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Twelve isolates of entomopathogenic fungi belonging to Metarhizium robertsii , M. pinghaense , M. brunneum , Beauveria bassiana , and Isaria fumosorosea were screened against tarnished plant bug. All isolates were pathogenic, causing mortality from 28.8 ± 3.4 to 96.3 ± 2.7%. The LT50 values ranged from 2.7 to 6.0 d while the LT90 values varied between 6.6 and 15.0 d. Metarhizium robertsii isolate CPD6 (will be under the trade name NoVil) was among the isolates that caused high mortality within shorter times and was selected for study on developmental stages and greenhouse trial. The third-, fourth-, and fifth-instar nymphs, and adults were inoculated with 106, 107, and 108 conidia per ml of NoVil. All the stages were susceptible to fungal infection. However, third and fourth instars were the most susceptible with no significant differences in mortality across the three concentrations. On the other hand, mortality was dose-dependent with fifth-instar nymph and adult stages. The LT50 and LT90 values were also dose-dependent, with higher concentrations having shorter lethal-time values as compared to the lower concentrations. In the greenhouse, pepper plants were sprayed with NoVil and chemical insecticide Flonicamid (as industrial standard), before releasing adult tarnished plant bug. Mortality of 37.3, 75.5, and 76.3% was recorded in the control, NoVil, and Flonicamid, respectively. This study has identified NoVil as a potential mycoinsecticide candidate for the control of tarnished plant bug under greenhouse conditions. Further field testing on juvenile and adults is needed to evaluate the potential for in-field control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the effect of pre-mixed human insulin with insulin analogue in diabetic control among type-2 Diabetes mellitus patients at tertiary care hospital. Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medicine, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from Jun 2021 to Apr 2022. Methodology: Eleven hundred and fifty-six patients with poorly controlled type-2 diabetes on oral hypoglycemic agents requiring insulin were recruited for the study. Patients were divided into two groups via a lottery method. Group-A received the pre-mixed human insulin, while Group-B received the Insulin analogue advised by the consultant endocrinologist or medical specialist according to the requirements based on recent investigations. Diabetes control was compared in both groups at the end of twelve weeks of treatment. Results: Out of 1156 patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus included in the study, 810(70.1%) were male, while 346(29.9%) were female. The mean duration of DM in the study participants was 3.42±4.44 years. At the end of three months, 978(84.6%) patients had good glycemic control, while 178(15.4%) patients had poor glycemic control. Statistical analysis revealed that the type of insulin used to manage these patients had no significant relationship with glycemic control in our study participants (p-value>0.05). Conclusion: No statistically significant difference was observed in the number of patients achieving adequate glycemic control between those using pre-mixed human insulin and those using insulin analogue in our study.

In critical domains such as medical and military, reversible watermarking (RW) has been used. In the medical domain, different modalities are used to store patient information. The current study focuses on the application of RW in echocardiography data. Mostly, RW is applied to protect patient data without affecting the quality of the decoded image. The RW methods are benchmarked as per imperceptibility, robustness, and payload. The survey presents a comparison of state-of-the-art RW techniques. The imperceptibility and payload are balanced through a tradeoff. It has been observed in the literature that most of the RW methods lack robustness, and very small-scale robustness has been achieved in this domain of watermarking. Different types of RW, i.e., fragile, semifragile, and robust methods, are being compared and reviewed. Mostly, fragile methods are developed on the error-expansion techniques built on histogram shifting-based approach. In this study, several RW methods are compared and the results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research article, the focus is on the idea of Muteness and Oppression of Women in the novel, The Wasted Vigil (2008). Two theories, i.e., Patriarchy and A Muted Group have been employed as a theoretical framework for the research. This research is qualitative in nature. The objectives are designed to find and dissect the factors that contribute to social oppression and muteness. In the light of A Muted Group and Patriarchy Theories, the research attempts to expound the aspects of gender oppression, muteness and social marginalization. MGT, pioneered by scholars like Ardener and later elaborated by Kramarae, serves as a crucial lens through which the silencing of women was examined. Simultaneously, the patriarchal tenets discussed by Connell and hooks offer a space to explore the systemic hierarchy that marginalizes women. Excerpts from the novel depicted women as not merely passive victims but also strong and resistant, subverting yet remaining entrapped within male-dominated structures. The findings revealed that the women characters in The Wasted Vigil (2008) depict muted groups whose attempts at resistance were both courageous and paradoxically constrained by patriarchal discourse. Secondly, the portrayal of oppressive factors ranged from physical violence to institutional forms of control. While acts of resistance were observed, they frequently occurred within boundaries established by the dominant male society, thereby questioning the efficacy of such resistance. This investigation contributes masterfully to the discourse on gender inequity and social oppression, employing meticulous textual analysis supported by influential theoretical paradigms.

Tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta is an indigenous insect pest of solanaceous crops in South America, which is now an important quarantine insect pest in many other parts of the world. Geographical range of T. absoluta is rapidly increasing. It has been spreading in Asian countries since first reported from Turkey in 2009, Azarbaijan province in North Western Iran in 2010 and in 2014 it has reached India. Its damage is severe on tomatoes and possible threat to food production hence an emerging problem to food security. Tuta absoluta was not reported earlier in Pakistan. A high attack of Tuta absoluta in 2017-2018 in Multan on tomato crop was observed. Samples were recovered from tomatoes grown under plastic tunnels. Detection was carried out by incubated infested tomato leaves and fruits till adult eclosion in the mesh cages. Larvae were observed under microscope. Leaves and fruit damage symptoms were compared with available data. Adults were identified morphologically. Genitalia of adults proved that insect pest was tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta. Furthermore, it was confirmed through sex pheromone traps where moths of Tuta absoluta were caught from same location from where samples were taken. Hence, it is confirmed first report of T. absoluta in Pakistan. Further studies are needed to confirm the occurrence of this emerging insect pest on alternative host plants in different areas of Pakistan. It's an alert for quarantine department to take strict measures for its entry points through trade before it emerges as threatening insect pest in Pakistan to tomato industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton is an important cash and fiber crop of Pakistan. Cotton sucking insect pests cause major losses in yield of this crop. Chemical insecticides due to their quick mode of action are considered as the most effective way among the farmers for controlling these insect pests. Present study was designed to evaluate the compatibility of different insecticide mixtures against sucking insect pests i.e., whitefly and jassid. Compatibility of four insecticides combinations i.e., buprofezin + flonicamid, buprofezin + nitenpyram at recommended and half dose of recommended for two years. In separate experiment two combinations of pyriproxyfen + imidacloprid and pyriproxyfen + matrine applied at recommended doses (RD) and 1/2 of recommended doses (HD) were applied on cotton crop against whitefly and jassid in consecutive two years. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used for each experiment with three replications each year. Data were recorded 1 DBS (day before spray) and 3 DAS (days after spray) and 7 DAS of insecticides. The results revealed that buprofezin @ 500 ml + flonicamid @ 60 g (RD) was the most effective (79.24%) insecticide mixture against whitefly up to seven days followed by pyriproxyfen + matrine @ 250 and 500 ml (RD) with 74.13% reduction. While mixture of buprofezin + nitenpyram at recommended dose was effective against jassid and whitefly (76.47%) followed by pyriproxyfen + imidacloprid (71.03%). Therefore, application of insecticide mixtures reduced population of spiders, green lacewing and pirate bugs population as compared with control (untreated plot). Almost all combinations were effective as compared to control treatments even at half doses. So, these insecticides could be applied in rotation with each other to reduce insecticides resistance and combined attack of whitefly and jassid. However, it is recommended that integrated pest management approach using different control tactics for conservation of natural enemies, use of yellow sticky traps, botanicals, use of selective insecticides when needed could be the best strategy to overcome insecticides resistance problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrullus colocynthis has been used to treat obesity and hyperlipidemia. Nanoparticles, due to their nano size, phytochemical adsorption, improved systemic absorption and high bioavailability, can potentially improve the bioactivity of C. colocynthis. The present research focused on studying the effects of green synthesized calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaONPs) from C. colocynthis fruit extracts (CCFE) on the body weight, the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), and the histopathology of male albino rats. Ethyl‐α-d-glucopyranoside was the major constituent of CCFE, along with phenols and fatty acids. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of CCFE were 203.52 and 173.56 mg/g, respectively. Male albino rats (n=36) were divided into six groups (six rats per each group). Rats in different groups received a normal diet, a high‐fat diet (HFD), HFD with lovastatin (10 mg/kg), HFD with CCFE (20 mg/kg), HFD with CaONPs (2 mg/kg), and HFD with a synergistic solution of CCFE (10 mg/kg) and CaONPs (1 mg/kg), respectively. When CaONPs were administered in combination with CCFE, significant weight-lowering activity (36.36%), improved cardiovascular health as per AIP (0.12±0.01b), and fewer disturbances in liver function parameters were observed. Histological analysis at the end of the experiment showed that CaONPs were not toxic to the gastric mucosa and were slightly toxic to hepatocytes. It can be concluded that CaONPs synthesized from CCFE can be a potent weight-lowering and antilipidemic agent with fewer side effects.

In this research article, the Othering idea of Women is focused on The Wasted Vigil (2008), from the perspective of Muted Group and Patriarchy Theories. In this article, qualitative research method is used. The objective aims to scrutinize the aspects of gendered otherness and social marginalization. MGT, pioneered by scholars like Ardener and later elaborated by Kramarae, serves as a crucial lens through which the silencing of women was examined. Simultaneously, the patriarchal tenets discussed by Connell and Hooks offer a space to explore the systemic hierarchy that marginalizes women. The findings reveal that the women characters in The Wasted Vigil (2008) depict muted groups whose attempts at resistance were both courageous and paradoxically constrained by patriarchal discourse. Secondly, the portrayal of oppressive factors ranged from physical violence to institutional forms of control. Whereas the resistance’s acts were observed, they often fell within the margins established by the male’s dominant society, thereby questioning the effectiveness of such resistance.

An ethnobotanical (EB) research was conducted on the wild plants of Watala National Park (WNP) and allied villages of Barnala, District Bhimber, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan. EB data have been collected by questionnaire method employing structured and semi-structured interviews. A total of 79 interviewees (47 male, 32 female) having age 25-65 years were included in the EB study. 92 plant species of 37 families were studied and the obtained data were compiled in an inventory form consisting of ethnomedicinal (EM) use, parts used, mode of application and EB use. For validation of EM data of plants different microstatistical tools like frequency of citation (FC), relative frequencies of citation (RFC), use value (UV), fidelity level (FL) and informant consensus factor (ICF) were used. Direct matrix ranking (DMR) and priority ranking (PR) were applied on EB data for quantitative analysis to find multiple use forms of plant(s) and calculate biotic threats for the plants. Study results depicted that FC ranged 59 to 11, RFC was 0.75 to 0.14 and UV was between 0.82 and 0.15. Leaves were the most frequently used (31%) part of plants and powder form (25%) was the most commonly used form. The highest FL was found for Senegalia modesta species (100%) and diseases such as fever, flu, headache, bronchitis and cough ranked first (0.94) in ICF analysis. DMR results showed that Senegalia modesta was the first regarding multifarious use. Fuel wood cutting and fire burning were top two threats for the flora of the area. Due to anthropogenic pressure and climatic dynamics plants of the area are under severe threats and there is urgent need to conserve the flora of WNP, District Bhimber for future generations and to introduce sustainable applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first quantitative ethnobotanical knowledge and practices of using native plants for different ailments from Namal Valley of Pakistan. Data was gathered by interviewing 350 informants through semi-structured questionnaires. A total of 217 taxa belonging to 166 genera and 70 families were documented. Fabaceae and Asteraceae families were found to be the most cited families (with 19 and 18 species receptively). Herbs represent the most cited life form (71%) and flower was the most widely used part (34.8%) with decoction as main mode of the utilization (41.5%). On the basis of use values, the most commonly used ethnobotanical taxa in the Valley were reported to be Euphorbia heterophylla (0.7) and Merremia dissecta (0.6). The highest RFC value was noted for Aloe vera (0.14) while highest ICF value was estimated for dental problems category (0.7). Maximum similarity index was found in the studies with Bana Valley (JI 23.9). Similarity percentage of plants uses ranges from 0% to 15.7 (Bana Valley), while dissimilarity percentage varies up to 32.5% (Soon Valley). This study highlights the medicinal flora of study area that will serve as baseline for conservation and sustainable utilization through future research on bio prospecting of potential species to develop novel drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Patient–clinician concordance in behavior and brain activity has been proposed as a potential key mediator of mutual empathy and clinical rapport in the therapeutic encounter. However, the specific elements of patient–clinician communication that may support brain-to-brain concordance and therapeutic alliance are unknown. Here, we investigated how pain-related, directional facial communication between patients and clinicians is associated with brain-to-brain concordance. Patient–clinician dyads interacted in a pain-treatment context, during synchronous assessment of brain activity (fMRI hyperscanning) and online video transfer, enabling face-to-face social interaction. In-scanner videos were used for automated individual facial action unit (AU) time-series extraction. First, an interpretable machine-learning classifier of patients’ facial expressions, from an independent fMRI experiment, significantly distinguished moderately painful leg pressure from innocuous pressure stimuli. Next, we estimated neural-network causality of patient-to-clinician directional information flow of facial expressions during clinician-initiated treatment of patients’ evoked pain. We identified a leader–follower relationship in which patients predominantly led the facial communication while clinicians responded to patients’ expressions. Finally, analyses of dynamic brain-to-brain concordance showed that patients’ mid/posterior insular concordance with the clinicians’ anterior insula cortex, a region identified in previously published data from this study1, was associated with therapeutic alliance, and self-reported and objective (patient-to-clinician-directed causal influence) markers of negative-affect expressivity. These results suggest a role of patient-clinician concordance of the insula, a social-mirroring and salience-processing brain node, in mediating directional dynamics of pain-directed facial communication during therapeutic encounters.

Background Neonatal mortality remains unacceptably high in many countries. WHO recommends that all newborns be assessed during the postnatal period and should seek prompt medical care if there is any danger sign. However, in many developing countries, only a small proportion of women receive postnatal care. Also, the quality of care in public health facilities is sub-optimal. Methods We designed an intervention package that included community health worker-assisted pregnancy and birth surveillance, post-natal visits to assess newborns on the first, third, seventh and twenty-eighth days of birth, referral for facility-based care, and establishing a newborn stabilization unit at the first level referral health facility. We did a quasi-experimental, propensity-score matched, controlled study in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. We used a cross-sectional survey method at baseline and endline to measure the effect of our intervention. We considered two indicators for the primary outcome–(a) all-cause neonatal mortality rate and (b) case fatality of severe illness. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of neonates with signs and symptoms of severe illness who sought care in a hospital or a medically qualified provider. Results Our sample size was 9,940 live births (4,257 at baseline, 5,683 at end line). Our intervention was significantly associated with a 39% reduction (aRR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.40–0.93; p = 0.046) in the risk of neonatal mortality and 45% reduction (aRR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.35–0.86; p = 0.001) in the risk of case fatality of severe illness among newborns in rural Bangladesh. The intervention significantly increased the care-seeking for severe illness at the first-level referral facility (DID 36.6%; 95% CI % 27.98 to 45.22; pInterpretation Our integrated community-facility interventions model resulted in early identification of severely sick neonates, early care seeking and improved treatment. The interventions led to a significant reduction in all-cause neonatal mortality and case fatality from severe illness.

Forests have pivotal role in life sustenance of indigenous people of the area and economy of any country at mass level. Forest health, diversity and richness depends various environmental parameters. In this study, impact of edaphic and physiographic factors on plant communities of reserved forest of Sathan Gali (Mansehra), Pakistan is analyzed. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of plant species were studied dividing the area into 13 stands on physiognomic features. In this analysis 136 plant species of 58 families were classified into four prominent plant communities through TWINSPAN approach. The family index depicted that Asteraceae was dominant among 58 families. Biological spectrum (BS) expressed Therophytes as the dominant plants with 27.34% species, while leaf size spectrum (LSS) classification showed Mesophytes having 25.83% species contribution. Importance value index (IVI) analysis proved that Pinus wallichiana had highest value (351.69) followed by Fragaria nubicola (62.88). In analysis, maximum species diversity (MSD) was found in Pinus-Pteris-Sarcococca community (0.102) while species richness (SR) was in Pinus-Digitaria-Sarcococca community (1.87) whereas maximum species maturity (MSM) was found in Pinus-Cedrus-Vibernum community (65.74). In two statistical analyses; it was found that DCA ordination of reserved forest indicated that the maximum gradient length was 3.32 for axis 1 and 2.57 for axis II while CCA ordination revealed that the maximum eigenvalue was 0.49 for axis 1 and 0.40 for axis II. Among environmental variables the maximum positive strength and impact on composition of community was recorded for altitude and phosphorous (P) while maximum negative strength was recorded for barometric pressure and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study of chemical graph theory, an enormous number of research analyses have confirmed that the characteristics of chemicals have a nearby connection with their atomic structure. Topological indices were the critical tools for the analysis of these chemical substances to consider the essential topology of chemical structures. Topological descriptors are the significant numerical quantities or invariant in the fields of chemical graph theory. In this study, we have studied the crystal structure of copper oxide (Cu2O{{\rm{Cu}}}_{2}{\rm{O}}) chemical graph, and further, we have calculated the ev-degree- and ve-degree-based topological indices of copper oxide chemical graph. This kind of study may be useful for understanding the atomic mechanisms of corrosion and stress–corrosion cracking of copper.

Snakebite and scorpion sting are the most neglected public problems especially in the poor rural communities of South Asia including Pakistan. The frequency of snakebites and scorpion stings in Pakistan has increased tremendously due to destruction of habitats of snakes and scorpions as a result of deforestation and the consequent migration of these poisonous animals towards human settlements. The management of the frequency of snake bites and scorpion stings has been unsatisfactory in this region. In order to investigate and collect information from the inhabitants on the curative values of plants for treatment of snakebite and scorpion sting, an ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants was carried out from September 2015 to July 2016 to document information from 14 villages of Namal Valley of District Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan. The Martin method was followed for collecting information from informants about the medicinal plants used for these poisonous bites. A total of 68 plant species belonging to 37 families and 61 genera was recorded. Information obtained included the common names and their families while photographs of all plants recorded were obtained using the Olympus digital camera. The plants documented were herbs (54%), shrubs (26%) and trees (20%). The family Solanaceae was found to be the most frequently used. The dominant plant part in the recipes obtained is the leaf (22%). The most frequently used mode of preparation in the recipes was the paste. Calotropis procera, Arisaema jacquemontii, Albizia lebbeck and Portulaca oleracea were the major medicinal plants recorded. The present study is the first ethnobotanical survey of the area and the first report of the medicinal plants used in the treatment of poisonous snake bites and scorpion stings among the indigenous communities of Namal Valley of District Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare, life‐threatening disorder of the peripheral nervous system. Immunoglobulin G Fc‐gamma receptors (FcγRs) mediate and regulate diverse effector functions and are involved in the pathogenesis of GBS. We investigated whether the FcγR polymorphisms FcγRIIa H/R131 (rs1801274), FcγRIIIa V/F158 (rs396991), and FcγRIIIb NA1/NA2, and their haplotype patterns affect the affinity of IgG‐FcγR interactivity and influence GBS susceptibility and severity. Methods We determined FcγR polymorphisms in 303 patients with GBS and 302 ethnically matched healthy individuals from Bangladesh by allele‐specific polymerase chain reaction. Pairwise linkage disequilibrium and haplotype patterns were analyzed based on D ́statistics and the genotype package of R statistics, respectively. Logistic regression analysis and Fisher’s exact test with corrected P (Pc) values were employed for statistical comparisons. Results FcγRIIIa‐V158F was associated with the severe form of GBS compared to the mild form (P = 0.005, OR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.28–3.91; Pc = 0.015); however, FcγR genotypes and haplotype patterns did not show any association with GBS susceptibility compared to healthy controls. FcγRIIIa‐V/V158 and FcγRIIIb‐NA2/2 were associated with recent Campylobacter jejuni infection (P ≤ 0.001, OR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.23–0.56; Pc ≤ 0.003 and P = 0.004, OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.18–2.44; Pc ≤ 0.012, respectively). Haplotype 1 (FcγRIIa‐H131R‐ FcγRIIIa‐V158F‐ FcγRIIIb‐NA1/2) and the FcγRIIIb‐NA2/2 genotype were more prevalent among anti‐GM1 antibody‐positive patients (P = 0.031, OR = 9.61, 95% CI = 1.24–74.77, Pc = 0.279; P = 0.027, OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.06–2.5, Pc = 0.081, respectively). Interpretation FcγR polymorphisms and haplotypes are not associated with susceptibility to GBS, though the FcγRIIIa‐V158F genotype is associated with the severity of GBS.

Abstract Objective The etiology of Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS) remains enigmatic, although genetic and environmental factors are speculated to be associated with this autoimmune condition. We investigated whether polymorphisms and the haplotype structures of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐DQB1 gene relate to the autoimmune response to infection and affect the development of GBS. Methods HLA‐DQB1 polymorphic alleles (*0201, *030x, *0401, *050x, *060x) were determined for 151 Bangladeshi patients with GBS and 151 ethnically matched healthy controls using sequence‐specific polymerase chain reaction. Pairwise linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype patterns were analyzed based on D ́statistics and the genotype package in R statistics, respectively. Association studies were conducted using Fisher's exact test and logistic regression analysis. The Bonferroni method was applied to correct for multiple comparisons, whereby the P‐value was multiplied with the number of comparisons and denoted as Pc (Pc, P corrected). Results No associations were observed between HLA‐DQB1 alleles and susceptibility to disease in the comparison between GBS patients and healthy subjects. Haplotype 9 (DQB1*0303‐*0601) tended to be less frequent among patients with GBS than healthy controls (P = 0.006, OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.30–0.82; Pc = 0.06). Haplotype 5 (DQB1*0501‐*0602) and the DQB1*0201 alleles were more frequent in the Campylobacter jejuni‐triggered axonal variant of GBS (P = 0.024, OR = 4.06, 95% CI = 1.25–13.18; Pc = 0.24) and demyelinating subtype (P = 0.027, OR = 2.68, 95% CI = 1.17–6.17; Pc = 0.35), though these associations were not significant after Bonferroni correction. Interpretation This study indicates that HLA‐DQB1 polymorphisms are not associated with susceptibility to GBS. In addition, these genetic markers did not influence the clinical features or serological subgroup in patients with C. jejuni‐triggered axonal variant of GBS.

The profound impact of mitochondrion in cellular metabolism has been well documented. Since type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a metabolic disorder, mitochondrial dysfunction is intricately linked with the disease pathogenesis. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants are involved with functional dysfunction of mitochondrion and play a pivotal role in the susceptibility to T2D. In this study, we opted to find the association of mtDNA variants within the D-loop hypervariable region I (HVI), haplogroups and mtDNA copy number with T2D in Bangladeshi population. A total of 300 unrelated Bangladeshi individuals (150 healthy and 150 patients with T2D) were recruited in the present study, their HVI regions were amplified and sequenced using Sanger chemistry. Haplogrep2 and Phylotree17 tools were employed to determine the haplogroups. MtDNA copy number was measured using primers of mitochondrial tRNALeu (UUR) gene and nuclear β2-microglobulin gene. Variants G16048A (OR:0.12, p = 0.04) and G16129A (OR: 0.42, p = 0.007) were found to confer protective role against T2D according to logistic regression analysis. However along with G16129A, two new variants C16294T and T16325C demonstrated protective role against T2D when age and gender were adjusted. Haplogroups A and H showed significant association with the risk of T2D after adjustments out of total 19 major haplogroups identified. The mtDNA copy numbers were stratified into 4 groups according to the quartiles (groups with lower, medium, upper and higher mtDNA copy numbers were respectively designated as LCN, MCN, UCN and HCN). Patients with T2D had significantly lower mtDNA copy number compared to their healthy counterparts in HCN group. Moreover, six mtDNA variants were significantly associated with mtDNA copy number in the participants. Thus, our study confers that certain haplogroups and novel variants of mtDNA are significantly associated with T2D while decreased mtDNA copy number (though not significant) has been observed in patients with T2D. However, largescale studies are warranted to establish association of novel variants and haplogroup with type 2 diabetes.

Neuroimaging has enhanced our understanding of the neural correlates of pain. Yet, how neural circuits interact and contribute to persistent pain remain largely unknown. Here, we investigate the mesoscale organization of the brain through intrinsic functional communities generated from resting state functional MRI data from two independent datasets, a discovery cohort of 43 Fibromyalgia (FM) patients and 20 healthy controls (HC) as well as a replication sample of 34 FM patients and 21 HC. Using normalized mutual information, we found that the global network architecture in chronic pain patients is less stable (more variable). Subsequent analyses of node community assignment revealed the composition of the communities differed between FM and HC. Furthermore, differences in network organization were associated with the changes in the composition of communities between patients with varying levels of clinical pain. Together, this work demonstrates that intrinsic network communities differ substantially between patients with FM and controls. These differences may represent a novel aspect of the pathophysiology of chronic nociplastic pain.

With increasing use of digital media, need for digital rights management has arisen. Watermarking is used to hide copyright protection information in the host medium. Hiding information to ensure digital right protection must ensure high imperceptibility and an acceptable level of robustness. In the watermark embedding, appropriate watermark strength and place selection in the host image is the most critical aspect of the whole process. Both watermark strength and place selection are considered as optimisation problems and are optimised using genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimisation (PSO). The watermark is embedded in the wavelet domain. With the proposed method optimal wavelet family, band, watermark strength and wavelet depth level are selected to ensure higher robustness and imperceptibility. The watermark is embedded in the selected bands of the wavelet packets. The band and wavelet depth is selected using GA and watermark strength is optimised using PSO method. The proposed method shows promising results against attacks on a variety of filters, i.e. low pass, high pass and median filters. Robustness results on JPEG compression and gaussian noise are also improved compared with the current approaches in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is a prevalent disorder. A growing body of evidence linking the pathology of the reward network to chronic pain suggests that pain sensitization may contribute to cLBP chronification via disruptions of mesocortical and mesolimbic circuits in the reward system. Resting-state (RS) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data was acquired from 90 patients with cLBP and 74 matched pain-free controls (HCs) at baseline and after a manipulation for back pain intensification. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) was chosen as a seed region to perform RS functional connectivity (FC) analysis. Baseline rsFC of both the mesocortical (between the VTA and bilateral rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC)/and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)) and mesolimbic (between the VTA and bilateral hippocampus/parahippocampus) pathways was reduced in patients with cLBP (vs. HCs). In addition, patients exhibiting higher back pain intensity (compared to the relatively lower back pain intensity condition) also showed increases in both mesocortical and mesolimbic connectivity, implicating these pathways in pain downregulation in cLBP. Mediation analysis further isolated the mesolimbic (VTA-hippocampus/parahippocampus) dysconnectivity as a neural mechanism mediating the association between mechanical pain sensitivity (indexed by P40 pressure) and cLBP severity. In sum, the current study demonstrates deficient mesocorticolimbic connectivity in cLBP, with mesolimbic dysconnectivity potentially mediating the contribution of pain sensitization to pain chronification. These reward network dysfunctions and purportedly, dopaminergic dysregulations, may help us to identify key brain targets of neuromodulation in the treatment of cLBP.

Prior studies have shown that patients suffering from chronic Low Back Pain (cLBP) have impaired somatosensory processing including reduced tactile acuity, i.e. reduced ability to resolve fine spatial details with the perception of touch. The central mechanism(s) underlying reduced tactile acuity are unknown but may include changes in specific brain circuitries (e.g. neuroplasticity in the primary somatosensory cortex, S1). Furthermore, little is known about the linkage between changes in tactile acuity and the amelioration of cLBP by somatically-directed therapeutic interventions, such as acupuncture. In this longitudinal neuroimaging study, we evaluated healthy control adults (HC, N ​= ​50) and a large sample of cLBP patients (N ​= ​102) with structural brain imaging (T1-weighted MRI for Voxel-Based Morphometry, VBM; Diffusion Tensor Imaging, DTI) and tactile acuity testing using two-point discrimination threshold (2PDT) over the lower back (site of pain) and finger (control) locations. Patients were evaluated at baseline and following a 4-week course of acupuncture, with patients randomized to either verum acupuncture, two different forms of sham acupuncture (designed with or without somatosensory afference), or no-intervention usual care control. At baseline, cLBP patients demonstrated reduced acuity (greater 2PDT, P ​= ​0.01) over the low back, but not finger (P ​= ​0.29) locations compared to HC, suggesting that chronic pain affects tactile acuity specifically at body regions encoding the experience of clinical pain. At baseline, Gray Matter Volume (GMV) was elevated and Fractional Anisotropy (FA) was reduced, respectively, in the S1-back region of cLBP patients compared to controls (P ​

Background: Chronic pain and mood disorders share common neuroanatomical substrates involving disruption of the reward system. Although increase in negative affect (NA) and decrease in positive affect (PA) are well-known factors complicating the clinical presentation of chronic pain patients, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the interaction between pain and PA/NA remains limited. Here, we used a validated task probing behavioral and neural responses to monetary rewards and losses in conjunction with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test the hypothesis that dysfunction of the striatum, a key mesolimbic structure involved in the encoding of motivational salience, relates to mood alterations comorbid with chronic pain. Methods: Twenty-eight chronic musculoskeletal pain patients (chronic low back pain, n=15; fibromyalgia, n=13) and 18 healthy controls underwent fMRI while performing the Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task. Behavioral and neural responses were compared across groups and correlated against measures of depression (Beck Depression Inventory) and hedonic capacity (Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale). Results: Compared to controls, patients demonstrated higher anhedonia and depression scores, and a dampening of striatal activation and incentive-related behavioral facilitation (reduction in reaction times) during reward and loss trials of the MID task (ps ​

Abstract Background Infections cause about one fifth of the estimated 2.7 million annual neonatal deaths worldwide. Population-based data on burden and risk factors of neonatal infections are lacking in developing countries, which are required for the appropriate design of effective preventive and therapeutic interventions in resource-poor settings. Methods We used data from a community-based cluster-randomized trial conducted to evaluate the impact of two umbilical cord cleansing regimens with chlorhexidine solution on neonatal mortality and morbidity in a rural area of Sylhet District in Bangladesh. Newborns were assessed four times in the first 9 days of life by trained community health workers (CHWs) using a WHO IMCI-like clinical algorithm. Cumulative incidence of the first episode of infections in the first 9 days of life was estimated using survival analysis technique accounting for survival bias and competing risk of death before the occurrence of infection. A multivariable generalized estimating equation log-binomial regression model was used to identify factors independently associated with infections. Results Between 2007 and 2009, 30,267 newborns who received at least one postnatal assessment visit by a CHW within the first 9 days of life were included in this study. Cumulative incidence of infections in the first 9 days of life was 14.5% (95% CI 14.1–14.9%). Significant risk factors included previous child death in the family [RR 1.10 (95% CI 1.02–1.19)]; overcrowding [RR 1.14 (95% CI 1.04–1.25)]; home delivery [RR 1.86 (95% CI 1.58–2.19)]; unclean cord care [RR 1.15 (95% CI 1.03–1.28)]; multiple births [RR 1.34 (95% CI 1.15–1.56)]; low birth weight [reference: ≥ 2500 g, RR (95% CI) for

Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), is a polyphagous pest of vegetables and field crops. A field population of S. exigua from Lodhran was found resistant to conventional insecticides. It gave 65, 66, 92, 73, 34 and 29-fold resistance to deltamethrin, Cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos, profenofos, abamectin and spinosad respectively compared with Lab-PK susceptible population. Field population was divided into two sub-populations. One was left unselected and the second (Del-SEL) selected for five generations at the dose equal to LC50 Bioassays at G5 for Del-SEL strain gave resistance ratios of 976, 421, 118, 30, 15 and 17-fold for deltamethrin, Cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos, profenofos, abamectin and spinosad, respectively compared with Lab-PK. Resistance was found stable for all the insecticides in the field population but it was more stable in Del-SEL strain for deltamethrin, Cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos than profenofos, abamectin and spinosad when reared without exposing to deltamethrin (G5 - G10). It indicated that cross resistance occurred between deltamethrin, Cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos. There was no effect of delta selection on the toxicity of three insecticides i.e., profenofos, abamectin and spinosad, which indicated lack of cross resistance with deltamethrin. Deltamethrin resistance in Del-SEL strain of S. exigua was suppressed with the synergists such as piperonyl butoxide (PBO) and .S.S.S'-tributylphosphorotrithioate (DEF), suggesting the involvement of monooxygenase and esterase in the development of resistance in S. exigua. Due to the stability and cross resistance with other insecticides deltamethrin should be replaced with insecticides having different mode of action possibly with new chemistries in integration with other techniques like catch and kill method with light traps, altering cropping pattern i.e., rotation of host plants with non host plants etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]