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Malware, short for malicious software, is any software program designed to cause harm to a computer or computer network. Malware can take many forms, such as viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and ransomware. Because malware can cause significant damage to a computer or network, it is important to avoid its installation to prevent any potential harm. This paper proposes a machine learning-based malware detection method called MalwD&C to allow the secure installation of Programmable Executable (PE) files. The proposed method uses machine learning classifiers to analyze the PE files and classify them as benign or malware. The proposed MalwD&C scheme was evaluated on a publicly available dataset by applying several machine learning classifiers in two settings: two-class classification (malware detection) and multi-class classification (malware categorization). The results showed that the Random Forest (RF) classifier outperformed all other chosen classifiers, achieving as high as 99.56% and 97.69% accuracies in the two-class and multi-class settings, respectively. We believe that MalwD&C will be widely accepted in academia and industry due to its speed in decision making and higher accuracy.

The motion of solid objects or even fluids can be described using mathematics. Wind movements, turbulence in the oceans, migration of birds, pandemic of diseases and all other phenomena or systems can be understood using mathematics, i.e., mathematical modelling. Some of the most common techniques used for mathematical modelling are Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE), Partial Differential Equation (PDE), Statistical Methods and Neural Network (NN). However, most of them require substantial amounts of data or an initial governing equation. Furthermore, if a system increases its complexity, namely, if the number and relation between its components increase, then the amount of data required and governing equations increase too. A graph is another well-established concept that is widely used in numerous applications in modelling some phenomena. It seldom requires data and closed form of relations. The advancement in the theory has led to the development of a new concept called autocatalytic set (ACS). In this paper, a new form of ACS, namely, multidigraph autocatalytic set (MACS) is introduced. It offers the freedom to model multi relations between components of a system once needed. The concept has produced some results in the form of theorems and in particular, its relation to the Perron–Frobenius theorem. The MACS Graph Algorithm (MACSGA) is then coded for dynamic modelling purposes. Finally, the MACSGA is implemented on the vector borne disease network system to exhibit MACS’s effectiveness and reliability. It successfully identified the two districts that were the main sources of the outbreak based on their reproduction number, R0.

A banknote is a currency issued by a country, and it was first introduced in the 16th century. The counterfeiting of banknotes by cunning criminals became a great challenge with the current advanced technology. Forensic scientists are using chemical methods, such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for differentiating genuine and counterfeit banknotes. However, the FTIR spectra of banknotes may require further pattern recognition analysis due to their high similarities. In this paper, a fuzzy graph-based algorithm for authentication of the FTIR spectrum, namely chemometrics fuzzy autocatalytic set (c-FACS), is used to discriminate between genuine and counterfeit hundred Ringgit Malaysian (RM100) banknotes. The results show that the genuine and counterfeit RM100 banknotes have slightly distinct patterns when analyzed using c-FACS. In addition, the results are compared with RM50 banknotes, and the results reveal that the nodes or dominant axis varies between the two banknotes. To verify the reliability of the results, the results obtained via c-FACS are compared with principal component analysis (PCA). The c-FACS showed better performances as compared to PCA in terms of time consumption and observation. Thus, the c-FACS has the ability to assist forensic investigations involving banknote counterfeiting crimes.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major healthcare concern, especially for immune-compromised individuals and infants below 5 years of age. Worldwide, it is known to be associated with incidences of morbidity and mortality in infants. Despite the seriousness of the issue and continuous rigorous scientific efforts, no approved vaccine or available drug is fully effective against RSV. The purpose of this review article is to provide insights into the past and ongoing efforts for securing effective vaccines and therapeutics against RSV. The readers will be able to confer the mechanism of existing therapies and the loopholes that need to be overcome for future therapeutic development against RSV. A methodological approach was applied to collect the latest data and updated results regarding therapeutics and vaccine development against RSV. We outline the latest throughput vaccination technologies and prophylactic development efforts linked with RSV. A range of vaccination approaches with the already available vaccine (with limited use) and those undergoing trials are included. Moreover, important drug regimens used alone or in conjugation with adjuvants or vaccines are also briefly discussed. After reading this article, the audience will be able to understand the current standing of clinical management in the form of the vaccine, prophylactic, and therapeutic candidates against RSV. An understanding of the biological behavior acting as a reason behind the lack of effective therapeutics against RSV will also be developed. The literature indicates a need to overcome the limitations attached to RSV clinical management, drugs, and vaccine development that could be explained by dealing with the challenges of current study designs with continuous improvement and further work and approval on novel therapeutic applications.

Human mpox is an emerging epidemic in the world. The monkey pox virus (MPXV) belongs to the same family of zoonotic Orthopoxviridae as that of the smallpox virus and exhibits similar clinical symptomology. Information regarding its diagnostics, disease epidemiology, surveillance, preventive methods, and treatment strategies are being collated with time. The purpose of this review is to trace the recent events in the scientific platform that have defined new preventive and treatment strategies against mpox. A methodological approach has been used to gather data from the latest literature to comprehensively overview the emerging treatment options. The results portion will cover details regarding the prevention of mpox. It will also shed light on a brief description of contemporary vaccines and antiviral agents that have been evaluated for their treatment potential since the emergence of the mpox threat. These treatment options are setting the pace for controlling the widespread monkeypox infection. However, the limitations attached to these treatment strategies need to be tackled quickly to increase their efficacy so that they can be deployed on a large scale for the prevention of this epidemic becoming another pandemic in this decade.

Introduction Twin pregnancy carries a high risk of pregnancy-related complications including adverse perinatal outcomes. Although evidence from international studies indicated an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes in twin pregnancies, little is known about the adverse perinatal outcomes in twin pregnancies and associated factors in Ethiopia. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to estimate the incidence of twin pregnancies and related-adverse perinatal outcomes and identify factors associated with adverse perinatal outcomes in twin pregnancies in Ethiopia. Methods A hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among 322 mothers who gave twin birth at Adama Hospital Medical College between 08 July 2015 and 07 June 2017. In this study, the adverse perinatal outcome was defined as the presence of any of the following main conditions: low birth weight, preterm birth, stillbirth, low Apgar Scores, mal-presentation, Admission to neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and early neonatal deaths. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to identify factors associated with adverse perinatal outcome at 95% CI or P-value of less than 0.05. Result Of 10,850 births recorded in the hospital, 354 births were twins and 322 of these paired records had complete perinatal information. One hundred ninety-nine (61.8%) of the 322 paired birth records had at least one adverse perinatal outcome on one or both twins. Low birth weight was the most common perinatal outcome followed by preterm birth. After adjusting for confounding factors, younger maternal age (AOR = 4.1, 95% CI; 1.3, 12.5) and not having ultrasound scan during antenatal care (AOR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2, 3.1) were significantly associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. Conclusion The incidence of adverse perinatal outcome in twin pregnancies was high, that is, in 61.8% of twin births, there was at least one adverse perinatal outcome on one or both twins. Moreover, younger maternal age at birth and not having an ultrasound scan during antenatal care were found to be strong predictors for the observed high incidence of adverse perinatal outcomes.

The initial stage of prostatic adenocarcinoma (PaC) has been treated with surgery and radiation therapy, but the advanced stages need systemic novel treatment. Since 2010, several advanced therapeutic innovations have been introduced in various randomized clinical trials to improve survival and reduce morbidity and mortality. Several of these therapeutics have shown substantial survival assistance globally, even in the advanced stages of metastatic castration-resistant prostatic adenocarcinoma (mCRPC). This article describes advanced PaC therapy regimens including chemotherapeutic options, hormonal therapies (abiraterone, enzalutamide), immunotherapeutic agents, and bone-modifying agents. We discussed various pros and cons of gene therapy approaches including Crispr/Cas9 mediation, oncolytic viruses, suicidal genes, and micro-RNA based antitumor therapy. The mCRPC microenvironment is characterized by elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, which ultimately trigger the androgen receptor (AR) and its dependent signaling pathways. The advanced therapeutics target these receptors and inhibit the steroidogenic enzymes that play an important role in increasing testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels in the body. These advanced therapeutic novelties also target AR-independent oncogenic signaling pathways by focusing on DNA damage repair (DDR) pathways and their mechanisms. Some of these options appear to be very attractive strategies for acute and chronic stages of PaC and mCRPC treatment by overcoming the mechanisms of resistance.

In recent years, massive development in the malware industry changed the entire landscape for malware development. Therefore, cybercriminals became more sophisticated by advancing their development techniques from file-based to fileless malware. As file-based malware depends on files to spread itself, on the other hand, fileless malware does not require a traditional file system and uses benign processes to carry out its malicious intent. Therefore, it evades conventional detection techniques and remains stealthy. This paper briefly explains fileless malware, its life cycle, and its infection chain. Moreover, it proposes a detection technique based on feature analysis using machine learning for fileless malware detection. The virtual machine acquired the memory dumps upon executing the malicious and non-malicious samples. Then the necessary features are extracted using the Volatility memory forensics tool, which is then analyzed using machine learning classification algorithms. After that, the best algorithm is selected based on the k-fold cross-validation score. Experimental evaluation has shown that Random Forest outperforms other machine learning classifiers (Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine, Logistic Regression, K-Nearest Neighbor, XGBoost, and Gradient Boosting). It achieved an overall accuracy of 93.33% with a True Positive Rate (TPR) of 87.5% at zeroFalse Positive Rate (FPR) for fileless malware collected from five widely used datasets (VirusShare, AnyRun, PolySwarm, HatchingTriage, and JoESadbox).

Fuzzy topological topographic mapping (FTTM) is a mathematical model that consists of a set of homeomorphic topological spaces designed to solve the neuro magnetic inverse problem. The key to the model is its topological structure that can accommodate electrical or magnetic recorded brain signal. A sequence of FTTM, FTTMn, is an extension of FTTM whereby its form can be arranged in a symmetrical form, i.e., polygon. The special characteristic of FTTM, namely, the homeomorphisms between its components, allows the generation of new FTTM. The generated FTTMs can be represented as pseudo graphs. A pseudo-graph consists of vertices that signify the generated FTTM and edges that connect their incidence components. A graph of pseudo degree zero, G0(FTTMnk ), however, is a special type of graph where each of the FTTM components differs from its adjacent. A researcher posted a conjecture on G03(FTTMn3) in 2014, and it was finally proven in 2021 by researchers who used their novel grid-based method. In this paper, the extended G03(FTTMn3), namely, the conjecture on G04(FTTMn4) that was posed in 2018, is narrated and proven using simple mathematical induction.

Smart cities assure the masses a higher quality of life through digital interconnectivity, leading to increased efficiency and accessibility in cities. In addition, a huge amount of data is being exchanged through smart devices, networks, cloud infrastructure, big data analysis and Internet of Things (IoT) applications in the various private and public sectors, such as critical infrastructures, financial sectors, healthcare, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). However, these sectors require maintaining certain security mechanisms to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of personal and critical information. However, unfortunately, organizations fail to maintain their security posture in terms of security mechanisms and controls, which leads to data breach incidents either intentionally or inadvertently due to the vulnerabilities in their information management systems that either malicious insiders or attackers exploit. In this paper, we highlight the importance of data breaches and issues related to information leakage incidents. In particular, the impact of data breaching incidents and the reasons contributing to such incidents affect the citizens’ well-being. In addition, this paper also discusses various preventive measures such as security mechanisms, laws, standards, procedures, and best practices, including follow-up mitigation strategies.

Objective: To study the Impact and Comparison of Pregnancy Induced Hypertension and Obesity on Fetal and Maternal Outcome in our set up. Study Design: Comparative cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital Kharian, from May 2017 to May 2018. Methodology: A total of 210 pregnant women were divided into healthy, overweight and obese groups according to WHO classification and normal, mild to moderate and severe hypertensive groups on blood pressure basis. The maternal and neonatal morbidity including Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation, post prandial hemorrhage, eclampsia, acute renal failure, birth weight, small for gestation, admission to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or neonatal death were recorded. Results: The mean age was 26.15 ± 3.22 years, mean blood pressure 128.57 ± 10.09/86.91 ± 5.89 mmHg, and mean BMI 21.33 ± 2.52. Most female were between 25-30 years age, were house wife, and delivered by spontaneous vaginal delivery. Among severe pregnancy induced hypertension and obese women, eclampsia (16.7% vs. 13%), Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (25% vs. 13%), and maternal mortality (5.6% vs. 8.6%) was seen respectively, while neonatal morbidity including Neonatal Intensive Care Unit admissions (38.9% vs. 52.2%), small for gestation (25% vs. 30.4%), low birth weight (13.9% vs. 13%), and death (11.1% vs. 13%) respectively. Conclusion: The obese women showed a higher fetal (small for gestation, neonatal intensive care unitadmission and neonatal death) and maternal risk (acute renal failure, post-partum hemorrhage, Critical Care Unit admission, and maternal mortality) than women with severe pregnancy induced hypertension.

7055 aluminium (Al) alloy was synthesized by spray forming followed by hot extrusion, later subjected to (T6 & T74) aging treatments and its mechanical properties were examined. To investigate the ballistic behavior of the semi-infinite aluminum alloy target material, ballistic test with two different types of projectiles 7.62 mm soft steel core and 7.62 mm armor-piercing hard steel core projectiles were carried out. Excellent mechanical properties such as; higher strength UTS 708 MPa, fracture to elongation 12.8% and hardness 240 HV were achieved in the T6 condition owing to the MgZn2 phase and Al3Zr strengthening particles. Ballistic performance of the 7055-T6 target was superior to the T74 heat treated condition in terms of depth of penetration, crater diameter, strength, ductility and hardness. The target materials were deformed seriously against armor-piercing hard steel projectile impact as compared to soft steel core projectile. The microstructure was modified within the 1–1.5 mm area from the crater wall. The spray formed Al alloy have a good combination of strength and ballistic performance under the T6 heat treatment condition in comparison of T74 and other alloys produced by conventional forming methods. Keywords: Spray formed 7055, Ballistic performance, Microstructure modification, Adiabatic shear band

Trojan Detection—the process of understanding the behaviour of a suspicious file has been the talk of the town these days. Existing approaches, e.g., signature-based, have not been able to classify them accurately as Trojans. This paper proposes TrojanDetector—a simple yet effective multi-layer hybrid approach for Trojan detection. TrojanDetector analyses every downloaded application and extracts and correlates its features on three layers (i.e., application-, user-, and package layer) to identify it as either a benign application or a Trojan. TrojanDetector adopts a hybrid approach, combining static and dynamic analysis characteristics, for feature extraction from any downloaded application. We have evaluated our scheme on three publicly available datasets, namely (i) CCCS- CIC-AndMal-2020, (ii) Cantagio-Mobile, and (iii) Virus share, by using simple yet state-of-the-art classifiers, namely, random forest (RF), decision tree (DT), support vector machine (SVM), and logistic regression (LR) in binary—class settings. SVM outperformed its counterparts and attained the highest accuracy of 96.64%. Extensive experimentation shows the effectiveness of our proposed Trojan detection scheme.

With the increase in users of social media websites such as IMDb, a movie website, and the rise of publicly available data, opinion mining is more accessible than ever. In the research field of language understanding, categorization of movie reviews can be challenging because human language is complex, leading to scenarios where connotation words exist. Connotation words have a different meaning than their literal meanings. While representing a word, the context in which the word is used changes the semantics of words. In this research work, categorizing movie reviews with good F-Measure scores has been investigated with Word2Vec and three different aspects of proposed features have been inspected. First, psychological features are extracted from reviews positive emotion, negative emotion, anger, sadness, clout (confidence level) and dictionary words. Second, readablility features are extracted; the Automated Readability Index (ARI), the Coleman Liau Index (CLI) and Word Count (WC) are calculated to measure the review’s understandability score and their impact on review classification performance is measured. Lastly, linguistic features are also extracted from reviews adjectives and adverbs. The Word2Vec model is trained on collecting 50,000 reviews related to movies. A self-trained Word2Vec model is used for the contextualized embedding of words into vectors with 50, 100, 150 and 300 dimensions.The pretrained Word2Vec model converts words into vectors with 150 and 300 dimensions. Traditional and advanced machine-learning (ML) algorithms are applied and evaluated according to performance measures: accuracy, precision, recall and F-Measure. The results indicate Support Vector Machine (SVM) using self-trained Word2Vec achieved 86% F-Measure and using psychological, linguistic and readability features with concatenation of Word2Vec features SVM achieved 87.93% F-Measure.

Complex systems require rigorous analysis using effective method, in order to handle and interpret their information. Spectrum produced from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) instrument is an example of a complex system, due to their overlapped bands and interactions within the spectrum. Thus, chemometrics techniques are required to further analyze the data, in particular, chemometrics fuzzy autocatalytic set (c-FACS). The c-FACS is initially used to analyze the FTIR spectra of gelatins. However, in this study, the c-FACS is generalized and implemented for analysis of Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), particularly, the pandemic outbreak in Malaysia. The daily Covid-19 cases in states in Malaysia are modeled and analyzed using c-FACS, to observe the trend and severity of the disease in Malaysia. As a result, the classification of severity of zones in Malaysia are identified. The obtained results offer descriptive insight for strategizing purposes in combating the Covid-19 outbreak in Malaysia.

The development of spontaneous pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema are few of the rare clinical manifestations observed in coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) patients which are yet to be fully understood. Most cases of spontaneous pneumomediastinum arises due to factors causing high intra-alveolar pressure. Herein, we report a case of a COVID-19 positive elderly male, who presented with spontaneous pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema unrelated to high-pressure ventilatory measures, detected on chest computed tomography (CT). Despite acute medical care, the patient progressed towards a more serious clinical course. Male gender and diffuse alveolar damage caused by COVID-19 seems to be the most relevant association in this case. However, we have enlightened other possible pathological mechanisms and their association with severity index of COVID-19.

When emerging technologies transform an organization’s way of working, explorative business process management (BPM) becomes a new challenge. Although digital innovations can boost process efficacy and business productivity, employees do not necessarily accept the implied work changes. We therefore looked at the increased digitalization efforts during the COVID-19 lockdowns, during which employees were forced to drastically rethink work by heavily depending on technology for communication and almost all business tasks. This global setting allowed us to scrutinize disruptive work changes and how employees can cope with disruptive work adaptations. We also looked into the explorative skillset needed to adapt to these changes. To theorize about an explorative BPM acceptance model, eleven hypotheses were supported based on a solid theoretical foundation. We followed a quantitative research design using partial least squares for structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) at the university administration settings in two regions, including purposive sampling. Data analysis covered both a measurement model assessment and structural model assessment. Our findings reveal that employees’ perceived work modalities, feeling creative and feeling flexible are more promising features than perceived influence and attitude related to explorative work and skill development. We also offer novel insights into explorative business process management (BPM) skills, and which skills are more productive in uncertain or dynamic working conditions. This research is a learning path for managers struggling with flexible or competitive business environments, and more specifically to facilitate employee willingness.

Recorded electroencephalography (EEG) signals can be represented as square matrices, which have been extensively analyzed using mathematical methods to extract invaluable information concerning brain functions in terms of observed electrical potentials; such information is critical for diagnosing brain disorders. Several studies have revealed that certain such square matrices—in particular, those related to so-called “elementary EEG signals”—exhibit properties similar to those of prime numbers in which every square EEG matrix can be regarded as a composite of these signals. A new approach to ordering square matrices is pivotal to extending the idea of square matrices as composite numbers. In this paper, several ordering concepts are investigated and a new technique for ordering matrices is introduced. Finally, some properties of this matrix order are presented, and the potential applications of this technique to analyzing EEG signals are discussed.

A generated n-sequence of fuzzy topographic topological mapping, FTTMn, is a combination of n number of FTTM’s graphs. An assembly graph is a graph whereby its vertices have valency of one or four. A Hamiltonian path is a path that visits every vertex of the graph exactly once. In this paper, we prove that assembly graphs exist in FTTMn and establish their relations to the Hamiltonian polygonal paths. Finally, the relation between the Hamiltonian polygonal paths induced from FTTMn to the k-Fibonacci sequence is established and their upper and lower bounds’ number of paths is determined.

Abstract Objectives: To investigate the seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus infection, risk factors and its association with progesterone levels in pregnant women from low socioeconomic background. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan, from January to July 2012, and comprised pregnant asymptomatic healthy females from different clinics and hospitals of the twin cities. Data was collected using a predesigned demographic questionnaire to determine socioeconomic status. Prevalence of anti-hepatitis E virus antibodies and progesterone levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results: Of the 90 women, 35(39%) were in the 21-25 year age group, and 55(61%) belonged to low socioeconomic background. The overall prevalence of seropositive hepatitis E virus immunoglobulin-G was 54(60%) and immunoglobulin-M was 12(13.3%). In the first trimester, the levels of progesterone were higher in patients positive for immunoglobulin-M compared to immunoglobulin-G (p

Background The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is a member of the Coronaviridae family that has caused a global public health emergency. Currently, there is no approved treatment or vaccine available against it. The current study aimed to cover the diversity of SARS-CoV-2 strains reported from all over the world and to design a broad-spectrum multi-epitope vaccine using an immunoinformatics approach. Methods For this purpose, all available complete genomes were retrieved from GISAID and NGDC followed by genome multiple alignments to develop a global consensus sequence to compare with the reference genome. Fortunately, comparative genomics and phylogeny revealed a significantly high level of conservation between the viral strains. All the Open Reading Frames (ORFs) of the reference sequence NC_045512.2 were subjected to epitope mapping using CTLpred and HLApred, respectively. The predicted CTL epitopes were then screened for antigenicity, immunogenicity and strong binding affinity with HLA superfamily alleles. HTL predicted epitopes were screened for antigenicity, interferon induction potential, overlapping B cell epitopes and strong HLA DR binding potential. The shortlisted epitopes were arranged into two multi-epitope sequences, Cov-I-Vac and Cov-II-Vac, and molecular docking was performed with Toll-Like Receptor 8 (TLR8). Results The designed multi-epitopes were found to be antigenic and non-allergenic. Both multi-epitopes were stable and predicted to be soluble in an Escherichia coli expression system. The molecular docking with TLR8 also demonstrated that they have a strong binding affinity and immunogenic potential. These in silico analyses suggest that the proposed multi-epitope vaccine can effectively evoke an immune response.

The spreading of accidental or malicious misinformation on social media, specifically in critical situations, such as real-world emergencies, can have negative consequences for society. This facilitates the spread of rumors on social media. On social media, users share and exchange the latest information with many readers, including a large volume of new information every second. However, updated news sharing on social media is not always true.In this study, we focus on the challenges of numerous breaking-news rumors propagating on social media networks rather than long-lasting rumors. We propose new social-based and content-based features to detect rumors on social media networks. Furthermore, our findings show that our proposed features are more helpful in classifying rumors compared with state-of-the-art baseline features. Moreover, we apply bidirectional LSTM-RNN on text for rumor prediction. This model is simple but effective for rumor detection. The majority of early rumor detection research focuses on long-running rumors and assumes that rumors are always false. In contrast, our experiments on rumor detection are conducted on real-world scenario data set. The results of the experiments demonstrate that our proposed features and different machine learning models perform best when compared to the state-of-the-art baseline features and classifier in terms of precision, recall, and F1 measures.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging field consisting of Internet-based globally connected network architecture. A subset of IoT is the Internet of Healthcare Things (IoHT) that consists of smart healthcare devices having significant importance in monitoring, processing, storing, and transmitting sensitive information. It is experiencing novel challenges regarding data privacy protection. This article discusses different components of IoHT and categorizes various healthcare devices based on their functionality and deployment. This article highlights the possible points and reasons for data leakage, such as conflicts in laws, the use of sub-standard devices, lack of awareness, and the non-availability of dedicated local law enforcement agencies. This article draws attention to the escalating demand for a suitable regulatory framework and analyzes compliance problems of IoHT devices concerning healthcare data privacy and protection regulations. Furthermore, the article provides some recommendations to improve the security and privacy of IoHT implementation.

Introduction Molecular studies have confirmed the silent circulation of enterovirus (EntV) and hepatitis A virus in the environment, even in the absence of clinical manifestation. Viral pathogens are among the major causes of disease outbreaks, particularly in the bigger cities and both in the developed and underdeveloped nations. Material and methods Between June 2016 – June 2017, 97 samples of drinking water, river water polluted with sewage and blood were selected and obtained from high risk communities in Pakistan. Negatively charged membrane filters were used to concentrate the virus, followed by the use of specific PCR primers set for quick identification of the waterborne viruses. Results Enteroviruses were recovered from 40%, 28.57% and 33.33% of river water polluted with sewage samples in Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, respectively, while the presence of 13.13% and 11.76% of viral load was also confirmed in the drinking water of Lahore and Rawalpindi, respectively. A high prevalence of HAV (12.5% and 21.05%) was also verified in the clinical samples. Phylogenetic analysis indicated close resemblance of HAV isolates with the Indian strains. This study is the first ever comparative analysis of the EntV and HAV isolated from environmental samples and clinical specimen on a molecular level. Conclusions The parallel surveillance of EntV and HAV in the river water polluted with sewage, and clinical samples is quite helpful for controlling and reducing the disease burden of the waterborne illnesses.

Fuzzy topological topographic mapping (FTTM) is a mathematical model which consists of a set of homeomorphic topological spaces designed to solve the neuro magnetic inverse problem. A sequence of FTTM, FTTMn, is an extension of FTTM that is arranged in a symmetrical form. The special characteristic of FTTM, namely the homeomorphisms between its components, allows the generation of new FTTM. The generated FTTMs can be represented as pseudo graphs. A graph of pseudo degree zero is a special type of graph where each of the FTTM components differs from the one adjacent to it. Previous researchers have investigated and conjectured the number of generated FTTM pseudo degree zero with respect to n number of components and k number of versions. In this paper, the conjecture is proven analytically for the first time using a newly developed grid-based method. Some definitions and properties of the novel grid-based method are introduced and developed along the way. The developed definitions and properties of the method are then assembled to prove the conjecture. The grid-based technique is simple yet offers some visualization features of the conjecture.

Soil potassium (K) supplement depends intensively on the application of chemical fertilizers, which have substantial harmful environmental effects. However, some bacteria can act as inoculants by converting unavailable and insoluble K forms into plant-accessible forms. Such bacteria are an eco-friendly approach for enhancing plant K absorption and consequently reducing utilization of chemical fertilization. Therefore, the present research was undertaken to isolate, screen, and characterize the K solubilizing bacteria (KSB) from the rhizosphere soils of northern India. Overall, 110 strains were isolated, but only 13 isolates showed significant K solubilizing ability by forming a halo zone on solid media. They were further screened for K solubilizing activity at 0 °C, 1 °C, 3 °C, 5 °C, 7 °C, 15 °C, and 20 °C for 5, 10, and 20 days. All the bacterial isolates showed mineral K solubilization activity at these different temperatures. However, the content of K solubilization increased with the upsurge in temperature and period of incubation. The isolate KSB (Grz) showed the highest K solubilization index of 462.28% after 48 h of incubation at 20 °C. The maximum of 23.38 µg K/mL broth was solubilized by the isolate KSB (Grz) at 20 °C after 20 days of incubation. Based on morphological, biochemical, and molecular characterization (through the 16S rDNA approach), the isolate KSB (Grz) was identified as Mesorhizobium sp. The majority of the strains produced HCN and ammonia. The maximum indole acetic acid (IAA) (31.54 µM/mL) and cellulase (390 µM/mL) were produced by the isolate KSB (Grz). In contrast, the highest protease (525.12 µM/mL) and chitinase (5.20 µM/mL) activities were shown by standard strain Bacillus mucilaginosus and KSB (Gmr) isolate, respectively.

ObjectivesAlthough tuberculosis (TB) related stigma has a significant impact on the diagnosis, patient adherence with treatment, and recovery from the disease, there is limited evidence from Ethiopia regarding perceived stigma among patient with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).The purpose of this study was to assess perceived stigma and associated factors among patient with PTB on treatment in southwest Ethiopia.MethodsInstitution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2019 among 410 patient with PTB. Data were collected by using the perceived tuberculosis stigma scale. Epi data v3.1 and SPSSv23 were used for data entry and analysis. Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with perceived stigma. Results are presented as adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultPrevalence of perceived stigma among patient with Pulmonary tuberculosis was 57.1% (95% CI: 52.2, 61.7). Poor social support (AOR = 2.41; 95% CI: 1.06, 5.48), above a month duration of illness (AOR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.33, 4.64), high perceived stress (AOR = 1.95; 95% CI:1.09, 3.49), current khat use (AOR = 1.88; 95% CI:1.05, 3.37), and presence of depression (AOR = 8.18; 95% CI:4.40, 15.22) were significantly associated with perceived stigma. Patient with HIV co-infection were 5.67 times (AOR = 5.67; 95% CI: 2.32, 13.87) more likely to have Perceived stigma than their counterparts.ConclusionTB related stigma was reported by more than half of the study participant. Stigma reduction measures are needed to lower TB related stigma perceived by the patient, the level of distress associated with it, and to promote the psychological wellbeing of patient with TB.

An autocatalytic set (ACS) is a graph. On the other hand, the Potential Method (PM) is an established graph based concept for optimization purpose. Firstly, a restricted form of ACS, namely, weak autocatalytic set (WACS), a derivation of transitive tournament, is introduced in this study. Then, a new mathematical concept, namely, fuzzy weak autocatalytic set (FWACS), is defined and its relations to transitive PM are established. Some theorems are proven to highlight their relations. Finally, this paper concludes that any preference graph is a fuzzy graph Type 5.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide in different cohorts. It is well known that miRNAs have a crucial role in regulating the development of cardiovascular physiology, thus impacting the pathophysiology of heart diseases. MiRNAs also have been reported to be associated with cardiac reactions, leading to myocardial infarction (MCI) and ultimately heart failure (HF). To prevent these heart diseases, proper and timely diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction is pivotal. Though there are many symptoms associated with an irregular heart condition and though there are some biomarkers available that may indicate heart disease, authentic, specific and sensitive markers are the need of the hour. In recent times, miRNAs have proven to be promising candidates in this regard. They are potent biomarkers as they can be easily detected in body fluids (blood, urine, etc.) due to their remarkable stability and presence in apoptotic bodies and exosomes. Existing studies suggest the role of miRNAs as valuable biomarkers. A single biomarker may be insufficient to diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD) or acute myocardial infarction (AMI); thus, a combination of different miRNAs may prove fruitful. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the role of circulating miRNA as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD), myocardial infarction (MI) and atherosclerosis.

Viral gastroenteritis and other water-borne diseases are the most neglected areas of research in Pakistan. To determine the quality of water, 4 enteric viruses were studied from different localities of Peshawar, Pakistan. The study validates the viral detection method for Rotavirus (RV), Human adenovirus (HAdV), Enterovirus (EV) and Hepatitis A virus (HAV), directly from water sources of rural areas of Peshawar, KPK, Pakistan. Overall, 95 five water samples were tested; among them, 9.47% were positive for RV, 38.94% for HAdV, 48.42% for EV and 12.63% for HAV. The presence of these viruses in water was directly correlated with meteorological data. High prevalence of EV and HAdV was detected frequently in the wet season from May – September, which can be the potential cause of spreading of gastroenteritis in the population. Environmental surveillance is an additional tool to evaluate the epidemiology of enteric viruses circulating in a given community.

This paper explores how electroencephalography (EEG) signals in the Krohn-Rhodes form can be decomposed further using the Jordan-Chevalley decomposition technique. First, the recorded EEG signals of a seizure were transformed into a set of matrices. Each of these matrices was decomposed into its elementary components using the Krohn-Rhodes decomposition method. The components were then further decomposed into semisimple and nilpotent matrices using the Jordan-Chevalley decomposition. These matrices—which are the extended building blocks of elementary EEG signals—provide evidence that the EEG signals recorded during a seizure contain patterns similar to that of prime numbers.

Graph theory is a well-established concept that is widely used in numerous applications such as in biology, chemistry and network analysis. The advancement in the theory of graph has led to the development of a new concept called fuzzy autocatalytic set. In this paper, a fuzzy graph-based chemometrics method, namely, chemometrics fuzzy autocatalytic set (c-FACS) is developed and applied for gelatin authentication. The issue on authenticity of gelatin has become a sensitive issue among some religious communities. Due to the matter, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of bovine, porcine and fish gelatins are analyzed using c-FACS to identify their signatures and differences and presented in this paper. The results from the c-FACS analysis showed distinct features of each gelatin, particularly porcine. Furthermore, the new method is faster than principal component analysis (PCA) in identifying the gelatin sources.

The nanograins (NG) on the top surface layer of alloy 690 were successfully prepared by ultrasonic surface rolling treatment (USRT). The average grain size of NG alloy 690 was 55 nm, and the thickness of the NG surface layer was about 1 μm. Meanwhile, the surface roughness was significantly reduced after surface nanocrystalliztion. The corrosion behavior of alloy 690 before and after USRT was studied in a secondary side environment containing chloride. Electrochemical corrosion experiments demonstrated that the passive film generated by USRT was denser than that formed on coarse-grained (CG) alloy 690. Pitting corrosion was prone to occur in grain boundaries of CG alloy 690, and the pits on the surface of NG alloy 690 were smaller than those generated on CG alloy 690 after 1000 h of an immersion experiment.

Acute kidney injury due to urinary tract obstruction invariably suggests lower urinary tract obstruction or bilateral ureteric obstruction since obstruction of a single kidney while the contralateral kidney is normal and not obstructed would not cause a perceptible rise in creatinine. Assuming a total body volume of 42 L, 70 kg male that generates approximately 1400 mg of creatinine daily (20 mg/kg/day) who has complete urinary tract obstruction would experience a 3.33 mg/dL per day increase in serum creatinine. Thus, for an individual who had prior normal renal function and who presents with a creatinine of 30 mg/dL, one could surmise that the obstructive pathology had lasted at least 10 days. However, the rise in serum creatinine is a poor marker of renal injury and subsequent prognosis. Urinary tract obstruction leading to AKI can be due to a variety of causes, and its management is tailored to the underlying etiology. This case series describes the varied clinical course of four patients at our center who experienced AKI from atypical causes of obstructive uropathy. Current and future diagnostic modalities and caveats in the treatment of this disease entity are also discussed.

The steam turbine and a boiler are important components of a power generation plant. Improved efficiency of a power plant leads to increase of energy production and less waste. In this paper, a model of the power plant as a multivariable system using fuzzy arithmetic which is based on the Transformation Method (TM) is presented. The analytical solution is used to evaluate the state space model. The TM is then used to quantify the inuence of each parameter and their gain factors are calculated to allow estimation of relative measures of uncertainty. The method is applied to a boiler and a steam turbine systems for simulation, analysis and indication of TM's efficiency. The efficiency of TM is presented in this paper.

Hepatitis E and Hepatitis A virus both are highly prevalent in Pakistan mainly present as a sporadic disease. The aim of the current study is to isolate and characterized the specific genotype of Hepatitis E virus from water bodies of Faisalabad, Pakistan. Drinking and sewage samples were qualitatively analyzed by using RT-PCR. HEV Genotype 1 strain was recovered from sewage water of Faisalabad. Prevalence of HEV and HAV in sewage water propose the possibility of gradual decline in the protection level of the circulated vaccine in the Pakistani population.

Background and purpose: Current models dictate that, depending on occurrence of early reperfusion, the ischemic penumbra either undergoes or escapes infarction (i.e., “pan-necrosis”). However, tissue outcome following temporary middle-cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAo) in rodents can also include selective neuronal loss (SNL), which even if subtle may impede functional recovery. In order to explore the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke, determine potential therapeutic targets and monitor effects of therapy, in vivo imaging surrogates of these varied histopathological outcomes applicable in the clinical setting would be useful. Although hyperintense signal on T2-weighted MRI in the chronic post-stroke stage is considered a reliable surrogate of tissue infarction, SNL is not associated with T2W abnormal signal. In the clinical setting, the neuron-specific PET ligand 11C-flumazenil (FMZ) has been used to identify both pan-necrosis and peri-infarct SNL, but this inference has not been histopathological confirmed so far. Here we investigated the late tissue sequelae of tMCAo in the rodent using in vivo T2W MRI and FMZ-PET against post mortem immunohistochemistry as gold standard. Methods: Adult spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) underwent 45 min distal-clip middle-cerebral artery occlusion and, 28 days later, FMZ-PET and T2W-MRI, immediately followed by immunohistochemistry for neuronal loss (NeuN), activated microglia and astrocytosis. Based on standard histopathological definitions, ischemic lesions were classified into pan-necrosis, partial infarction or SNL. NeuN changes and FMZ binding across the whole hemisphere were quantified in the same set of 44 regions-of-interest according to previously validated protocols; linear regressions between these two measures were carried out both within and across subjects. Results: Both cortical pan-necrosis/partial infarction and SNL were present in all rats except one, where SNL was isolated and extensive. Infarction/partial infarction, but not SNL, was associated with T2W hyperintense signals and cortical atrophy. In contrast, FMZ binding was decreased in all types of lesions including SNL, in proportion with NeuN staining intensity both within (p

Objectives. Mucosal healing has become the new goal of treatment in ulcerative colitis. Fecal calprotectin has been demonstrated to differentiate between mucosal inflammation and mucosal healing. With this project, we investigated whether a reduction in f-calprotectin to

To evaluate the performance of decision making units (DMUs), data envelopment analysis (DEA) was introduced. Basically, the traditional DEA scheme calculates the best relative efficiency score (i.e., the “optimistic” efficiency) of each DMU with the most favorable weights. A decision maker may be unable to compare and fully rank the efficiencies of different DMUs that are calculated using these potentially distinct sets of weights on the same basis. Based on the literature, the assignable worst relative efficiency score (i.e., the “pessimistic” efficiency) for each DMU can also be determined. In this paper, the best and the worst relative efficiencies are considered simultaneously. To measure the overall performance of the DMUs, an integration of both the best and the worst relative efficiencies is considered in the form of an interval. The advantage of this efficiency interval is that it provides all of the possible efficiency values and an expanded overview to the decision maker. The proposed method determines the lower- and upper-bounds of the interval efficiency over a common set of weights. To demonstrate the implementation of the introduced method, a numerical example is provided.

The mathematical modelling of EEG signals of epileptic seizures presents a challenge as seizure data is erratic, often with no visible trend. Limitations in existing models indicate a need for a generalized model that can be used to analyze seizures without the need for apriori information, whilst minimizing the loss of signal data due to smoothing. This paper utilizes measure theory to design a discrete probability measure that reformats EEG data without altering its geometric structure. An analysis of EEG data from three patients experiencing epileptic seizures is made using the developed measure, resulting in successful identification of increased potential difference in portions of the brain that correspond to physical symptoms demonstrated by the patients. A mapping then is devised to transport the measure data onto the surface of a high-dimensional manifold, enabling the analysis of seizures using directional statistics and manifold theory. The subset of seizure signals on the manifold is shown to be a topological space, verifying Ahmad's approach to use topological modelling.

Purpose. To describe a technique that preserves anterior and posterior alternate ledges in a closing wedge osteotomy. Methods. Five patients aged 14 to 19 years underwent a closing wedge osteotomy for genu valgum in 8 limbs using a reciprocating ledge technique. A unicortical wedge of bone was removed, with the anterior and posterior cortices spared. The anterior cortex at the proximal level and the posterior cortex at the distal level were cut through. With a wobbling action, the osteotomy site was rotated, and the distal fragment externally rotated. Manual force was applied to close the osteotomy site ensuring overlapping of the reciprocal ledges. The distal fragment was translated laterally to prevent club deformity. The osteotomy site was held with one or 2 staples. Stability was tested by flexion and extension of knee. Results. All 8 limbs attained bone union within 12 weeks, and full range of motion within a mean of 13 (range, 12–15) weeks. The mean correction of the tibiofemoral angle was 13°. At a mean follow-up of 12 months, all patients were pain-free and none developed club deformity. Conclusion. Sparing reciprocal ledges in a closing wedge osteotomy for genu valgum may increase stability in the flexion-extension axis, enable early range-of-motion exercises, and facilitate early bone union.

Objective: This study evaluates the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) on visceral hypersensitivity (VH) and the expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-2B (NMDAR-2B) and glutamate transporter EAAT2 in goats., Methods: Twenty-four goats were divided into four groups: saline, 2, 4, 6-Trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS), TNBS + EA, and sham EA. EA was administered at Zusanli (ST36) with 60 Hz and 1-3 mA on specified days. Electromyography (EMG) recorded visceromotor response to colorectal distention (CRD). Spinal cords were collected for immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and RT-PCR. The ileum was examined histologically., Results: The repeated EA administration significantly attenuated VH (P < 0.05) in TNBS-treated goats without similar effects in the sham group. NMDAR-2B expression increased (P < 0.01), and EAAT2 expression decreased (P < 0.01) in the TNBS group compared to saline. EA increased the EAAT2 and decreased the NMDAR-2B expression (P < 0.01) compared to TNBS, with no change in the sham-EA group., Conclusion: EA may alleviate VH by upregulating EAAT2 and downregulating NMDAR-2B in the spinal cord of TNBS-treated goats, indicating its potential for treating chronic visceral pain in gastrointestinal disorders., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Sustainable development goals and rising sustainability concerns push stakeholders and society to demand organizations adopt innovative practices that can contribute to business sustainability. This study aims to provide a systematic review through comprehensive bibliometric analysis of almost 1st quarter of the 21st century. The main focus is on how green human resource management practices promote and have a relationship with environmental performance, which is a significant part of sustainability. The authors systematically reviewed 242 top-tier articles from Scopus and Web of Science databases by following the "preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses" methodology. A significant relationship began in 2015 and gained popularity after COVID-19. The studies suggest that management should embrace the most demanding green human resource management practices, such as green competence building, motivation enhancement, and employee involvement, for better environmental performance. So, organizations can help acquire and retain committed and eco-friendly employees whose ecological values and objectives are compatible with the organization. The study also provides insight into the role of green human resource management practices in fostering eco-friendly behaviour of employees that, in turn, influence environmental performance. Most authors used the theory of ability-motivation-opportunity, a supporting mechanism for how organizations protect the environment through adopting green human resource management practices. In the future, corporate environmental responsibility, environmental regulations intensity, pro-environmental behaviour, and green work-life balance are suggested mechanisms to enhance environmental performance through green human resource management practices., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: Apart from known factors such as irrational use of antibiotics and horizontal gene transfer, it is now reported that clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are also associated with increased antimicrobial resistance. Hence, it is critical to explore alternatives to antibiotics to control economic losses. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine not only the association of CRISPR-Cas system with antibiotic resistance but also the potential of Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) for avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) isolated from poultry market Lahore., Materials and Methods: Samples (n = 100) were collected from live bird markets of Lahore, and isolates were confirmed as Escherichia coli (E. coli) using the Remel One fast kit, and APEC was identified using PCR. The antibiotic resistance pattern in APEC was determined using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), followed by genotypic confirmation of antibiotic-resistant genes using the PCR. The CRISPR-Cas system was also identified in multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates, and its association with antibiotics was determined using qRT-PCR. The potential of ZnO-NPs was evaluated for multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates by MIC., Results: All isolates of APEC were resistant to nalidixic acid, whereas 95% were resistant to chloramphenicol and 89% were resistant to streptomycin. Nineteen MDR APEC were found in the present study and the CRISPR-Cas system was detected in all of these MDR isolates. In addition, an increased expression of CRISPR-related genes was observed in the standard strain and MDR isolates of APEC. ZnO-NPs inhibited the growth of resistant isolates., Conclusions: The findings showed the presence of the CRISPR-Cas system in MDR strains of APEC, along with the potential of ZnO-NPs for a possible solution to proceed. This highlights the importance of regulating antimicrobial resistance in poultry to reduce potential health consequences., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This literature review examines the impact of brand image on customer satisfaction and brand loyalty in the context of foreign tourism. Following a review of relevant literature, 13,302 articles were found for this study, including the keywords "brand image (BI)", "customer satisfaction (CS)", and "brand loyalty (BL)". Considering the required inclusion and the quality of studies, we employed the rigorous PRISMA technique for comprehensive data synthesis and evaluated 79 articles for the final review. Our findings underscore the significant impact of brand image on shaping customer satisfaction and fostering brand loyalty within the foreign tourism sector. The study enriches the literature by incorporating self-congruity theory. In addition, factors like product quality, pricing, and advertising are identified as key determinants significantly influencing the proposed relationship., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: The growing popularity and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) products among the general public worldwide has been well documented. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and perceptions (KAP) of Pakistani healthcare professionals (HCP) toward CAM and to document their views on integrating CAM education with the curriculum of undergraduate health science programs., Method: A cross-sectional study using simple random sampling was conducted for a duration of ten months among HCPs from Pakistan's twin cities: Islamabad and RawalpindiThe data were collected using a self-administered and validated (Cronbach's alpha: 0.71) questionnaire. This questionnaire consisted of five sections, namely; demographic, attitude, perception, integration and knowledge., Result: The response rate was 91.20% (500/456). The participants included 160 physicians, 155 nurses,and 141 pharmacists. The majority of the respondents were females, 67.50%, and unmarried (60.50%).The majority of HCPs participating in this study agreed that CAM modalities may benefit conventional medicine system. Likewise, most HCPs perceived different CAM therapies aseffective treatment options. More than 50% HCPs suggested CAM elective courses in the curriculum of the health sciences program.Overall, 79.17% of the HCPs have poor knowledge of CAM. Physicians have the highest knowledge score 25.63%, followed by pharmacists 21.99%, and nurses 12.26%. Knowledge status was significantly associated with age, profession, and experience of practice (p = 0.001,0.001 & 0.019)., Conclusion: This study revealed that despite the overall positive attitude of HCPs toward CAM, the score of knowledge is low. Therefore, the survey recommends evidence-based guidelines for the rationale use of CAM and updated syllabi of undergraduate health programs which will assist the future HCPs in increasing professionals' knowledge toachieve better health outcomes for the general public., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background and Objectives: Dermatological disorders are highly prevalent among children in Pakistan. The present cross-sectional study aims to identify the spectrum of dermatological conditions among children and adolescents in Pakistan. Materials and Methods: A total of 582 patients (50.9% males; 49.1% females) were included in the study based on their age (5.7 ± 4.1 years), dermatological condition, and epidemiology. The youngest patient was aged ten days, whereas the eldest was seventeen. Age criteria were further stratified into three categories: infants and toddlers (≤5 years), children (≥5 to <12 years), and adolescents (≥12 to <18 years). Amongst them, the majority was from Punjab (81.6%), while the other regions included were Azad Jammu and Kashmir (14.4%), Islamabad (3.3%), and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (0.7%). Results: Scabies was the highest reported skin condition with 281 (45.55%) patients, followed by 114 (19.6%) with eczema, 60 (10.3%) with dermatitis, 33 (5.7%) with tinea capitis, 17 (2.9%) with tinea corporis, 16 (2.7%) with impetigo, and 15 (2.6%) with folliculitis. Other conditions include urticaria, burns, infections, pediculosis, tinea inguinalis, tinea faciei, nappy rashes, alopecia, warts, tinea incognito, tinea cruris, and acne vulgaris. The chi-squared test showed a high prevalence of tinea corporis and acne among adolescents (12-17 years), whereas eczema, dermatitis, and impetigo were more prevalent among infants and toddlers. Conclusions: Pets or livestock and poor hygiene were found to be highly reported risk factors for many dermatological conditions like scabies and fungal infections. Dermatological conditions are common in younger individuals, but unfortunately, many children do not receive the desired medical assistance.

Introduction: The primary purpose of this study was to determine adherence and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in PWE. Secondary aims were to assess association between adherence and HRQoL and determine predictors of HRQoL in PWE in Pakistan., Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among PWE receiving treatment from two tertiary care hospitals of Pakistan. The HRQoL and adherence were assessed with Urdu versions of Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 (QOLIE-31), and Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS). Relationship between HRQoL and adherence was assessed by Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient. Forced entry multiple linear models were used to determine relationship of independent variables with HRQoL., Results: 219 PWE with a mean (±standard deviation) age, 34.18 (± 13.710) years, participated in this study. The overall weighted mean HRQoL score was (51.60 ± 17.10), and mean score for adherence was 6.17 (± 2.31). There was significant association between adherence and HRQoL in PWE (Pearson's correlation = 0.820-0.930; p ≤ .0001). Multiple linear regression found adherence (B = 16.8; p ≤ .0001), male gender (B = 10.0; p = .001), employment status (employed: B = 7.50; p = .030), level of education (Tertiary: B = 0.910; p = .010), duration of epilepsy (>10 years: B = -0.700; p ≤ .0001), and age (≥46 years: B = -0.680; p ≤ .0001), and ASM therapy (polypharmacy: B = 0.430; p = .010) as independent predictors of HRQoL in PWE from Pakistan., Conclusions: The findings suggest PWE from our center have suboptimal adherence which affects HRQoL. Independent factors such as male gender, employment status and duration of epilepsy are predictors of HRQoL., (© 2023 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of gastroenteritis in humans. It has been reported that the pathogenesis of C. jejuni is closely related to the formation, adhesion, and invasion of flagella toxin in host epithelial cells. A putative transcriptional regulator, known as cj0440c , is thought to be involved in the regulation of flagellar synthesis. However, confirmation of this hypothesis requires deep insight into the regulation mechanism of cj0440c and its possible relationship with different antibiotics. Therefore, the study explained here was designed to determine the relationship and function (phenotypically and genotypically) of cj0440c in the flagellar synthesis of C. jejuni NCTC11168. The study determined the mode of expression of cj0440c and flagella-related genes under exposure to various drugs. To verify the involvement of cj0440c protein in the metabolic pathway of thiamine, an enzymatic hydrolysis experiment was performed and analyzed through the application of mass spectrometry. The overexpression vector of C. jejuni NCTC11168 was also constructed to find out whether or not target genes were regulated by cj0440c . The findings of the study showed that cj0440c and other flagella-related genes were expressed differentially under the influence of various antibiotics including erythromycin, tylosin, azithromycin, gentamicin, etimicin, enrofloxacin, gatifloxacin, tetracycline, and tigecycline. The analysis showed that the cj0440c protein did not catalyze the degradation of thiamine. In conclusion, the study aids in the understanding of the inter-relationship between the regulatory mechanism of flagella genes and the thiamine metabolic pathway., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Muhammad Abu Bakr Shabbir et al.)