Evaluating the Effectiveness of Lumber Corset Wearing in Low Back Ache: A Rehabilitation Center Based Cross-sectional Study

Patients are most commonly advised by medical practitioners even after remaining wide range of controversy regarding wearing of lumber corset in low backache (LBA). Therefore, this study aimed to determine the potential evidence of using lumber orthosis in LBA. The study adopted 50 participants (21 male and 29 female) ages ranging between 20 to 60 years as sample selecting randomly from September to December 2015. Outcome evaluated by calculating and presenting descriptive statistics at 0.05 p-value and x2 test with confidence intervals (95%), Odd Ratio (OR), and Relative Risk (RR). Age and sex were not statistically significant determinants (x2 1.172, p 0.279 and x2 0.593, p 0.441, respectively). Wearing orthosis and reduce pain in a journey found as protective (RR 0.79 and RR 0.94) also poor relationship discovered in considering OR (OR 0.242, 95% CI 0.021-2.780 and OR 0.857, 95% CI 0.164-4.467). Our data were unable to provide adequate proof that wearing lumber corset bring any clinical or therapeutic benefit in managing LBA to the patients

Case-control study of suicide in Karachi, Pakistan

Background: In recent years suicide has become a major public health problem in Pakistan. Aims: To identify major risk factors associated with suicides in Karachi, Pakistan. Method: A matched case-control psychological autopsy study. interviews were conducted for 100 consecutive suicides, which were matched for age, gender and area of residence with 100 living controls. Results: Both univariate analysis and conditional logistic regression model results indicate that predictors of suicides in Pakistan are psychiatric disorders (especially depression), marital status (being married), unemployment, and negative and stressful life events. only a few individuals were receiving treatment at the time of suicide. None of the victims had been in contact with a health professional in the month before suicide. Conclusions: Suicide in Pakistan is strongly associated with depression, which is under-recognised and under-treated, The absence of an effective primary healthcare system in which mental health could be integrated poses unique challenges for suicide prevention in Pakistan

Pathogenic mutations in TULP1 responsible for retinitis pigmentosa identified in consanguineous familial cases.

PurposeTo identify pathogenic mutations responsible for autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP) in consanguineous familial cases.MethodsSeven large familial cases with multiple individuals diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa were included in the study. Affected individuals in these families underwent ophthalmic examinations to document the symptoms and confirm the initial diagnosis. Blood samples were collected from all participating members, and genomic DNA was extracted. An exclusion analysis with microsatellite markers spanning the TULP1 locus on chromosome 6p was performed, and two-point logarithm of odds (LOD) scores were calculated. All coding exons along with the exon-intron boundaries of TULP1 were sequenced bidirectionally. We constructed a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotype for the four familial cases harboring the K489R allele and estimated the likelihood of a founder effect.ResultsThe ophthalmic examinations of the affected individuals in these familial cases were suggestive of RP. Exclusion analyses confirmed linkage to chromosome 6p harboring TULP1 with positive two-point LOD scores. Subsequent Sanger sequencing identified the single base pair substitution in exon14, c.1466A>G (p.K489R), in four families. Additionally, we identified a two-base deletion in exon 4, c.286_287delGA (p.E96Gfs77*); a homozygous splice site variant in intron 14, c.1495+4A>C; and a novel missense variation in exon 15, c.1561C>T (p.P521S). All mutations segregated with the disease phenotype in the respective families and were absent in ethnically matched control chromosomes. Haplotype analysis suggested (p<10(-6)) that affected individuals inherited the causal mutation from a common ancestor.ConclusionsPathogenic mutations in TULP1 are responsible for the RP phenotype in seven familial cases with a common ancestral mutation responsible for the disease phenotype in four of the seven families

Natural disasters and economic losses: controlling external migration, energy and environmental resources, water demand, and financial development for global prosperity

The objective of the study is to examine the impact of natural disasters on external migration, price level, poverty incidence, health expenditures, energy and environmental resources, water demand, financial development, and economic growth in a panel of selected Asian countries for a period of 2005–2017. The results confirm that natural disasters in the form of storm and flood largely increase migration, price level, and poverty incidence, which negatively influenced country’s economic resources, including enlarge healthcare expenditures, high energy demand, and low economic growth. The study further presented the following results: i) natural resource depletion increases external migration, ii) FDI inflows increase price level, iii) increase healthcare spending and energy demand decreases poverty headcount, iv) poverty incidence and mortality rate negatively influenced healthcare expenditures, v) industrialization increases energy demand, and vi) agriculture value added, fertilizer, and cereal yields required more water supply to produce greater yield. The study emphasized the need to magnify the intensity of natural disasters and create natural disaster mitigation unit to access the human and infrastructure cost and attempt quick recovery for global prosperity

Loss of function mutations in RP1 are responsible for retinitis pigmentosa in consanguineous familial cases.

PurposeThis study was undertaken to identify causal mutations responsible for autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP) in consanguineous families.MethodsLarge consanguineous families were ascertained from the Punjab province of Pakistan. An ophthalmic examination consisting of a fundus evaluation and electroretinography (ERG) was completed, and small aliquots of blood were collected from all participating individuals. Genomic DNA was extracted from white blood cells, and a genome-wide linkage or a locus-specific exclusion analysis was completed with polymorphic short tandem repeats (STRs). Two-point logarithm of odds (LOD) scores were calculated, and all coding exons and exon-intron boundaries of RP1 were sequenced to identify the causal mutation.ResultsThe ophthalmic examination showed that affected individuals in all families manifest cardinal symptoms of RP. Genome-wide scans localized the disease phenotype to chromosome 8q, a region harboring RP1, a gene previously implicated in the pathogenesis of RP. Sanger sequencing identified a homozygous single base deletion in exon 4: c.3697delT (p.S1233Pfs22*), a single base substitution in intron 3: c.787+1G>A (p.I263Nfs8*), a 2 bp duplication in exon 2: c.551_552dupTA (p.Q185Yfs4*) and an 11,117 bp deletion that removes all three coding exons of RP1. These variations segregated with the disease phenotype within the respective families and were not present in ethnically matched control samples.ConclusionsThese results strongly suggest that these mutations in RP1 are responsible for the retinal phenotype in affected individuals of all four consanguineous families

An Axisymmetric Squeezing Fluid Flow between the Two Infinite Parallel Plates in a Porous Medium Channel

The flow between two large parallel plates approaching each other symmetrically in a porous medium is studied. The Navier-Stokes equations have been transformed into an ordinary nonlinear differential equation using a transformation ψ(r,z)=r2F(z). Solution to the problem is obtained by using differential transform method (DTM) by varying different Newtonian fluid parameters and permeability of the porous medium. Result for the stream function is presented. Validity of the solutions is confirmed by evaluating the residual in each case, and the proposed scheme gives excellent and reliable results. The influence of different parameters on the flow has been discussed and presented through graphs

Ethno-botanical and geo-referenced profiling of medicinal plants of Nawagai Valley, District Buner (Pakistan)

The prime objective of the research was to list the important ethnomedicinal plants of Nawagai village, District Buner. During the survey, 44 plant species from 27 families were observed and collected from the targeted area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Lamiaceae members were the most dominant (54%) followed by members of Asteraceae (30%), Poaceae (18%) and Solanaceae (12%). Relevant information such as field data, GPS coordinates family names, local names, therapeutic uses and plant habits were recorded for each species. For preservation purposes, specimens were mounted on herbarium sheets, and identified with the help of flora of Pakistan, flora of Australia and other relevant floristic records. During this research work all the collected specimens were preserved in the (BG&H, UOM) Botanical Garden and Herbarium, the data were also provided to the Department of Botany, University of Malakand Dir (Lower), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.The prime objective of the research was to list the important ethnomedicinal plants of Nawagai village, District Buner. During the survey, 44 plant species from 27 families were observed and collected from the targeted area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Lamiaceae members were the most dominant (54%) followed by members of Asteraceae (30%), Poaceae (18%) and Solanaceae (12%). Relevant information such as field data, GPS coordinates family names, local names, therapeutic uses and plant habits were recorded for each species. For preservation purposes, specimens were mounted on herbarium sheets, and identified with the help of flora of Pakistan, flora of Australia and other relevant floristic records. During this research work all the collected specimens were preserved in the (BG&H, UOM) Botanical Garden and Herbarium, the data were also provided to the Department of Botany, University of Malakand Dir (Lower), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.The prime objective of the research was to list the important ethnomedicinal plants of Nawagai village, District Buner. During the survey, 44 plant species from 27 families were observed and collected from the targeted area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Lamiaceae members were the most dominant (54%) followed by members of Asteraceae (30%), Poaceae (18%) and Solanaceae (12%). Relevant information such as field data, GPS coordinates family names, local names, therapeutic uses and plant habits were recorded for each species. For preservation purposes, specimens were mounted on herbarium sheets, and identified with the help of flora of Pakistan, flora of Australia and other relevant floristic records. During this research work all the collected specimens were preserved in the (BG&H, UOM) Botanical Garden and Herbarium, the data were also provided to the Department of Botany, University of Malakand Dir (Lower), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Artificial neural network based adaptive control of single phase Dual Active Bridge with finite time disturbance compensation

Single phase Dual Active Bridge (DAB) has found numerous applications in modern energy architectures such as direct current (DC) microgrid, electrical vehicle charging and high voltage direct current (HVDC) system. Due to the model complexities of DAB, this work proposes a model free adaptive control method based on artificial neural network (AANN) which is capable of adjusting the weights online in finite time. The finite time learning property of the proposed controller makes it perfectly robust for the compensation of the disturbances due to source and load side variations. A proportional integral (PI) controller is used to stabilize the nominal dynamics of the system along with the AANN controller. The structure of the proposed controller is as simple as PID controller and as robust as any nonlinear control method. The AANN-PI controller is implemented on TI Launchpad (TMS320F28379D) with a 50 Watts laboratory scale DAB test bench. Finally, the performance of the AANN-PI method is compared experimentally with classical PI and sliding mode controllers