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Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the leading preventable chronic diseases with high rates of morbidity and mortality. It is multi-factorial, polygenic, and characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2), a key component of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, is one of the most susceptible genes with the largest effect on T2DM. Pakistan is populated with the rising trend of T2DM in the adult population, hence to advocate the previous though scarce findings, this case–control study was designed to see T2DM prevalence and its association with TCF7L2 intronic variant, rs12255372. Methodology: DNA extraction and genotyping through the tetra primer amplification refractory mutation system (T-ARMS-PCR) were done on a total of 162 collected samples of the Pakistani cohort. Data was statistically analyzed by SPSS IBM v20 and the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium test was applied to see the stratification. Results: The variant genotyped was in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (p > 0.05). The SNP rs12255372 showed an association with T2DM and remained significant after multiple adjustments for age and body mass index. The T allele showed a positive association in study subjects. Conclusion: The study concluded, TCF7L2 SNP, rs12255372 are associated with T2DM. The risk allele T is more susceptible to T2DM in the later age group (40–70 years) of females and the early age group (20–40 years) of males. This gender effect is a unique finding, and further, more replicated studies need to be carried out to determine the effects of risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overuse of pesticides in agricultural soil and dye-polluted effluents severely contaminates the environment and is toxic to animals and humans making their removal from the environment essential. The present study aimed to assess the biodegradation of pesticides (cypermethrin (CYP) and imidacloprid (IMI)), and dyes (malachite green (MG) and Congo red (CR)) using biofilms of bacteria isolated from pesticide-contaminated soil and dye effluents. Biofilms of indigenous bacteria, i.e., Bacillus thuringiensis 2A (OP554568), Enterobacter hormaechei 4A (OP723332), Bacillus sp. 5A (OP586601), and Bacillus cereus 6B (OP586602) individually and in mixed culture were tested against CYP and IMI. Biofilms of indigenous bacteria i.e., Lysinibacillus sphaericus AF1 (OP589134), Bacillus sp. CF3 (OP589135) and Bacillus sp. DF4 (OP589136) individually and in mixed culture were tested for their ability to degrade dyes. The biofilm of a mixed culture of B. thuringiensis + Bacillus sp. (P7) showed 46.2% degradation of CYP compared to the biofilm of a mixed culture of B. thuringiensis + E. hormaechei + Bacillus sp. + B. cereus (P11), which showed significantly high degradation (70.0%) of IMI. Regarding dye biodegradation, a mixed culture biofilm of Bacillus sp. + Bacillus sp. (D6) showed 86.76% degradation of MG, which was significantly high compared to a mixed culture biofilm of L. sphaericus + Bacillus sp. (D4) that degraded only 30.78% of CR. UV–VIS spectroscopy revealed major peaks at 224 nm, 263 nm, 581 nm and 436 nm for CYP, IMI, MG and CR, respectively, which completely disappeared after treatment with bacterial biofilms. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis showed the appearance of new peaks in degraded metabolites and disappearance of a peak in the control spectrum after biofilm treatment. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) analysis also confirmed the degradation of CYP, IMI, MG and CR into several metabolites compared to the control. The present study demonstrates the biodegradation potential of biofilm-forming bacteria isolated from pesticide-polluted soil and dye effluents against pesticides and dyes. This is the first report demonstrating biofilm-mediated bio-degradation of CYP, IMI, MG and CR utilizing soil and effluent bacterial flora from Multan and Sheikhupura, Punjab, Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent articles have pointed the impact of co-epidemics/co-infections of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other infectious diseases on an already overburdened healthcare infrastructure.1,2 With the present toll of COVID-19 cases reaching beyond 10 922 324 infected cases and claiming 523 011 lives.3 In Pakistan, the numbers of COVID-19 are continually on the rise and the condition is worsening, with around 225 283 infected individuals. To conclude the actual prevalence of typhoid in Pakistan is difficult due to low sample size and unavailability of proper clinical diagnosis. GLO:OCQ/01jan21:jmv26293-fig-0002.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): 2 Prevalence of Salmonella Typhi in Lahore, Pakistan gl GLO:OCQ/01jan21:jmv26293-fig-0003.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): 3 Year wise number of typhoid confirmed cases in Sindh Province, Pakistan. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: COVID-19; epidemiology; Global Polio Eradication Initiative; Pakistan; polio; public health; SARS-CoV-2 EN COVID-19 epidemiology Global Polio Eradication Initiative Pakistan polio public health SARS-CoV-2 141 143 3 12/31/20 20210101 NES 210101 A recent report reviewed the Poliomyelitis (polio) epidemiology in Pakistan.1 Pakistan is currently showing a very high number of COVID-19 cases.2 The outbreak of COVID-19 has been known to cause by SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus that emerged by the end of December 2019. Discontinuing the polio vaccination program may not have an immediate effect but in the long term, the increase in the incidence of polio cases in Pakistan can also result in the worldwide export of infections. COVID-19, epidemiology, Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Pakistan, polio, public health, SARS-CoV-2. [Extracted from the article]

The current study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial, antibiofilm, and biofilm inhibitory potential of six medicinal plants, including Trachyspermum ammi, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Nigella sativa, Thymus vulgaris, Terminalia arjuna, and Ipomoea carneaid against catheter-associated bacteria (CAB). Eighteen CAB were identified up to species level using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, viz., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. T. ammi essential oil and T. foenum-graecum methanolic extract combination exhibited the highest antibacterial activity (ZOI; 32.0) against S. aureus. N. sativa essential oil (EO) showed highest ZOI (31.0; p ≤ 0.05) against Proteus mirabilis at 100 µgmL -1 . Among 18 CAB isolated, 13 showed mature biofilm formation on 5 th day. All plant extracts demonstrated more than 80% antibiofilm and biofilm inhibition activity. A concentrationdependent increase was observed with plant extracts against CAB during antibacterial, antibiofilm, and biofilm inhibition activities. The study suggests that EO and methanolic extract (ME) of tested plants possess promising antibiofilm and biofilm inhibitory potential against CABs. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report antibacterial, antibiofilm, and biofilm inhibitory potential of T. ammi and N. sativa seed EO, as well as T. foenum-graecum, N. sativa, T. vulgaris, T. arjuna, and I. carnea ME against CAB from medical setting.