Sugarcane: Diseases Due to Pests, Pest Management Strategies and Factors Influencing the Production of Sugarcane

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum, L.) is the second major crop of Pakistan. It is not merely a significant sugar crop but also a resource of inclement notes for different agro-based industries in Pakistan. Sugarcane yields have been rigorously abridged in various parts of Asia as attacked by enormous number of insect pests and diseases. Changes in cropping patterns including the cultivation of high yielding varieties and hybrids have added to the problem in some areas. Plant breeding has been successful to some extent in keeping up with new and evolving diseases and pests. Innovation in agronomic practices, advent of chemicals for control, and more recently genetic engineering tools have been providing new opportunities for reduction of crop losses due to biotic pressures. Insect control is even more important as many viral diseases are transmitted by insects

Epidemiology of Onychomycosis in Gujranwala Division-Pakistan

Onychomycosis is a common fungal infection of nails. It is usually further divided into four types which are Distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis (DLSO), white superficial onychomycosis (WSO), proximal subungual onychomycosis (PSO) and candidal onychomycosis (CO). The main causative agents of onychomycosis are three fungal forms: dermatophytes, yeasts, and non-dermatophytes molds. In current study, occurrence frequency of various types of onychomycosis was observed in a selected region of Pakistan. Collected data were statistically analyzed at 0.001% significance level by using single factor ANOVA for comparative examination on the basis of gender, age and onychomycosis types. Results indicated that males suffer more than females, adults are more prone to get onychomycosis attack and DLSO is frequently occurring than other forms. The root causes of this epidemiological trend were lack of personal hygiene and health care awareness among masses and knowledge about symptoms and effects of onychomycosis meanwhile poverty was also found as a leading indirect reason for the spread of this nail disorder. Future researchers should find out cost effect local alternatives for treatment and control of onychomycosis along with some general public awareness program

Evaluation of strength parameters of plain and reinforced concrete with the addition of polypropylene fibers

This research investigates the influence of incorporating small-diameter polypropylene fibers on the mechanical properties of concrete. The studied concrete properties include compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength (both plain and reinforced), shear strength, and the mitigation of shrinkage cracks. A total of 92 specimens were meticulously fabricated in the laboratory, comprising cylinders (12 inches in length and 6 inches in diameter), beams (20 x 4 x 4 inches), larger beams (60 x 9 x 9 inches), and slab panels (48 x 48 x 4 inches). During the specimen casting process, a consistent mix with a ratio of 1:2:4 and a water-cement ratio of 0.60 was consistently applied. The polypropylene fiber content varied at 0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6% for each property examination. Results indicate a positive impact on all concrete properties studied upon the addition of polypropylene fibers. However, the optimal percentage of polypropylene fibers exhibited variability for each variable and property under investigation. This research contributes insights into the nuanced effects of polypropylene fibers on concrete properties, providing a basis for further exploration and practical application in optimizing concrete performance and durability

Potential of Indigenous Plants for Skin Healing and Care

The outer protective layer of body is skin which not only guards it from external fluctuations and effects but also performs its thermoregulation. Its functioning may get affected due to several factors like dermal wounds, injuries, aging and many other disorders. These dermal ailments can be cured with the help of indigenous flora to get economical pharamcognosal benefits with no side effects which is a serious concern of synthetic drugs now days. Furthermore, research efforts are necessary for their proper dose optimization and administration to achieve low cost and side effects free pharamcognosal skin cure and care gains

Evaluation of prognostic risk models for postoperative pulmonary complications in adult patients undergoing major abdominal surgery: a systematic review and international external validation cohort study

Background Stratifying risk of postoperative pulmonary complications after major abdominal surgery allows clinicians to modify risk through targeted interventions and enhanced monitoring. In this study, we aimed to identify and validate prognostic models against a new consensus definition of postoperative pulmonary complications. Methods We did a systematic review and international external validation cohort study. The systematic review was done in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched MEDLINE and Embase on March 1, 2020, for articles published in English that reported on risk prediction models for postoperative pulmonary complications following abdominal surgery. External validation of existing models was done within a prospective international cohort study of adult patients (≥18 years) undergoing major abdominal surgery. Data were collected between Jan 1, 2019, and April 30, 2019, in the UK, Ireland, and Australia. Discriminative ability and prognostic accuracy summary statistics were compared between models for the 30-day postoperative pulmonary complication rate as defined by the Standardised Endpoints in Perioperative Medicine Core Outcome Measures in Perioperative and Anaesthetic Care (StEP-COMPAC). Model performance was compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCC). Findings In total, we identified 2903 records from our literature search; of which, 2514 (86·6%) unique records were screened, 121 (4·8%) of 2514 full texts were assessed for eligibility, and 29 unique prognostic models were identified. Nine (31·0%) of 29 models had score development reported only, 19 (65·5%) had undergone internal validation, and only four (13·8%) had been externally validated. Data to validate six eligible models were collected in the international external validation cohort study. Data from 11 591 patients were available, with an overall postoperative pulmonary complication rate of 7·8% (n=903). None of the six models showed good discrimination (defined as AUROCC ≥0·70) for identifying postoperative pulmonary complications, with the Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia score showing the best discrimination (AUROCC 0·700 [95% CI 0·683–0·717]). Interpretation In the pre-COVID-19 pandemic data, variability in the risk of pulmonary complications (StEP-COMPAC definition) following major abdominal surgery was poorly described by existing prognostication tools. To improve surgical safety during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery and beyond, novel risk stratification tools are required. Funding British Journal of Surgery Society

Characteristics and outcomes of an international cohort of 600 000 hospitalized patients with COVID-19

Background: We describe demographic features, treatments and clinical outcomes in the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) COVID-19 cohort, one of the world's largest international, standardized data sets concerning hospitalized patients. Methods: The data set analysed includes COVID-19 patients hospitalized between January 2020 and January 2022 in 52 countries. We investigated how symptoms on admission, co-morbidities, risk factors and treatments varied by age, sex and other characteristics. We used Cox regression models to investigate associations between demographics, symptoms, co-morbidities and other factors with risk of death, admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Results: Data were available for 689 572 patients with laboratory-confirmed (91.1%) or clinically diagnosed (8.9%) SARS-CoV-2 infection from 52 countries. Age [adjusted hazard ratio per 10 years 1.49 (95% CI 1.48, 1.49)] and male sex [1.23 (1.21, 1.24)] were associated with a higher risk of death. Rates of admission to an ICU and use of IMV increased with age up to age 60 years then dropped. Symptoms, co-morbidities and treatments varied by age and had varied associations with clinical outcomes. The case-fatality ratio varied by country partly due to differences in the clinical characteristics of recruited patients and was on average 21.5%. Conclusions: Age was the strongest determinant of risk of death, with a ∼30-fold difference between the oldest and youngest groups; each of the co-morbidities included was associated with up to an almost 2-fold increase in risk. Smoking and obesity were also associated with a higher risk of death. The size of our international database and the standardized data collection method make this study a comprehensive international description of COVID-19 clinical features. Our findings may inform strategies that involve prioritization of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who have a higher risk of death

The value of open-source clinical science in pandemic response: lessons from ISARIC

International audienc

ISARIC-COVID-19 dataset: A Prospective, Standardized, Global Dataset of Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19

The International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) COVID-19 dataset is one of the largest international databases of prospectively collected clinical data on people hospitalized with COVID-19. This dataset was compiled during the COVID-19 pandemic by a network of hospitals that collect data using the ISARIC-World Health Organization Clinical Characterization Protocol and data tools. The database includes data from more than 705,000 patients, collected in more than 60 countries and 1,500 centres worldwide. Patient data are available from acute hospital admissions with COVID-19 and outpatient follow-ups. The data include signs and symptoms, pre-existing comorbidities, vital signs, chronic and acute treatments, complications, dates of hospitalization and discharge, mortality, viral strains, vaccination status, and other data. Here, we present the dataset characteristics, explain its architecture and how to gain access, and provide tools to facilitate its use