Evaluation of deficit irrigation regime, row spacing and dual plantation of drip irrigated tomato under high tunnel

The present study was carried out at Water Management Research Centre, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, to investigate the effect of row spacing, deficit irrigation and dual plantation on tomato yield grown in high tunnel under polyethylene black mulch and drip irrigation system. The field experiment layout comprised of three rows spacing (S1, S2 and S3) as (0.45, 0.60, and 0.75 m respectively) and two irrigation levels (I1 and I2) as (100% and 75% of required irrigation respectively). In addition, a dual plantation treatment spaced at 0.45 m was also investigated under both irrigation levels. Results showed that the total fruit yield was significantly influenced by row spacing and irrigation level, however, their interaction was non-significant. The 100% irrigation gave 6.53, 4.49, and 5.94% more yield than 75% irrigation treatment under 0.45, 0.60, and 0.75 m row spacing, respectively. However, the irrigation water use efficiency was found to be higher in deficit treatment (75% irrigation) by 25.16, 27.60, and 25.86% than full irrigation treatments under 0.45, 0.60, and 0.75 m row spacing, respectively. The results of single and dual plantation showed that dual plantation increased the fruit yield by 7.62 and 11.28% than the single plantation under full and deficit irrigation respectively and covering approximately the same area

Changing trends of pyogenic microorganisms in a tertiary care hospital

Objective: To determine the predominant microorganisms responsible for pyogenic infections and prospective monitoring of the changing trends in their antibiotic susceptibility profile. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted at the Department of Microbiology, Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad, from April 2015 to February 2016. Pus and pus swab samples were randomly collected from different body sites both from the males and females from any age group. Patients who were already taking antibiotics, those on steroids or suffering from chronic illnesses were excluded from the study. Inoculation of the samples on the respective culture media was done followed by Gram stain, biochemical reactions and antibiotic susceptibility testing carried out by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method and its interpretation as per Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Data was collected on preformed table and analysis was done by using SPSS version 21. Results: 127 pus samples were analyzed, out of which 103 yielded a positive culture. Staphylococcus aureus/Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was the commonest organism among the Gram positive organisms which showed maximum susceptibility to vancomycin (100%) and Linezolid (92%). Among the Gram negative organisms Escherichia coli was the commonest followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other organisms. Conclusion:  The changing trends of pyogenic organisms have to be monitored prospectively to counter the global epidemic and to detect the constantly increasing burden of antibiotic resistance leading to it

Psychotherapy as a treatment modality for psychiatric disorders: Perceptions of general public of Karachi, Pakistan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Psychiatric disorders affect about 450 million individuals worldwide. A number of treatment modalities such as psychotropic medications, psychotherapy and electroconvulsive therapy can be used to treat these disorders. Attitudes of general public play a pivotal role in effective utilization of mental health services. We explored the perceptions of general public of Karachi, Pakistan regarding psychotherapy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional study was conducted in Karachi, Pakistan during July-August, 2008. A three-step sampling strategy and a structured questionnaire were employed to survey knowledge and perceptions of adult general public about psychotherapy. Descriptive statistics were used for baseline characteristics. Logistic regression models were used to investigate any significant associations between baseline characteristics of the participants and their perceptions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study sample comprised of 985 individuals (536 males; 531 financially independent) with an average age of 36.7 years (SD 13.54 years) and 12.5 years (SD 3.09 years) of education were included. Majority (59.4%; n = 585) claimed to be aware of psychotherapy as a treatment option for psychiatric disorders but 47.5% of these (n = 278/585) failed to identify its correct definition. Concerns voiced by the participants about psychotherapy included stigma (48.7%) and breech in confidentiality (39.5%); 60.7% opined it cost effective and 86.5% favored its use as an adjuvant modality. A preference for psychotherapy as the treatment strategy for psychiatric disorders was demonstrated by 46.6% (n = 459/985). Younger, more educated, financially independent and female participants were more likely to prefer psychotherapy as were those who deemed it cost effective.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Positive attitudes regarding the acceptability, clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of psychotherapy were observed in a sample representative of general public of Karachi, Pakistan. These findings highlight its potential utility for devising pragmatic mental health strategies in the face of limited resources.</p

Children’s and adolescents’ rising animal-source food intakes in 1990–2018 were impacted by age, region, parental education and urbanicity

Animal-source foods (ASF) provide nutrition for children and adolescents’ physical and cognitive development. Here, we use data from the Global Dietary Database and Bayesian hierarchical models to quantify global, regional and national ASF intakes between 1990 and 2018 by age group across 185 countries, representing 93% of the world’s child population. Mean ASF intake was 1.9 servings per day, representing 16% of children consuming at least three daily servings. Intake was similar between boys and girls, but higher among urban children with educated parents. Consumption varied by age from 0.6 at <1 year to 2.5 servings per day at 15–19 years. Between 1990 and 2018, mean ASF intake increased by 0.5 servings per week, with increases in all regions except sub-Saharan Africa. In 2018, total ASF consumption was highest in Russia, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey, and lowest in Uganda, India, Kenya and Bangladesh. These findings can inform policy to address malnutrition through targeted ASF consumption programmes.publishedVersio

Changing trends of pyogenic microorganisms in a tertiary care hospital

Objective: To determine the predominant microorganisms responsible for pyogenic infections and prospective monitoring of the changing trends in their antibiotic susceptibility profile. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted at the Department of Microbiology, Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad, from April 2015 to February 2016. Pus and pus swab samples were randomly collected from different body sites both from the males and females from any age group. Patients who were already taking antibiotics, those on steroids or suffering from chronic illnesses were excluded from the study. Inoculation of the samples on the respective culture media was done followed by Gram stain, biochemical reactions and antibiotic susceptibility testing carried out by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method and its interpretation as per Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Data was collected on preformed table and analysis was done by using SPSS version 21. Results: 127 pus samples were analyzed, out of which 103 yielded a positive culture. Staphylococcus aureus/Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was the commonest organism among the Gram positive organisms which showed maximum susceptibility to vancomycin (100%) and Linezolid (92%). Among the Gram negative organisms Escherichia coli was the commonest followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other organisms. Conclusion:&nbsp; The changing trends of pyogenic organisms have to be monitored prospectively to counter the global epidemic and to detect the constantly increasing burden of antibiotic resistance leading to it

Self-reported health and smoking status, and body mass index: a case-control comparison based on GEN SCRIP (GENetics of SChizophRenia In Pakistan) data

Introduction Individuals with schizophrenia are at a high risk of physical health comorbidities and premature mortality. Cardiovascular and metabolic causes are an important contributor. There are gaps in monitoring, documenting and managing these physical health comorbidities. Because of their condition, patients themselves may not be aware of these comorbidities and may not be able to follow a lifestyle that prevents and manages the complications. In many low-income and middle-income countries including Pakistan, the bulk of the burden of care for those struggling with schizophrenia falls on the families.Objectives To determine the rate of self-reported physical health disorders and risk factors, like body mass index (BMI) and smoking, associated with cardiovascular and metabolic disorders in cases of schizophrenia compared with a group of mentally healthy controls.Design A case-controlled, cross-sectional multicentre study of patients with schizophrenia in Pakistan.Settings Multiple data collection sites across the country for patients, that is, public and private psychiatric OPDs (out patient departments), specialised psychiatric care facilities, and psychiatric wards of teaching and district level hospitals. Healthy controls were enrolled from the community.Participants We report a total of 6838 participants’ data with (N 3411 (49.9%)) cases of schizophrenia compared with a group of healthy controls (N 3427 (50.1%)).Results BMI (OR 0.98 (CI 0.97 to 0.99), p=0.0025), and the rate of smoking is higher in patients with schizophrenia than in controls. Problems with vision (OR 0.13 (0.08 to 0.2), joint pain (OR 0.18 (0.07 to 0.44)) and high cholesterol (OR 0.13 (0.05 to 0.35)) have higher reported prevalence in controls. The cases describe more physical health disorders in the category ‘other’ (OR 4.65 (3.01 to 7.18)). This captures residual disorders not listed in the questionnaire.Conclusions Participants with schizophrenia in comparison with controls report more disorders. The access in the ‘other’ category may be a reflection of undiagnosed disorders

Global, regional, and national consumption of animal-source foods between 1990 and 2018: findings from the Global Dietary Database

International audienceBackground:Diet is a major modifiable risk factor for human health and overall consumption patterns affect planetary health. We aimed to quantify global, regional, and national consumption levels of animal-source foods (ASF) to inform intervention, surveillance, and policy priorities.Methods:Individual-level dietary surveys across 185 countries conducted between 1990 and 2018 were identified, obtained, standardised, and assessed among children and adults, jointly stratified by age, sex, education level, and rural versus urban residence. We included 499 discrete surveys (91·2% nationally or subnationally representative) with data for ASF (unprocessed red meat, processed meat, eggs, seafood, milk, cheese, and yoghurt), comprising 3·8 million individuals from 134 countries representing 95·2% of the world population in 2018. We used Bayesian hierarchical models to account for differences in survey methods and representativeness, time trends, and input data and modelling uncertainty, with five-fold cross-validation.Findings:In 2018, mean global intake per person of unprocessed red meat was 51 g/day (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 48–54; region-specific range 7–114 g/day); 17 countries (23·9% of the world's population) had mean intakes of at least one serving (100 g) per day. Global mean intake of processed meat was 17 g/day (95% UI 15–21 g/day; region-specific range 3–54 g/day); seafood, 28 g/day (27–30 g/day; 12–44 g/day); eggs, 21 g/day (18–24 g/day; 6–35 g/day); milk 88 g/day (84–93 g/day; 45–185 g/day); cheese, 8 g/day (8–10 g/day; 1–34 g/day); and yoghurt, 20 g/day (17–23 g/day; 7–84 g/day). Mean national intakes were at least one serving per day for processed meat (≥50 g/day) in countries representing 6·9% of the global population; for cheese (≥42 g/day) in 2·3%; for eggs (≥55 g/day) in 0·7%; for milk (≥245 g/day) in 0·3%; for seafood (≥100 g/day) in 0·8%; and for yoghurt (≥245 g/day) in less than 0·1%. Among the 25 most populous countries in 2018, total ASF intake was highest in Russia (5·8 servings per day), Germany (3·8 servings per day), and the UK (3·7 servings per day), and lowest in Tanzania (0·9 servings per day) and India (0·7 servings per day). Global and regional intakes of ASF were generally similar by sex. Compared with children, adults generally consumed more unprocessed red meat, seafood and cheese, and less milk; energy-adjusted intakes of other ASF were more similar. Globally, ASF intakes (servings per week) were higher among more-educated versus less-educated adults, with greatest global differences for milk (0·79), eggs (0·47), unprocessed red meat (0·42), cheese (0·28), seafood (0·28), yoghurt (0·22), and processed meat (0·21). This was also true for urban compared to rural areas, with largest global differences (servings per week) for unprocessed red meat (0·47), milk (0·38), and eggs (0·20). Between 1990 and 2018, global intakes (servings per week) increased for unprocessed red meat (1·20), eggs (1·18), milk (0·63), processed meat (0·50), seafood (0·44), and cheese (0·14).Interpretation:Our estimates of ASF consumption identify populations with both lower and higher than optimal intakes. These estimates can inform the targeting of intervention, surveillance, and policy priorities relevant to both human and planetary health