Pro-poor intervention strategies in irrigated agriculture in Asia: poverty in irrigated agriculture: issues and options: Pakistan

Irrigated farming / Poverty / Irrigation management / Irrigation systems / Water policy / Water rights / Water law / Irrigation scheduling / Organizations / Social aspects / Households / Economic aspects / Expenditure / Irrigation programs / Performance evaluation / Water delivery / Equity / Models / Crop production / Productivity / Wheat / Pakistan

Burden of congenital heart diseases in a tertiary cardiac care institute of high altitude area

Background: Congenital heart disease is one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity in the paediatric population of both the developing and developed countries. Variability in incidence and prevalence of CHD from various countries of Indian subcontinent and rest of the world could be because of genetic, cultural, and environmental factors.  The objective of the study was to find the prevalence and pattern of CHD in a tertiary care hospital in Kashmir (Jammu and Kashmir).Methods: All children admitted at territary care hospital with age 0-15 years were screened for congenital heart disease. The study was conducted for period of one year to ascertain the prevalence and spectrum of CHDs.Results: A total of 232 patients out of 23000, were found having CHDs measuring a prevalence of 10.5/1000. About 170 (73%) were the acyanotics, and 62 (27%) were cyanotic heart patients. Among the acyanotic heart diseases ventricular septal defect was the most frequent lesion seen in 54 (23%), followed by patent ductus arteriosus in 50 (22%) children. Among the cyanotic heart diseases tetralogy of Fallot was the most frequent cyanotic heart disease seen in 15 (6.4%) patients.Conclusions: Authors observed high prevalence of CHD in our population. The pattern and spectrum of CHD were comparable to national and international data

Role of Human Capital in Market Orientation – Innovation Relationship

Academics and practitioners have considered and regarded innovation as a  source to gain sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) over rival firms. Although market orientation (MO) and innovation have been studied and found to impact a firm’s ability to innovate separately, how they interact with each other has not been studied before. Drawing from the theory of organizational learning, this study proposes that human capital (HC) mediates the relationship between MO and innovation. The proposed relationship was empirically tested using data collected from managers of the textile sector of Pakistan. The results reveal that human capital and market orientation separately affect innovation while HC partially mediates MO and innovation relationship. Practical and future research implications of the study have also been discussed

Suprapatellar versus infrapatellar approach for intramedullary nailing in tibial shaft fractures

Background: Tibial shaft fractures accounts about 2% of all adult fractures and it is a common traumatic injury caused by high-energy trauma. The intra-medullary nail fixation either by Suprapatellar approach or Infrapatellar approach has been reported to be a successful surgical procedure for the treatment of proximal tibia fractures. Aim was to compare the clinical and functional outcomes of tibial shaft fractures treated with IMN using the suprapatellar and infrapatellar methods. Methods: The present prospective comparative study was conducted to compare the clinical and functional outcomes of tibial shaft fractures managed by Suprapatellar or Infrapatellar intramedullary nailing technique. This study was conducted in the Post Graduate Department of Orthopedics in SKIMS, MCH Bemina, Srinagar for a period of 02 years from May, 2020 to May, 2022. A total of 40 patients with tibial shaft fracture were included in the study. The statistical analysis was done using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, SPSS Inc., v.16). Results: It was observed that the majority of the participants (37.5%) were in 31-40 year’s age group, there were male predominance with the male to female ratio 2.33:1. In SP technique excellent results were observed in 80% of the study subjects whereas in IP technique, 70% patients had excellent results. Conclusions: It is concluded that SP technique shows better results as compared to IP technique in the management of tibial shaft fracture

Morphological and molecular characterization of Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp.)

Mushrooms have medicinal as well as nutritive value and extensively used as human food from the time immortal. In order to determine the genetic diversity among Pleurotus species of mushroom using morphological and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, about seven different species were collected. Five species, naming Pleurotus platypus (P-6), Pleurotus flabelatus (P-7), Pleurotus florida (P-17), Pleurotus ostreatus (P-19) and Pleurotus sajor-caju (P-56) were from Canada and two Pleurotus warm-stram (P-9) and Pleurotus eryngii (P-16) from Philpines. Seven different morphological traits that is, mycelial growth (mm), cap diameter (cm), total yield (kg), moisture contents (%), ash contents (%), nitrogen contents (%) and protein content (%) were recorded. The dendrogram based on morphological data divided seven species in cluster ‘A’ and ‘B’ having four and three species, respectively. The dendrogram based on RAPD analysis generated 3 clusters ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’. Out of 14 random primers, the maximum polymorphism was observed by primers OPL3 (72.70 %) and OPL11 (70%). The two species P-56 and P-17 were observed to be most similar having value 86% and constituting a cluster ‘A’. The present work revealed that, morphological and RAPD markers showed different pattern of genetic diversity among different Pleurotus species.Keywords: Oyster mushrooms, genetic diversity, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, dendrogra

Activities of Daily Living, Depression, and Quality of Life in Parkinson’s Disease

This study examined whether activities of daily living (ADL) mediate the relationship between depression and health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). A cross-sectional, correlational research design examined data from 174 participants who completed the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39), and Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale-section 2 (UPDRS-section 2 [ADL]). Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) was used to examine the mediator model. Depression and ADL significantly (p<.001) predicted HR-QOL, and depression significantly (p<.001) predicted ADL. Whilst ADL did not impact on the relationship between depression and HRQOL, there was a significant (p<.001) indirect effect of depression on HR-QOL via ADL, suggesting both direct and indirect (via ADL) effects of depression on HR-QOL. The magnitude of this effect was moderate (R2 = .13). People with PD who report depression also experience greater difficulty completing ADL, which impacts upon their HR-QOL. It is recommended that clinicians adopt a multidisciplinary approach to care by combining pharmacological treatments with psycho/occupational therapy, thereby alleviating the heterogeneous impact of motor and non-motor symptoms on HR-QOL in people with PD

The Role of Neighborhood Environment in Promoting Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease among Young Adults: Data from Middle to High Income Population in an Asian Megacity

Background: Modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have their triggers in the neighborhood environments of communities. Studying the environmental triggers for CVD risk factors is important to understand the situation in a broader perspective. Young adults are influenced the most by the environment profile around them hence it is important to study this subset of the population.Methods: This was a descriptive study conducted using the EPOCH research tool designed by the authors of the PURE study. The study population consisted of young adults aged 18-25 in two areas of Karachi. The study setting was busy shopping malls frequented by young adults in the particular community being studied.Results: Our total sample size was 120 individuals, who consented to be interviewed by our interviewers. Less than 50% of the population recognized some form of restriction regarding smoking in their communities. The largest contributor to tobacco advertising was actors smoking in movies and TV shows with 89% responses from both communities. Only 11.9% of the individuals disapproved of smoking cigarettes among men with wide acceptance of \u27sheesha\u27 across all age groups. Advertising for smoking and junk food was more frequent as compared to smoking cessation, healthy diet and exercise in both the areas. Unhealthy food items were more easily available in contrast to healthier options. The cost of healthy snack food options including vegetables and fruits was higher than sugary drinks and foods.CONCLUSION: This assessment showed that both communities were exposed to environments that promote risk factors for cardiovascular diseases

Assaying Environmental Nickel Toxicity Using Model Nematodes

Although nickel exposure results in allergic reactions, respiratory conditions, and cancer in humans and rodents, the ramifications of excess nickel in the environment for animal and human health remain largely undescribed. Nickel and other cationic metals travel through waterways and bind to soils and sediments. To evaluate the potential toxic effects of nickel at environmental contaminant levels (8.9-7,600 µg Ni/g dry weight of sediment and 50-800 µg NiCl2/L of water), we conducted assays using two cosmopolitan nematodes, Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus. We assayed the effects of both sediment-bound and aqueous nickel upon animal growth, developmental survival, lifespan, and fecundity. Uncontaminated sediments were collected from sites in the Midwestern United States and spiked with a range of nickel concentrations. We found that nickel-spiked sediment substantially impairs both survival from larval to adult stages and adult longevity in a concentration-dependent manner. Further, while aqueous nickel showed no adverse effects on either survivorship or longevity, we observed a significant decrease in fecundity, indicating that aqueous nickel could have a negative impact on nematode physiology. Intriguingly, C. elegans and P. pacificus exhibit similar, but not identical, responses to nickel exposure. Moreover, P. pacificus could be tested successfully in sediments inhospitable to C. elegans. Our results add to a growing body of literature documenting the impact of nickel on animal physiology, and suggest that environmental toxicological studies could gain an advantage by widening their repertoire of nematode species

Prognostic model to predict postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery based on a national prospective observational cohort study.

Background: Acute illness, existing co-morbidities and surgical stress response can all contribute to postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of this study was prospectively to develop a pragmatic prognostic model to stratify patients according to risk of developing AKI after major gastrointestinal surgery. Methods: This prospective multicentre cohort study included consecutive adults undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection, liver resection or stoma reversal in 2-week blocks over a continuous 3-month period. The primary outcome was the rate of AKI within 7 days of surgery. Bootstrap stability was used to select clinically plausible risk factors into the model. Internal model validation was carried out by bootstrap validation. Results: A total of 4544 patients were included across 173 centres in the UK and Ireland. The overall rate of AKI was 14·2 per cent (646 of 4544) and the 30-day mortality rate was 1·8 per cent (84 of 4544). Stage 1 AKI was significantly associated with 30-day mortality (unadjusted odds ratio 7·61, 95 per cent c.i. 4·49 to 12·90; P < 0·001), with increasing odds of death with each AKI stage. Six variables were selected for inclusion in the prognostic model: age, sex, ASA grade, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, planned open surgery and preoperative use of either an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker. Internal validation demonstrated good model discrimination (c-statistic 0·65). Discussion: Following major gastrointestinal surgery, AKI occurred in one in seven patients. This preoperative prognostic model identified patients at high risk of postoperative AKI. Validation in an independent data set is required to ensure generalizability

A pre- and co-knockdown of RNAseT enzyme, Eri-1, enhances the efficiency of RNAi induced gene silencing in Caenorhabditis elegans.

BACKGROUND: The approach of RNAi mediated gene knockdown, employing exogenous dsRNA, is being beneficially exploited in various fields of functional genomics. The immense utility of the approach came to fore from studies with model system C. elegans, but quickly became applicable with varied research models ranging from in vitro to various in vivo systems. Previously, there have been reports on the refractoriness of the neuronal cells to RNAi mediated gene silencing following which several modulators like eri-1 and lin-15 were described in C. elegans which, when present, would negatively impact the gene knockdown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Taking a clue from these findings, we went on to screen hypothesis-driven- methodologies towards exploring the efficiency in the process of RNAi under various experimental conditions, wherein these genes would be knocked down preceding to, or concurrently with, the knocking down of a gene of interest. For determining the efficiency of gene knockdown, we chose to study visually stark phenotypes of uncoordinated movement, dumpy body morphology and blistered cuticle obtained by knocking down of genes unc-73, dpy-9 and bli-3 respectively, employing the RNAi-by-feeding protocol in model system C. elegans. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our studies led to a very interesting outcome as the results reveal that amongst various methods tested, pre-incubation with eri-1 dsRNA synthesizing bacteria followed by co-incubation with eri-1 and gene-of-interest dsRNA synthesizing bacteria leads to the most efficient gene silencing as observed by the analysis of marker phenotypes. This provides an approach for effectively employing RNAi induced gene silencing while working with different genetic backgrounds including transgenic and mutant strains