A Letter Promoting Teaching PEACE

A letter written by a High School English teacher in Punjab, Pakistan and a conversation with one of his colleagues from Quetta, Pakistan clearly explain the immediate necessity for teachers to specifically address the topic of terrorism and its negative impact on our society. They conclude that education has the potential to combat terrorism, but that at the present time, there is limited attention to these topics in the classroom

Role of Wnt5a in Prostate Cancer

Wnt5a is a non-canonical secreted glycoprotein of the Wnt family that plays important roles in organ development and tissue orientation. Previous studies have reported that Wnt5a was upregulated at both mRNA and protein levels in prostate cancer, but information regarding its role in predicting clinical outcome in patients after radical prostatectomy is limited. The aim of the present thesis is to define the role of Wnt5a protein expression in prostate cancer. We started by evaluating Wnt5a protein expression by immunohistochemistry in a large, well-defined and population-based cohort and found Wnt5a protein expression to be upregulated in prostate cancer cells compared to benign epithelium. Interestingly, it predicted a favorable outcome for patients after radical prostatectomy as patients with preserved overexpression of Wnt5a protein in tumor cells had longer biochemical recurrence free time compared to patients with low Wnt5a protein expression. We demonstrated that this effect may be explained by the ability of Wnt5a to impair invasion in prostate cancer cells as recombinant Wnt5a treatment decreased invasion in 22Rv1 and DU145 cells while Wnt5a knockdown resulted in increase in invasion in LNCaP and 22Rv1 cells. In the light of conflicting reports on the role of Wnt5a in prostate cancer outcome, we validated our findings in an external population-based cohort. Again, we showed that Wnt5a protein expression was predictive of recurrence after radical prostatectomy in patients with low-grade prostate cancer and this was further enhanced whenWnt5a was combined with prostate cancer tissue biomarkers of known predictive value. We also demonstrated a positive correlation between Wnt5a and ERG protein expressions and that high Wnt5a protein and presence of ERG expression predicted a more favorable outcome. Despite this we observed that rWnt5a treatment of VCaP cells significantly decreased their ERG protein expression. Therefore, the relation between Wnt5a and ERG clearly need further exploration to better understand their functional interplay. In conclusion, our study indicates a tumor suppressor function of Wnt5a protein in localized PCa and that it can be used as a predictive tissue biomarker. Further, we suggest a novel therapeutic approach for patients with localized PCa targeting Wnt5a signaling to impair progression of PCa in these patients by using a Wnt5a mimicking peptide (Foxy5)

Hearing Loss Due to Cyclosporine In Children

ABSTRACT A 13-year-old boy known for steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome taking cyclosporine for the last four years was referred from one private hospital for non-response to treatment and decreased hearing. On detailed history, it was revealed that hearing loss started after initiation of treatment with cyclosporine during the first year, and the patient was not properly followed for hearing issues. Rather cyclosporine was continued despite no response to treatment. The patient raised alanine transaminase (ALT) and uric acid levels. The drug was discontinued, and ALT and uric acid were normalized on follow-up. Hearing on follow-up improved clinically. It was concluded that children taking calcineurin inhibitors should be screened for hearing when taking them long

Paraquat Poisoning In Children – A Case Report

OBJECTIVES Accidental poisoning in children is a serious public health problem in developing countries, especially where chemicals used in agriculture are ingested. Paraquat is a herbicide which is still used in Pakistan. We report a case of fatal unintentional paraquat ingestion by 3 years old child who could not survive. Lack of care in the storage of paraquat lead to the poisoning but initial inappropriate management was also one factor in the fatal outcome. Detailed history and provision of poison containers are important in the proper management of patients with poisoning

Fetal Warfarin Syndrome – a case report

A two-month-old male infant presented with history of respiratory difficulty and got admitted with provisional diagnosis of pneumonia. On examination patient was having unilateral nasal hypoplasia and cyanosis with echocardiography showing truncus arteriosus. Detail history revealed that mother had valve replacement and she was taking warfarin during pregnancy. After initial management patient was referred to pediatric cardiac surgery and plastic surgery for further management. Parents were counseled regarding contraception and family planning.

Ivermectin Poisoning with Neurological Manifestations in 10 Years Old Girl – A Case Report

In developing countries, accidental poisoning is a serious public health problem in children. But unintentional poisoning by parents in the form of medication is very rare. Ivermectin belongs to the group of Avermectins and is used in veterinary medicine and in use for human parasitic diseases. We report the case of 10 years old girl given ivermectin by her mother for an unspecified amount. The patient presented to the hospital with seizures and remained in a coma for five days. The patient was managed symptomatically and discharged home in stable condition with parents' counselling regarding child safety

The effect of macroeconomic factors on female labor force participation in Developing-8 (D8) countries: A demand-side analysis

The past few decades have witnessed decreasing trends in female labor force participation (FLFP) around the developing countries, particularly in D-8 countries (Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey) despite substantial expansion of female education, sharp fertility decline, and favorable economic conditions. Thus, the main objective of this study is to examine the effect of demand-side macroeconomic factors on FLFP in D-8 countries. Factors included are economic growth (GDP), trade openness (TOP), foreign direct investment (FDI), urbanization, and tourism, involving the interactive effect of cultural diversity, religious diversity, political environment, level of education and infrastructure. This study incorporated the Structural Change theory and Feminization U hypothesis, using two panel data streams from 1980-2018, 1995-2018, and annual time-series data from 1980-2018. The Pooled Mean Group (PMG) and Autoregressive Distributed Lags (ARDL) findings revealed the statistically significant and positive effect of GDP and tourism on FLFP, while TOP, FDI, and urbanization registered mixed evidences. Although primary enrolment, ICT, and transport infrastructure enhanced the positive impact of economic growth on FLFP; ethnolinguistic, religious diversity, political environment, secondary and tertiary enrolment, and electricity impeded those positive effects. Indeed, the feminization U test revealed that most D-8 countries experienced nonlinear associations between GDP per capita and FLFP, with only Egypt, Nigeria, and Turkey registered the traditional U-shape of the Feminization U hypothesis. As a conclusion, the macroeconomic structure is vital to enhance the opportunities for FLFP. Hence, inclusive macroeconomic policies including trade orientation, proper diffusion of technologies, skill development training programs, access to infrastructure and political reforms are highly recommended to enhance labor policy that fully reaps the FLFP potentials in D-8 countries