countries, and less than 50% of the national population was of working age in Mali, Chad, and Niger. Interpretation: Population trends create demographic dividends and headwinds (ie, economic benefits and detriments) that affect national economies and determine national planning needs. Although TFRs are decreasing, the global population continues to grow as mortality declines, with diverse patterns at the national level and across age groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide transparent and replicable estimates of population and fertility, which can be used to inform decision making and to monitor progress