Situation analysis of child labour in Karachi, Pakistan: A qualitative study

In Karachi, large employment opportunities, burgeoning population and the availability of cheap labour might be the contributing factors for the increasing prevalence of child labour. A literature review was conducted in 2007 that included published and unpublished literature since 2000. Various organizations working in the field were also covered, while the perception of the child labourers was covered through three focus group discussions. Common health issues among the child labourers in Karachi included respiratory illnesses, fever and generalised pains, as well as drug and sexual abuse. Organisations working for child labour could be broadly categorised into those working for legal advice and advocacy; those generating statistics; and those that are providing interventions. Discussion with children showed that irrespective of the immediate cause, the underlying determinant for child labour was poverty. The best practices identified included evening schools and drop-in centers for working children with provision for skill-based education and basic health facilities. There is need to have more such centres

AMELIORATIVE EFFECTS OF ROOT BARK EXTRACTS OF FERETIA APODANTHERA ON REPRODUCTIVE PARAMETERS IN STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED DIABETIC MALE WISTAR ALBINO RATS

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic illness that is relatively prevalent. Employing routine procedures, the reproductive parameters of Feretia apodanthera root bark extracts in male wistar albino rats induced with streptozotocin (STZ) were examined. The root bark of the plant was air-dried and subjected to Soxhlet extraction. The invitro antioxidant potential of the extract was investigated using DPPH(1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity. While lipid profiles, sperm parameters and histopathology were conducted using standard procedures. Diabetes induction of male wistar albino rats was carried out with 50 mg intravenous streptozotocin injection.  Seven groups were randomly assigned to the rats (A, B, C, D, E, F and G).Group A (normal control) received 1 ml of distilled water (vehicle), B (Diabetic induced untreated), groups C and D were supplemented with 100 and 200mg/kg body weight (b.w) aqueous extract, while group E and F were administered 100 and 200mg/kg body weight ethanol extract, and group G received a combined dosage of 5mg/kg b.w sildenafil citrate + 100mg Metformin. The percentage yield obtained following extraction was found to be 5.91%, 5.52% and 2.14% (w/w) for n-hexane, aqueous and ethanol root bark extracts of Feretia apodanthera respectively. DPPH radical scavenging activity reveals that aqueous extract has a higher antioxidant potential than ethanol and n-hexane extract. Diabetic rats treated with aqueous and ethanol extracts shows significant(p<0.05) improvement of body weight compared to the untreated groups. Total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly(p<0.05) lower in aqueous extracts (200mg/kg b.w) while high density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly (p<0.05) higher compared to the diabetic control group. Likewise, diabetic rats treated with 200mg/kg b.w of aqueous shows significant(p<0.05) and preferable healthy risk atherogenicpredictors, while groups treated with ethanol extract shows no significant(p<0.05) difference in all the predictor indices compared with STZ induced untreated group. The level of testosterone and sperm parameters were significantly(p<0.05) improved in aqueous extract treated group while histopathology of the testes reveals a better appearance of the spermatogenic cells andseminiferous membranes in aqueous extract treated group which is synonymous to the normal control. The result implies that root bark aqueous extract of Feretia apodanthera, particularly-200mg/kg b.w had significant potential in ameliorating sexual impairment in diabetic male rats

Outcome and factors associated with hospital mortality in patients with impaired left ventricular function undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: where do we stand?

Objective: Impaired ventricular function is a known risk factor for mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting however increasingly more patients with impaired ventricular function are referred for surgery. Currently no large data is available from Pakistan regarding this aspect of coronary surgery. Our objectives were to find out the hospital mortality and mid term functional improvement in patients with impaired ventricular function undergoing coronary artery by pass grafting and identify the risk factors for mortality. Methodology: Retrospective analysis of preoperative, operative and postoperative variables of patients with impaired ventricular function who were operated for isolated first time coronary artery bypass between October 2006 to April 2009. Results: Total 190 patients with impaired ventricular function underwent isolated first time coronary artery bypass grafting during this period with a male predominance (82.6%). Mean ejection fraction of the group was 25.4±5.3%. Mean predicted mortality on logistic Euro score was 10.9±2.7%. Actual in hospital mortality of the group was 4.7% which is comparable to contemporary published results. Multivariate analysis identified use of intra aortic balloon pump, non use of internal mammary artery and preoperative NYHA functional class as factors associated with mortality. Conclusion: Coronary artery bypass grafting can be performed in patients with impaired ventricular function with acceptable hospital mortality and mid term functional improvement

A contemplating review on different synthesis methods of 2D-Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets

The current challenges arising from the rapid development in science and technology attracted researchers to focus on the development of new advanced materials like two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, which offer exceptional features that can be used to resolve different industrial problems, which include enhancing energy storage and conversion systems, improving electronic and optoelectronic devices, advancing catalysis and sensing applications, enabling flexible and transparent electronics, advancing healthcare technologies, and addressing environmental concerns such as pollution monitoring and remediation. There are many different layered-structure materials on earth. To get the desired form of these materials, various scientific approaches are applied in laboratories and processing industries. As a result, different methods have been developed for the synthesis of 2D materials. Among various 2D materials, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is one of the emerging and promising transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) materials that has remarkable electrical, magnetic, optical, and mechanical characteristics. Furthermore, MoS2 nanosheets, when incorporated in different materials, produce promising results, such as better catalytic activities, improved hydrogen production, a super-capacitive feature, and enhanced battery performances, etc. Therefore, in this review, we have focused on significant and practical techniques for synthesizing 2D-MoS2 nanosheets developed by different researchers over the years. We comprehensively discuss their applications, characteristics, as well as provide a brief introduction to the physical and chemical properties of 2D MoS2 nanosheets. Furthermore, we address the current challenges associated with the synthesis of these nanosheets. These discussions highlights that the choice of synthesis method mainly relies on factors such as material type, resources, complexity, environmental impact, scalability, cost, and desired properties of 2D MoS2 nanosheets. Additionally, this literature review also outlines future research directions aimed at overcoming these challenges and advancing synthesis processes to enable the economically feasible scaled-up production of 2D MoS2 nanosheets

Residual Attention Augmentation Graph Neural Network for Improved Node Classification

Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have emerged as a powerful tool for node representation learning within graph structures. However, designing a robust GNN architecture for node classification remains a challenge. This study introduces an efficient and straightforward Residual Attention Augmentation GNN (RAA-GNN) model, which incorporates an attention mechanism with skip connections to discerningly weigh node features and overcome the over-smoothing problem of GNNs. Additionally, a novel MixUp data augmentation method was developed to improve model training. The proposed approach was rigorously evaluated on various node classification benchmarks, encompassing both social and citation networks. The proposed method outperformed state-of-the-art techniques by achieving up to 1% accuracy improvement. Furthermore, when applied to the novel Twitch social network dataset, the proposed model yielded remarkably promising results. These findings provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners working with graph-structured data

Mapping of MPH programs in terms of geographic distribution across various universities and institutes of India—A desk research

BackgroundLandscaping studies related to public health education in India do not exclusively focus on the most common Masters of Public Health (MPH) program. The field of public health faces challenges due to the absence of a professional council, resulting in fragmented documentation of these programs. This study was undertaken to map all MPH programs offered across various institutes in India in terms of their geographic distribution, accreditation status, and administration patterns.MethodologyAn exhaustive internet search using various keywords was conducted to identify all MPH programs offered in India. Websites were explored for their details. A data extraction tool was developed for recording demographic and other data. Information was extracted from these websites as per the tool and collated in a matrix. Geographic coordinates obtained from Google Maps, and QGIS software facilitated map generation.ResultsThe search identified 116 general and 13 MPH programs with specializations offered by different universities and institutes across India. India is divided into six zones, and the distribution of MPH programs in these zones is as follows, central zone has 20 programs; the east zone has 11; the north zone has 35; the north-east zone has 07; the south zone has 26; and the west zone has 17 MPH programs. While 107 are university grants commission (UGC) approved universities and institutes, only 46 MPH programs are conducted by both UGC approved and National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) accredited universities and institutes. Five universities are categorized as central universities; 22 are deemed universities; 51 are private universities; and 29 are state universities. Nine are considered institutions of national importance by the UGC, and four institutions are recognized as institutions of eminence. All general MPH programs span 2 years and are administered under various faculties, with only 27 programs being conducted within dedicated schools or centers of public health.ConclusionThe MPH programs in India show considerable diversity in their geographic distribution, accreditation status, and administration pattern

Differentiation of Small Hepatic Hemangioma from Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Tri-Phasic Helical Computed Tomography Method

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks second amongst all causes of cancer deaths globally. It is on a rise in Pakistan and might represent the most common cancer in adult males. Among women, HCC is the 7th most common cancer and 6th most common cancer related death. In Pakistan prevalence of HCC varies from 3.7%-16% of malignant tumors and most common cause of HCC is viral hepatitis B, C and D related cirrhosis. Pakistan contributes significantly to global burden of hepatitis C, which is a known risk factor for HCC, and has one of the highest prevalence rates (>3%) in the world. Objective: To find out the difference of small hemangioma from small hepatic cellular carcinoma by using tri- phasic helical Computed Tomography method. Methodology: In this descriptive study, among 81 patients of suspected hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatocellular hemangioma were selected with age and gender discrimination by convenient sampling, at Department of Radiology, UOL Teaching hospital Lahore Pakistan. 128 slice Computed Tomography Toshiba Aquilion machine was used. Results: Out of 81 patients collected with the suspicion of hepatic hemangioma and hepatocellular carcinoma , 41 were females and 40 were males who visited radiology department. It shows 50.6% were females and males were 49.4%. Out of 81 patients, 25 patients came with HHS and 31 were with HCC. 25.9% develop carcinoma on left side, 32.1% on right side, 6.2% on R/L side and remaining 35.8% were Nill. Out of 81 patients 8 develop carcinoma on anterior, 5 on both, 3 on caudate, 5 on lateral,13 on both 4 on middle, 7 on posterior, 6 on segment eight, 1 on segment 4, 1 on segment 7, 1 on segment 2 and remaining 36 sites were nill. 27.5% males develop HCC and 48.8% females develop HCC. Out of 81 patients 36.6% female patients develop HHS and 25.0% male patients develop HHS. Conclusion: In this study we conclude that females develop a large number of HCC and HHS than males. Hepatocellular carcinoma shows enhancement in early arterial and early washout phase while post-contrast images showing capsule-appearance which is relatively specific for HCC. On the other hand, HHS shows uniform enhancement in arterial phase and iso- or hyper-attenuating to liver parenchyma on delayed phase. Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, Hepatocellular hemangioma, Computed tomography DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/73-07 Publication date: April 30th 202

Prevalence and determinants of undernutrition in the urban slums of Belagavi: a cross-sectional study among young children

IntroductionRapid urbanization in low- and middle-income countries has led to the expansion of slums, where children face a heightened risk of undernutrition. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of undernutrition and its determinants among children residing in the urban slums of Belagavi, Karnataka.MethodsThe anthropometric measurements, clinical signs, demographic information, and dietary history of children aged 9–36 months from urban slums were assessed. The chi-square test, bivariate analysis, and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify the risk factors at the child, maternal, and household levels for undernutrition.ResultsThe prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight among children aged 9–36 months was 44%, 11%, and 25%, respectively. Common predictors of stunting and underweight included low birth weight, short maternal stature, lack of maternal exposure to print media, and maternal consumption of iron–folic acid during pregnancy. A lack of maternal exposure to print media was also associated with wasting. In addition, stunting was linked to male sex and low maternal education, while underweight was associated with children from non-Hindu and non-Muslim religious backgrounds, and maternal lack of autonomy or control over household finances. Wasting, however, was associated with the 24–36 months age group and maternal gestational diabetes.ConclusionA high level of undernutrition was observed in the urban slums of Belagavi, with the prevalence of stunting exceeding the national and state averages. Undernutrition was linked to maternal, child, and household factors, including low birth weight, maternal stature, education, and autonomy

Exploring Hydride Formation in Stainless Steel Revisits Theory of Hydrogen Embrittlement

Various mechanisms have been proposed for hydrogen embrittlement, but the causation of hydrogen-induced material degradation has remained unclear. This work shows hydrogen embrittlement due to phase instability (decomposition). In-situ diffraction measurements revealed metastable hydrides formed in stainless steel, typically declared as a non-hydride forming material. Hydride formation is possible by increasing the hydrogen chemical potential during electrochemical charging and low defect formation energy of hydrogen interstitials. Our findings demonstrate that hydrogen-induced material degradation can only be understood if measured in situ and in real-time during the embrittlement process.Comment: 31 Pages, 18 Figures, Preprin