We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
To save content items to your account,
please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies.
If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account.
Find out more about saving content to .
To save content items to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org
is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings
on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part
of your Kindle email address below.
Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations.
‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi.
‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Avian schistosomes are snail-borne trematode parasites (Trichobilharzia spp.) that can cause a nasty skin rash in humans when their cercariae mistake us for their normal bird hosts. We sought to investigate drivers of the spatial distribution of Trichobilharzia cercaria abundance throughout Northern Michigan lakes. For 38 sites on 16 lakes, we assessed several dozen potential environmental predictors that we hypothesized might have direct or indirect effects on overall cercaria abundance, based on known relationships between abiotic and biotic factors in wetland ecosystems. We included variables quantifying local densities of intermediate hosts, temperature, periphyton growth rates, human land use and hydrology. We also measured daily abundance of schistosome cercariae in the water over a 5-week period, supported by community scientists who collected and preserved filtered water samples for qPCR. The strongest predictor of cercaria abundance was Lymnaea host snail density. Lymnaea density was higher in deeper lakes and at sites with more deciduous tree cover, consistent with their association with cool temperature habitats. Contrary to past studies of human schistosomes, we also found a significant negative relationship between cercaria abundance and submerged aquatic vegetation, possibly due to vegetation blocking cercaria movement from offshore snail beds. If future work shows that these effects are indeed causal, then these results suggest possible new approaches to managing swimmer's itch risk in northern MI lakes, such as modifying tree cover and shallow-water vegetation at local sites.
This single-centre, retrospective cohort study was conducted to investigate the predictors of early peritoneal dialysis initiation in newborns and young infants undergoing cardiac surgery.
Methods:
There were fifty-seven newborns and young infants. All subjects received peritoneal dialysis catheter after completion of the cardiopulmonary bypass. Worsening post-operative (post-op) positive fluid balance and oliguria (<1 ml/kg/hour) despite furosemide were the clinical indications to start early peritoneal dialysis (peritoneal dialysis +). Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected from the pre-operative, intra-operative, and immediately post-operative periods.
Results:
Baseline demographic data were indifferent except that peritoneal dialysis + group had more newborns. Pre-operative serum creatinine was higher for peritoneal dialysis + group (p = 0.025). Peritoneal dialysis + group had longer cardiopulmonary bypass time (p = 0.044), longer aorta cross-clamp time (p = 0.044), and less urine output during post-op 24 hours (p = 0.008). In the univariate logistic regression model, pre-op serum creatinine was significantly associated with higher odds of being in peritoneal dialysis + (p = 0.021) and post-op systolic blood pressure (p = 0.018) and post-op mean arterial pressure (p=0.001) were significantly associated with reduced odds of being in peritoneal dialysis + (p = 0.018 and p = 0.001, respectively). Post-op mean arterial pressure showed a statistically significant association adjusted odds ratio = 0.89, 95% confidence interval [0.81, 0.96], p = 0.004) with peritoneal dialysis + in multivariate analysis after adjusting for age at surgery.
Conclusions:
In our single-centre cohort, pre-op serum creatinine, post-op systolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure demonstrated statistically significant association with peritoneal dialysis +. This finding may help to better risk stratify newborns and young infants for early peritoneal dialysis start following cardiac surgery.
Low and middle-income countries (LMICs) hold the majority of disease burden attributed to major depressive disorder (MDD). Despite this, there remains a substantial gap for access to evidence-based treatments for MDD in LMICs like Pakistan. Measurement-based care (MBC) incorporates systematic administration of validated outcome measures to guide treatment decision making and is considered a low-cost approach to optimise better clinical outcomes for individuals with MDD but there is a paucity of evidence on the efficacy of MBC in LMICs.
Objectives
This protocol highlights a randomized trial which will include Pakistani outpatients with moderate to severe major depression.
Methods
Participants will be randomised to either MBC (guided by schedule), or standard treatment (guided by clinicians’ judgement), and will be prescribed with paroxetine (10–60mg/day) or mirtazapine (7.5–45mg/day) for 24 weeks. Outcomes will be evaluated by raters blind to study protocol and treatment.
Results
National Bioethics Committee (NBC) of Pakistan has given full ethics approval. The trial is being conducted and reported as per recommendation of the CONSORT statement for RCTs.
Conclusions
With increasing evidence from high-income settings supporting the effectiveness of MBC for MDD, it is now necessary to explore its feasibility, utility. and efficacy in low-resource settings. The results of the proposed trial could inform the development of a low-cost and scalable approach to efficiently optimise outcomes for individuals with MDD in Pakistan.
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a source of marked disability, morbidity, and premature death. There is a paucity of research on personalized psychosocial interventions for BD, especially in lowresource settings. A previously published pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a Culturally adapted PsychoEducation (CaPE) intervention for BD in Pakistan reported higher patient satisfaction, enhanced medication adherence, knowledge and attitudes towards BD, and improvement in mood symptom scores and health-related quality of life measures compared to treatment-as-usual (TAU).
Objectives
This protocol describes a larger multicentre RCT to confirm the clinical and cost-effectiveness of CaPE in Pakistan.
Methods
A multicentre individual, parallel arm, RCT of CaPE in 300Pakistani adults with BD. Participants over the age of 18, with adiagnosis of bipolar I and II and who are currently euthymic, will berecruited from seven sites including Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi,Peshawar, Hyderabad and Quetta. Time to recurrence will be the primaryoutcome assessed using Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation(LIFE). Secondary measures will include mood symptomatology, qualityof life and functioning, adherence to psychotropic medications, andknowledge and attitudes towards BD.
Results
Full ethics approval has been received from National Bioethics Committee (NBC) of Pakistan and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Canada. The study has completed sixty-five screening across the seven centres, of which forty-eight participants have been randomised.
Conclusions
A successful trial will lead to rapid implementation of CaPE in clinical practice, not only in Pakistan, but also in other low-resource settings including those in high-income countries, to improve clinical outcomes, social and occupational functioning, and quality of life in South Asian and other minority patients with BD.
Bipolar disorder is a source of marked disability, morbidity and premature death. There is a paucity of research on personalised psychosocial interventions for bipolar disorder, especially in low-resource settings. A pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a culturally adapted psychoeducation intervention for bipolar disorder (CaPE) in Pakistan reported higher patient satisfaction, enhanced medication adherence, knowledge and attitudes regarding bipolar disorder, and improvement in mood symptom scores and health-related quality of life measures compared with treatment as usual (TAU).
Aims
The current protocol describes a larger multicentre RCT to confirm the clinical and cost-effectiveness of CaPE in Pakistan. Trial registration: NCT05223959.
Method
A multicentre individual, parallel-arm RCT of CaPE in 300 Pakistani adults with bipolar disorder. Participants over the age of 18, with a diagnosis of bipolar I or II disorder who are currently euthymic, will be recruited from seven sites: Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Hyderabad and Quetta. Time to recurrence will be the primary outcome assessed using the Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation (LIFE). Secondary measures will include mood symptoms, quality of life and functioning, adherence to psychotropic medications, and knowledge and attitudes regarding bipolar disorder.
Results
This trial will assess the effectiveness of the CaPE intervention compared with TAU in reducing the time to recurrence for people with bipolar disorder currently in remission in Pakistan and determine the effect on clinical outcomes, quality of life and functioning.
Conclusions
A successful trial might lead to rapid implementation of CaPE in clinical practice, not only in Pakistan, but also in other low-resource settings, including those in high-income countries, to improve clinical outcomes, social and occupational functioning, and quality of life in South Asian and other minority group patients with bipolar disorder.
Cancer is now one of the major causes of death across the globe. The imbalance of cytokine and chemokine secretion has been reported to be involved in cancer development. Meanwhile, CC chemokines have received considerable interest in cancer research. CCR10, as the latest identified CC chemokine receptor (CCR), has been implicated in the recruitment and infiltration of immune cells, especially lymphocytes, into epithelia such as skin via ligation to two ligands, CCL27 and CCL28. Other than homoeostatic function, several mechanisms have been shown to dysregulate CCR10/CCL27–CCL28 expression in the tumour microenvironment. As such, these receptors and ligands mediate T-cell trafficking in the tumour microenvironment. Depending on the types of lymphocytes recruited, CCR10/CCL27–CCL28 interaction has been shown to play conflicting roles in cancer development. If they were T helper and cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells, the role of this axis would be tumour-suppressive. In contrast, if CCR10/CCL27–CCL28 recruited regulatory T cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts or myeloid-derived suppressor cells, it would lead to tumour progression. In addition to the trafficking of lymphocytes and immune cells, CCR10 also leads to the migration of tumour cells or endothelial cells (called angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis) to promote tumour metastasis. Furthermore, CCR10 signalling triggers tumour-promoting signalling such as PI3K/AKT and mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase, resulting in tumour cell growth. Since CCR10/CCL27–CCL28 is dysregulated in the tumour tissues, it is suggested that analysis and measurement of them might predict tumour development. Finally, it is hoped using therapeutic approaches based on this axis might increase our knowledge to overcome tumour progression.
Polycystic ovary syndrome(Pcos) disease significantly decreased quality of life for women. Mental health is one of the components affecting the quality of life of these patients that attention to it is necessary to improve their quality of life.
Objectives
The present study was conducted to determine The effect of Motivational Interview Based on WhatsApp on the Psychological Domains of Quality of Life in Infertile Women with PCOS.
Methods
This randomized controlled clinical trial enrolled 60 Infertile Women with PCOS from the city of Sari-Iran in 2020. Participants were assigned to MI and control groups using block randomization. The intervention group received 5 weekly of MI online via WhatsApp. While the control group received only routine care. The psychological Domains score of quality of life in these individuals was measured using the quality of life questionnaire of polycystic ovary syndrome(MPCOSQ) before and after the intervention. Then, the data were entered into the SPSS software, version 25 and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, t-test, and repeated measures analysis of variance.
Results
No significant difference was observed between the two groups before the intervention mean The Psychological Domains scores (p>0.05). After the intervention, mean (SD) of The Psychological Domains score was 34.8 (11.8) in the intervention group and 30.7 (11.6) in the control.No significant Increasing in the mean between the two groups. The effect size(0.35) was calculated.
Conclusions
The results of the study showed that motivational interviewing is effective in improving the quality of life of women with pcos.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in women, which in addition to medical aspects also affects the dimensions of women’s mental health such as stress.
Objectives
The present study was conducted to determine The effect of online motivational interviewing on stress management in infertile women with PCOS
Methods
This randomized controlled clinical trial enrolled 60 Infertile Women with PCOS from the city of Sari-Iran in 2020. Participants were assigned to MI and control groups using block randomization. The intervention group received 5 weekly of MI online via WhatsApp. While the control group received only routine care. Stress management scores in these individuals were measured using health-promoting lifestyle profile II questionnaire (HPLP II) before and after the intervention. Then, the data were entered into the SPSS software, version 25 and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, t-test, and repeated measures analysis of variance.
Results
No significant difference was observed between the two groups before the intervention mean The Stress management scores (p>0.05). After the intervention, mean (SD) of The Psychological Domains score was 22.5 (3.8) in the intervention group and 17.9 (4.1) in the control. The Stress management score was significantly upper in the intervention group compared to the control. (p<0.000). The effect size (1.1) was calculated. NNT (1.6) was calculated.
Conclusions
According to the results and the effect of motivational interviewing is one of the effective methods to manage stress in infertile women with PCOS.
Spirulina platensis has been found to be useful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The present study aims to elucidate the effects of ethanol extract and butanol fraction of S. platensis on insulin release and glucose homoeostasis in type 2 diabetic rats, together with their mechanism of actions. In vitro and in vivo methods were used including cellular studies to determine potential role of ion channels and cAMP in the insulinotropic actions of the extracts. The ethanol extract and butanol fraction stimulated insulin release from mouse islets and pancreatic β-cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The butanol fraction also similarly stimulated insulin release from perfused rat pancreas. The insulin-releasing action was augmented by glucose, isobutylmethylxanthine, tolbutamide and a depolarising concentration of KCl. The insulin secretory effect was attenuated with diazoxide and verapamil and by omission of extracellular Ca2+. Butanol fraction was found to significantly inhibit dipeptidyl peptidase IV enzyme activity. Moreover, butanol fraction improved glucose tolerance following oral glucose administration (2·5 g/kg body weight (b.w.)). The butanol fraction was tested on 24 h starved rats given an oral sucrose load (2·5 g/kg b.w.) to examine possible effects on carbohydrate digestion and absorption. S. platensis substantially decreased postprandial hyperglycaemia after oral sucrose load and increased unabsorbed sucrose content throughout the gut. During in situ intestinal perfusion with glucose, the butanol fraction reduced glucose absorption and promoted gut motility. Finally, chronic oral administration of butanol fraction for 28 d significantly decreased blood glucose, increased plasma insulin, pancreatic insulin stores, liver glycogen and improved lipid profile. The characterisation of active compounds from butanol fraction revealed the presence of p-coumaric acid, β-carotene, catechin and other antioxidant polyphenols. In conclusion, S. platensis could be an adjunctive therapy for the management of type 2 diabetes.
Depression is a global public health problem with highest rates in women in low income countries including Pakistan. Paediatricians may be a resource to help with maternal depression. Little is known in low income countries about the prevalence of depression and its social correlates in mothers of children attending paediatric clinics.
Methods
Using cross-sectional design consecutive women attending the paediatric clinic were screened using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (n=185). Women scoring 12 or more (n=70) and a random sample of low scorers (n=16) were interviewed using the Clinical Interview Schedule Revised (CIS-R) to confirm the diagnosis of depression, the Oslo scale was used to measure social stress and EQ-5D for health related quality of life.
Results
The prevalence of maternal depression was 51%. The mean age of the sample was 26 years. Depressed mothers were more likely to be living in a joint family household, they were less educated and they and their husbands were less likely to be employed. The depressed mothers had more financial difficulties and they were more likely to sleep hungry during the last month due to financial problems. The depressed mothers had less social support and poorer quality of life compared to non depressed mothers.
Conclusion
Maternal depression in this health care setting is high and it is associated with social stress and poor social support. Paediatric appointments may be an opportunity for care and care delivery for maternal depression.
To examine the factors that influence mental health professional's prescription of antidepressant.
Background:
There are many studies on factors affecting decision of mental health professionals regarding selection of antidepressant. The clinical experience of the developing countries is different from that of the developed countries where nonpharmacological attributes of a drug like affordability and availability play a greater role in prescription of drug.
Methods:
A semi-structured questionnaire was used to investigate which antidepressant was the preferred choice of psychiatrists and nurses and factors which influenced their decision making. Ethical permissions were obtained from local research and ethics committees.
Results:
The results of this study show that health professional would consider efficacy (64%) and tolerability (24%) to be the most important factors in choice of anti psychotics for themselves while efficacy (56%) and cost (24%) would be considered important factor while prescribing drugs to the patient.
Conclusions:
Beside efficacy other factors like cost & affordability found to be the important factor in influencing the decision of the psychiatrists.
There is strong association between depression and mortality rates among patients with CHF. Despite the massive burden of cardiac disease as well as that of depression in Pakistan, there is limited data regarding the prevalence of depression in patients suffering from CHF. The aim of this study was to assess prevalence of depression in patients with CHF and to compare the health related quality of life of depressed and non-depressed patients with CHF.
Methods
A total of 1009 patients diagnosed with CHF were recruited from different public hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. Depression was assessed at baseline using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and health related quality of life was assessed using Euro Qol (EQ-5D).
Results
Of the 1009 participants recruited to the study, 66.4% (n = 670) met the threshold for depression using the BDI measure. Of the depressed patients, 66.7% (n = 447) were male. Preliminary results indicate that participants who were depressed at baseline had poorer health related quality of life on EQ-5D measures as compared to those who were non-depressed (mean EQ-5D descriptive score 10.45 in depressed patients vs 7.37 in non-depressed patients and mean EQ-5D visual scale score 35.09 in depressed patients vs 52.19 in non-depressed patients).
Conclusion
Considering the high prevalence of depression and its serious negative impact on quality of life of patients suffering from chronic physical illness, it is important to design and test culturally adapted psychosocial interventions to reduce depression and improve quality of life for these patients.
Disclosure of interest
The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister is a potential biocontrol agent of Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae). This study was carried out to understand the effect of abiotic (temperature and moisture) and biotic factors (age and reproductive status) on the induction and termination of diapause in Z. bicolorata. We also evaluated the effect of diapause on longevity and fecundity of Z. bicolorata. In Z. bicolorata the induction of diapause occurred between the months of July and December. No diapause was observed in May and June, which coincided with the commencement of the monsoon rains. The percentage of diapause induction in Z. bicolorata was found to increase from one generation to another as well as with the age of adults. Diapause significantly increased the fecundity of females as compared to the fecundity in pre-diapause conditions. Soil moisture (80% RH) played an important role in providing the conditions for initiation and termination of diapause. Similarly, 18.4 and 12.5% of diapause adults resumed their activity in 6 and 5 days when exposed to temperatures of 40° and 45° C for 2 h every day, respectively. Exposure of adults to low temperatures, i.e. 5° and 10° C induced 94.3 and 92.5% diapause, respectively, with no adult mortality. Thus, our findings reveal suitable conditions for preventing and inducing diapause in Z. bicolorata, which is of great importance in the suppression of P. hysterophorus. We discuss the implications of these findings in the control of P. hysterophorus.
In dairy cows, subjected to a G6G protocol, objectives were to determine effects of (1) extending the interval from prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) during presynchronization; and (2) adding a second PGF2α treatment before artificial insemination (AI), on ovarian response, plasma progesterone (P4) concentrations and pregnancy per AI (P/AI). In a 2×2 factorial design, lactating cows were randomly assigned to one of four timed AI (TAI) protocols: (1) G6G (n=149), one injection of PGF2α, GnRH 2 days later and a 7-day Ovsynch (GnRH, 7 days, PGF2α, 56 h, GnRH, 16 h, TAI) was initiated 6 days later; (2) G6GP (n=144), an additional PGF2α treatment (24 h after the first) during Ovsynch of the G6G protocol; (3) MG6G, one injection of PGF2α, GnRH 4 days later before initiation of the G6G protocol; and (4) MG6GP, an additional PGF2α treatment (24 h after the first) during Ovsynch of the MG6G protocol. Blood samples were collected (subset of 200 cows) at first GnRH and PGF2α of the Ovsynch, and at TAI to measure P4. Ultrasound examinations were performed in a subset of 406 cows to evaluate ovarian response at various times of Ovsynch, and in all cattle to determine pregnancy status at 32 and 60 days after TAI. Extending the interval by 2 days between PGF2α and GnRH during presynchronization increased (P<0.01) ovulatory response to first GnRH of Ovsynch, circulating P4 during Ovsynch, and P/AI at 32 and 60 days after TAI. Adding a second PGF2α treatment before AI increased the proportion of cows with luteal regression (P=0.04), improved P/AI at 60 days after TAI (P=0.05), and reduced pregnancy loss between 30 and 60 days after TAI (P=0.04). In summary, extending the interval from PGF2α to GnRH during presynchronization increased response to first GnRH of Ovsynch and P4 concentrations during Ovsynch, whereas adding a second PGF2α treatment before AI enhanced luteal regression. Both modifications of the G6G protocol improved fertility in lactating dairy cows.
Okra, Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench, is an important vegetable crop grown throughout the tropical and temperate regions of the world. Spotted bollworm, Earias vittella (Fab.), is one of the most important insect pests of okra. The effects of insecticides (cypermethrin, imidacloprid, carbaryl and neem oil) were studied on the fitness of the F1 generation of E. vittella by a demographic method. Life table was constructed from the eggs obtained by the surviving individuals that had ingested insecticides. Survivorship and expectancy was highest with the commencement of age and gradually decreased with the progression of age in the treatment groups and control. However, it was reduced in the treatment groups in comparison to control groups. Highest numbers of unhatched eggs (17%) were recorded with imidacloprid and cypermethrin treatments, whereas all the eggs hatched in control groups. Larval mortality was high in the initial instars as compared to late instars. Potential fecundity was significantly reduced to 94 females/female/generation treated with cypermethrin as compared to 256 in the untreated females. Developmental time of pre-pupa and pupa was significantly decreased with cypermethrin treatment. The intrinsic rate of increase was reduced to 0.0201 females/female/day in cypermethrin groups as compared to 0.046 in the control groups. The generation time was 33.27 days in the control, which was reduced to 26.78 days with carbaryl treatment and was increased to 37.5 days with neem oil. Insecticides cause adverse effect on the surviving generation of E. vittella, and may be incorporated as a valuable component in the integrated management of E. vittella on okra.