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This study explored the perception of feminism in Lahore, Pakistan, and the impact of social media on those perceptions. The research aimed to compare the views of Generation X and Generation Y, and how social media shaped their perceptions. The study used a quantitative method by conducting surveys. The results indicated that social media has a significant influence on the perception of feminism for both generations. Generation X had outdated views on feminism, acknowledging female oppression but not seeing feminism as a solution. Generation Y had a better understanding of feminism and greater awareness. The study highlights the crucial role of social media in shaping opinions and perceptions. This research provides insights into the impact of social media on feminism and can be useful for future studies investigating the role of social media in social issues.

Objective: To find out the incidence of hydrocephalus after excision and repair in infants presenting with Spina Bifida Aperta. Materials & Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at the Pediatric Neurosurgery Department, Children Hospital & The Institute of Child Health, Lahore, Pakistan, from January 2021 to October 2021. A total of 62 infants of both genders presenting with spina bifida Aperta undergoing repair were included. Data of the patients, i.e., name, age, gender, head circumference, location, and width of the defect, accompanying bladder, limb anomalies, radiological, laboratory findings, and diagnosis (meningocele or meningomyelocele) were noted. Patients were followed postoperatively for 1-month, and the incidence of post-surgery hydrocephalus was noted. Results: Out of 62 children, 36 (58.1%) were male and 24 (41.9%) female. The mean age was noted to be 138.82 days. Most children, 36 (58.1%), were found to have meningocele. The most frequent local meningocele/meningomyelocele was noted to be lumbosacral, 22 (35.5%). Post-surgery hydrocephalus was noted among 11 (17.1%) cases. No significant association of gender, age, head circumference, defect size, the maximum dimension, diagnosis (meningocele or meningomyelocele), or location was noted with post-surgery hydrocephalus among study cases (p > 0.05). No mortality was reported. Conclusion: Meningomyelocele and lumbosacral location of the defect were among the prominent factors affecting the incidence of post-surgery hydrocephalus. Keywords: Spina Bifida Aperta, Meningiocele, Myelomeningocele, hydrocephalus, lumbosacral

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is traditionally considered an antibody-mediated disease. However, a number of features suggest alternative mechanisms of platelet destruction. In this study, we use a multi-dimensional approach to explore the role of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in ITP. We characterised patients with ITP and compared them to age-matched controls using immunophenotyping, next-generation sequencing of T cell receptor (TCR) genes, single-cell RNA sequencing, and functional T cell and platelet assays. We found that adults with chronic ITP have increased polyfunctional, terminally differentiated effector memory CD8+ T cells (CD45RA+CD62L-) expressing intracellular interferon-g, tumour necrosis factor-a, and Granzyme B defining them as TEMRA cells. These TEMRA cells expand when the platelet count falls and show no evidence of physiological exhaustion. Deep sequencing of the T cell receptor showed expanded T cell clones in patients with ITP. T cell clones persisted over many years, were more prominent in patients with refractory disease, and expanded when the platelet count was low. Combined single-cell RNA and TCR sequencing of CD8+ T cells confirmed that the expanded clones are TEMRA cells. Using in vitro model systems, we show that CD8+ T cells from patients with ITP form aggregates with autologous platelets, release interferon-g and trigger platelet activation and apoptosis through TCR-mediated release of cytotoxic granules. These findings of clonally expanded CD8+ T cells causing platelet activation and apoptosis provide an antibody-independent mechanism of platelet destruction, indicating that targeting specific T-cell clones could be a novel therapeutic approach for patients with refractory ITP.

The molecular mechanisms governing orderly shutdown and retraction of CD4+ type 1 helper T (TH1) cell responses remain poorly understood. Here we show that complement triggers contraction of TH1 responses by inducing intrinsic expression of the vitamin D (VitD) receptor and the VitD-activating enzyme CYP27B1, permitting T cells to both activate and respond to VitD. VitD then initiated the transition from pro-inflammatory interferon-γ+ TH1 cells to suppressive interleukin-10+ cells. This process was primed by dynamic changes in the epigenetic landscape of CD4+ T cells, generating super-enhancers and recruiting several transcription factors, notably c-JUN, STAT3 and BACH2, which together with VitD receptor shaped the transcriptional response to VitD. Accordingly, VitD did not induce interleukin-10 expression in cells with dysfunctional BACH2 or STAT3. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid CD4+ T cells of patients with COVID-19 were TH1-skewed and showed de-repression of genes downregulated by VitD, from either lack of substrate (VitD deficiency) and/or abnormal regulation of this system. During homeostasis TH1 cells activate a cell-intrinsic inflammatory shutdown program and shift to IL-10 production. Chauss et al. find that this TH1 homeostatic program is dependent on vitamin D signaling and is disrupted in severe COVID-19.

Based on our expectations about material properties we can implicitly predict an object’s future states, e.g. a wine glass falling down will break when it hits the ground. How these expectations affect relatively low level perceptual decisions, however, has not been systematically studied previously. To seek an answer to this question we conducted a behavioral experiment using animations of various familiar objects (e.g. key, wine glass etc.) freely falling and hitting the ground. During a training session participants first built expectations about the dynamic properties of those objects. Half of the participants (N=28) built expectations consistent with our daily lives (e.g. a key bounces rigidly), whereas the other half learned an anomalous behavior (e.g. a key wobbles). This was followed by experimental sessions, in which expectations were unmet in 20% of the trials. In both training and experimental sessions, participants’ task was to report whether the objects broke or not upon hitting the ground. Critically a specific object always remained intact or broke, only the manner with which it did so differed. For example, a key could wobble or remain rigid, but it never broke. We found that participants’ reaction times were longer when expectations were unmet even when those expectations were anomalous and learned during the training session. Furthermore, we found an interplay between long-term and newly learned expectations, which could be predicted by a Bayesian updating approach. Overall, our results show that expectations about material properties can have an impact on relatively low-level perceptual decision making processes.

Objective: To find the influence of body mass index on exertional heat stroke risk in young healthy males and females. Study Design: Retrospective case control study Place and Duration of Study: Department of Neurology, Sharif Medical & Dental College, Lahore from 1st April 2022 to 30th September 2022. Methodology: Two hundred patients who came with exertional heat stroke and compared it with the normal healthy control’s information were enrolled. Exertional heat stroke (EHS) cases were placed in Group A while normal controls in group B. The information regarding heat illness, body size, gender, was documented in addition to their other demographic details was compared in the groups. Results: The mean age of the EHS cases in group A was 25.5±7.2 years while of controls in group B was 26.1±6.5 years. There was higher number of males within both groups. The BMI of group A was higher than group B having a mean value as 26.9±3.2 in group A. The odds ration showed that EHS cases with a higher BMI had an increased risk of heat stroke which has a significant association with age but not with the gender. Conclusion: There is a significant association between the higher body mass index and exertional heat stroke formation in young adults. Keywords: Body weight, Outcome, Military, Influence, Marker

Monteggia fracture-dislocations are extremely rare in children. By definition, it is an ulnar shaft fracture with proximal radioulnar joint dislocation. Throughout the years, various equivalents of this entity have been described. In this report, we present a unique case of a type II Monteggia fracture equivalent with an ipsilateral fracture of the proximal radius and olecranon in a child. The patient was a 12-year-old male who presented with a history of a fall on an outstretched hand. The diagnosis was made based on the clinical examination and plain radiographs. We describe the management of this unique fracture and discuss the possible mechanism of injury. We have highlighted a rare combination of injuries. It is crucial to investigate the condition properly in order to avoid missing the diagnosis and to prevent poor outcomes and further unnecessary revision surgeries.

Introduction: Cranial Base integrate different patterns of growth in various regions of the skull such as the nasal cavity, the oral cavity, and the pharynx. Anteroposterior jaw position is thought to be affected by cranial base growth. Although scientific literature shows conflicting results regarding both positive and negative correlation between the cranial base and skeletal malocclusions. Materials & Method: 138 patients selected according to the Inclusion criteria were divided into three major categories depending upon ANB angle. Class I, class II group and class III group. Pretreatment lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken. Linear and Angular measurements were measured. All the data was entered in SPSS version 25 and then analyzed by using descriptive statistics including mean, standard deviation and by using inferential statistics including Pearson correlation and ANOVA test. Result: No significant differences were recorded between cranial base deflection angles (N-S-Ar and N-S-Ba) and malocclusions groups while Anterior cranial base length S-N was found to be maximum in class III and posterior cranial base length S-Ba was greater in class I. Conclusion: Cranial base angles N-S-Ar and N-S-Ba did not demonstrate any statistically significant correlation with three malocclusion groups i.e. Class I, Class II and Class III and their correlation was negative.

Background: Soy milk contains some beneficial components such as isoflavones which can exert favorable effects on the cardiovascular health. The current study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the potential effects of soy milk consumption on cardiometabolic risk factors in adults. Methods: Relevant articles published up to June 2020 were systematically retrieved from SCOPUS, PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases. In our study, we included all the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the impact of soy milk consumption on various cardiometabolic risk factors in adults (age � 18 years). A meta-analysis of the eligible studies was performed using the random-effects model. Results: The quantitative meta-analysis of 18 eligible RCTs (665 participants, age range 18�65 years) demonstrated that the consumption of soy milk significantly reduced systolic (P < 0.001) and diastolic (P = 0.002) blood pressure, total (P = 0.001) and low-density lipoprotein (P = 0.041) cholesterol, waist circumference (P = 0.005), C-reactive protein (P < 0.001), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (P = 0.016). Significant between-study heterogeneity was found for the pooled effect sizes of blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. In addition, the subgroup analyses indicated that the decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) was more pronounced when soy milk was consumed for � 4 weeks. However, there were no significant differences between soy milk and control groups for the other factors, namely body weight, body mass index (BMI), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and fasting insulin, interleukin-6, and fibrinogen. Conclusions: The current systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that incorporating soy milk into the diet might favorably affect several cardiometabolic risk factors in both healthy and unhealthy individuals. © 2021 The Authors

While the majority of children infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) display mild or no symptoms, rare individuals develop severe disease presenting with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). The reason for variable clinical manifestations is not understood. Here, we carried out TCR sequencing and conducted comparative analyses of TCR repertoires between children with severe (n=12) or mild (n=8) COVID-19. We compared these repertoires with unexposed individuals (samples collected pre-COVID-19 pandemic: n=8) and with the Adaptive Biotechnologies MIRA dataset, which includes over 135,000 high-confidence SARS-CoV-2-specific TCRs. We show that the repertoires of severely ill children are characterised by the expansion of TRBV11-2 chains with high junctional and CDR3 diversity. Moreover, the CDR3 sequences of TRBV11-2 clones shift away from SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell clones, resulting in distorted TCR repertoires. In conclusion, our study reports that CDR3-independent expansion of TRBV11-2+ cells, lacking SARS-CoV-2 specificity, defines severity of disease in children.

Pro-inflammatory immune responses are necessary for effective pathogen clearance, but cause severe tissue damage if not shut down in a timely manner1,2. Excessive complement and IFN-γ-associated responses are known drivers of immunopathogenesis3 and are among the most highly induced immune programs in hyper-inflammatory SARS-CoV2 lung infection4. The molecular mechanisms that govern orderly shutdown and retraction of these responses remain poorly understood. Here, we show that complement triggers contraction of IFN-γ producing CD4+ T helper (Th) 1 cell responses by inducing expression of the vitamin D (VitD) receptor (VDR) and CYP27B1, the enzyme that activates VitD, permitting T cells to both activate and respond to VitD. VitD then initiates the transition from pro-inflammatory IFN-γ+ Th1 cells to suppressive IL-10+ Th1 cells. This process is primed by dynamic changes in the epigenetic landscape of CD4+ T cells, generating superenhancers and recruiting c-JUN and BACH2, a key immunoregulatory transcription factor5–7. Accordingly, cells in psoriatic skin treated with VitD increased BACH2 expression, and BACH2 haplo-insufficient CD4+ T cells were defective in IL-10 production. As proof-of-concept, we show that CD4+ T cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with COVID-19 are Th1-skewed and that VDR is among the top regulators of genes induced by SARS-CoV2. Importantly, genes normally down-regulated by VitD were de-repressed in CD4+ BALF T cells of COVID-19, indicating that the VitD-driven shutdown program is impaired in this setting. The active metabolite of VitD, alfacalcidol, and cortico-steroids were among the top predicted pharmaceuticals that could normalize SARS-CoV2 induced genes. These data indicate that adjunct therapy with VitD in the context of other immunomodulatory drugs may be a beneficial strategy to dampen hyperinflammation in severe COVID-19.

Management of symptoms and prevention of life-threatening haemorrhage in Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) must be balanced against adverse effects of available therapies. Since current treatment guidelines based on platelet count are confounded by variable bleeding phenotypes, there is a need to identify new objective markers of disease severity for improved treatment stratification. In this cross-sectional, prospective study of 49 patients with ITP and lowest recorded (nadir) platelet counts below 30 x 109/L, we used Susceptibility-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (SWI) to detect cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) as a marker of occult haemorrhage. CMBs were detected using a semi-automated method and correlated with clinical metadata using multivariate Poisson regression analysis. Lobar CMBs were identified in 43% (21/49); prevalence increased with decreasing nadir platelet count (15/25 15x109/L), and was associated with longer disease duration (p=7x10-6), lower nadir platelet count (p=0.005), lower platelet count at time of MRI (p=0.029), and higher organ bleeding scores (p=0.028). Mucosal and skin bleeding scores, number of previous treatments, age and sex were not associated with CMBs. Occult cerebral microhaemorrhage is common in patients with moderate to severe ITP. Strong associations with ITP duration may reflect CMB accrual over time or more refractory disease. Although associated, neither low platelet count or bleeding scores predict CMBs. SWI could therefore provide an additional non-invasive biomarker of haemorrhagic phenotype, and potential adjunct for treatment stratification. Further longitudinal studies in children and adults will allow greater understanding of the natural history, and clinical and prognostic significance of CMBs.

Objective: To determine the frequency of electrolyte disturbances in malnourished children with and without diarrhea and whether these findings have therapeutic value or not. Methodology: This is a descriptive study conducted in Pediatric department of Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad for one year duration from March 2019 to March 2020. The study included one hundred caloric malnourished children from 6 months to 5 years old, regardless of sex, admitted for diarrhea, failure to thrive, acute respiratory infection, malaria, anemia, heart failure and feeding problems. Based on the history, physical examination and anthropometric measurement, they were divided into patients from group A (n = 64) who were malnourished but had diarrhea, and patients from group B (n = 36) who were also malnourished and had no diarrhea. Serum electrolytes were taken in patients from both groups and the results were statistically analyzed. Results: Analysis of serum electrolytes in both groups showed that hypokalaemia, hyponatraemia and low serum bicarbonate were more frequently observed in patients in group A than in group B. In group A, hypokalemia was observed in 40 patients (62.5%), while it was observed in 8 patients (22.22%) in group B (p Conclusion: Electrolyte changes were commonly observed especially in patients with grade II and III malnutrition with variable duration of diarrhea attacks. If these changes are diagnosed early and treated appropriately, morbidity and mortality may decrease. Keywords: malnutrition, diarrhea, electrolyte changes.

Purpose: To examine the clinical and hematological features of hemoglobin H disease. Study design: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Place and duration: In the Medicine Unit II and hematology department of Nishter Hospital Multan for one year duration from March 2019 to March 2020. Methods: We evaluated the clinical features and hematological values of patients for hemoglobin studies using non probability consecutive sampling. Complete blood count was performed on Sysmex KX 21 automated hematology analyzer. Hemoglobin H inclusions were visualized with supra vital staining with New methylene blue. Hemoglobin electrophoresis of the sample was carried out on cellulose acetate membrane in Tris EDTA borate buffer at 8.9pH. Results: Compared with 557 patients diagnosed with high / indirect thalassemia, 10 patients were diagnosed with hemoglobin H during the study period. Of the ten patients, 4 (40%) were male and 6 (60%) were female. Patient’s ages ranged from 7 to 32 years old. The clinical picture of patients included anemia 100% and jaundice 10%. 90% of patients had a transfusion history. During the study, pallor was 100% present, the liver was palpable in 20% and the spleen in 80% of cases. The average hematological parameters were TRBC 4.5 (± 1.6), Hb 8.8 (± 2.2), MCV 71.9 (± 11.8), MCH 20.4 (± 2.9), and MCHC 25.7 (± 8.7). The mean reticulocyte count was 15.8% (± 9.4). Hemoglobin H inclusions were observed in 100% of cases. Conclusion: Hemoglobin H disease is an uncommon disorder and out of 557 Thalassemia major/Intermedia patients diagnosed during this period 10(1.7%) patients were diagnosed as having Hemoglobin H disease. Keywords: Hemoglobin H disease, α thalassemia, unstable hemoglobin.

Background Pro-inflammatory CD4+ T helper (Th)1 cells clear pathogens effectively but cause excessive tissue injury if not shut down appropriately. The complement (C’) system both induces Th1 differentiation and their shutdown, but the mechanisms regulating orderly shutdown remain unknown. Hypothesis C’ receptor engagement recruits transcriptional regulators essential to Th1 shutdown. Methods Multi-modal profiling of activated, or patient-derived Th cells, psoriatic skin, and SARS-CoV2-infected tissues was carried out by epigenome profiling, RNAseq, network modeling, phospho-arrays, confocal, and regulator knockdown. Results C’ receptor signaling induced the vitamin D (VitD) receptor (VDR) and CYP27B1, the enzyme that activates VitD, allowing T cells to both fully activate and respond to VitD. Active VitD shut down IFN-γ production by Th1 cells and induced IL-10. This was mediated by activation of IL-6 production by T cells and signaling through STAT3. Mechanistically, VitD reprogrammed the Th1 transcriptomes by forming super-enhancers and recruiting a transcription factor (TF) network consisting of VDR, c-JUN, STAT3, and BACH2. We mapped genome-wide targets of these TFs by CUT&RUN/Tag. As proof of principal, psoriatic skin treated with VitD induced BACH2 in Th cells, and genetic deficiency of either BACH2 or STAT3 inhibited IL-10 produced in response to VitD. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of COVID-19 patients, a C’-rich environment, showed excessive Th1 skewing and perturbation of the VitD-regulated program of genes. Conclusion We identified a C’-recruited autocrine VitD system as key to Th1 shutdown and indicate the potential for adjunct therapy with VitD in hyper-inflammatory syndromes, e.g. COVID-19. This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust (grant 097261/Z/11/Z to B.A.), the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (grant CCFA no. 3765 — CCFA genetics initiative to A.L.), British Heart Foundation (grant RG/13/12/30395 to G.L.), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R35GM138283 to M.K.), the Showalter Trust (research award to M.K.), German Research Foundation (DFG scholarship to T.F.; FR 3851/2-1), the NIDDK (DK12262401A1 to D.P.) and the National Agency of Research and Development of Chile (grant PAI79170073 to E.N.L.). Research was also supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre based at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London and/or the NIHR Clinical Research Facility. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health. This research was supported (in part) by the Intramural Research Programs of the NIDDK (project no. ZIA/DK075149 to B.A), the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (project nos. ZIA/Hl006223 to C.K. and ZIA/HL006193 to N.M.), the NIAID (project no. ZIA/AI001175 to M.S.L.) of the NIH. D.C. is supported by an NIH Office of Dietary Supplements research scholar award.

Rapid industrialization and increasing population are continuously adding contaminants to our environment. Among those, heavy metals are considered to be one of the serious threats to the ecosystem due to their persistent nature. Microbe assisted phytoremediation is an effective tool for metal remediation as microbes enhance the metal availability and uptake to the host plants or reduce it by binding them intracellularly or extracellularly. An endophytic fungus, Trametes hirsuta, was isolated from Chenopodium album L. plant growing in the lead (Pb) contaminated soil of an industrial area. This is the first study citing Trametes hirsuta, as a root endophyte of Chenopodium album L. This endophytic fungus was found to be tolerant to high concentration of Pb i.e., 1500 mg L−1, when tested in-vitro. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings were infected by Trametes hirsuta and Pb tolerance was observed. With the fungal inoculation plants cumulative growth and total chlorophyll content increased by 24% and 18%, respectively as compared to their respective non-inoculated controls at 1000 mg kg−1 Pb. Similary, 50% more Pb accumulation was measured in the shoots of fungal inoculated plants at 1500 mg kg−1 Pb as compared to control. Thus, the results of the present study suggest that mutualism with endophytic fungi can improve the survival of host plants in metal contaminated soils, additionally it can also assist the phytoextraction of heavy metals from polluted sites by increasing their uptake by the host plants., Trametes hirsuta; Endophytic fungi; Pb tolerance; Metal accumulation; Triticum aestivum L., Rhizosphere; Soil microbiology; Soil pollution; Environmental chemistry; Environmental toxicology, Environmental science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Toxicology.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the frequency of cervical spine injuries in maxillofacial trauma patients & the type of maxillofacial trauma. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the frequency of cervical spine injuries and pattern of maxillofacial injuries seen at the Nishtar Institute od Dentistry, Multan from July, 2018 to June, 2019. A total of 169 patients of both genders (male and female) formed the study group. Their age ranged 10 to 60 years with mean age 33.43±12.09 years. 101 were males and 68 were females. Road traffic accidents were the leading cause (46.15%) while assault represented (25.44%). Results: A total of 169 patients of both genders (male and female) formed the study group 37% were pan facial fractures. 11 were Lefort I, 21 Lefort II, 19 Lefort III, 34 Zygomatic Bone Complex and 8 were Naso-ethmoid. Regarding anatomical location of mandibular fractures, 21 occurred at condyle, 4 at ramus, 59 at angle, 54 at the body, 49 parasymphysis, 43 symphysis, and total 7 cases were with cervical spine injury. Road traffic accident was the major cause. Conclusion: Mandibular fracture has been the most common maxillofacial fracture. Cervical spine level C2 (3) fractures were the most common associated injuries with maxillofacial trauma. Prompt recognition is of prime importance, as repair of facial injuries in the presence of occult cervical spine injury or fractures may exacerbate the injury. Keywords: Frequency, Cervical Spine Injuries, Maxillofacial Trauma.

In the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Nishtar hospital, Multan cross sectional survey was done in order to detect the occurrence of comorbidities in patients older than 30 years of age as this age group being more vulnerable to dental extraction led by those comorbidities. During the period of one year from August, 2018 to July, 2019 a total of 2520 patients visited the oral surgery OPD of hospital. In this study the medical and drug history of 768 patients was recorded on predesigned history sheets to find out various medical problems including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hepatitis, compromised cardiac function and asthma. Among sample of 768, 359(46.8%) were males and 409 (53.2%) were females. Age ranged between 30 to 80 years. Out of these 54% were in 4th and 6th decade of life. Comorbidities were found to be among 246 (32%) of the patients. In this study, the most widespread co morbidity was hypertension accounting for 113/768 (14.7%) patients followed by diabetes mellitus 63/768 (8.20%) It is a common observation that patients having deteriorating diseases also present simultaneously other co morbid conditions. Like insomnia and anxiety are associated with depression and dental treatment phobias and hypertension are usually found among diabetics as co morbidities. Keywords: Dental extractions, hypertension, cardiac disease, diabetes mellitus.

More equal economic, social and political rights for women have long been part of civil and political right movements. It is widely believed that women’s rights are important for greater economic prosperity, good governance and social equality. However, women are still being discriminated in many parts of the world. How women’s rights can be protected? To answer this question, the literature has highlighted the importance of free media in promoting women’s rights. The extant literature on media and women rights, however, is largely limited to descriptive analysis and theoretical arguments. Moreover, the available evidence is confined to few case studies and anecdotal stories, which cannot be generalized globally. This study contributes in the literature by empirically investigating the relationship of press freedom with women empowerment using a large panel of 160 countries from 1996 to 2011. For empirical analysis, the ordered logit method is used. The empirical finding confirms that press freedom is an effective tool to empower women’s economic, political and social rights. Findings of the study are shown to be robust to different specifications, sub-samples, regional controls and different forms of women empowerment. JEL Classifications Codes: C23, J16, Z10

Background The association between mental illness and osteoporosis and fractures is particularly pronounced in psychotic disorders. Antipsychotic use has previously been described to affect bone density. Method A 52-week follow-up of patients switched to aripiprazole or with aripiprazole added on, conducting a specific analysis of markers of bone turnover: urinary NTX (a biomarker of bone resorption) and serum BSAP (a biomarker of bone formation). Baseline and serial measurements of bone markers NTX, BSAP and of hormones prolactin, oestrogen and testosterone were done at weeks 0 and 1, 2, 6, 12, 26 and 52, respectively. Results NTX concentration reduced over time but this did not reach significance in the whole group (log-NTX: β = − 0.0012, p = 0.142). For BSAP the addition of or replacement with aripiprazole produced a significant reduction (log-BSAP: β = − 0.00039, p = 0.002). Analysis with prolactin similarly showed a significant reduction (log-prolactin: β = − 0.0024, p

Effect of pre-sowing magnetic field (MF) treatments on germination, seedling growth and yield attributes in bitter gourd ( Momordica charantia L.; cv Faisalabad Long) was investigated. Genetically uniform seeds were exposed to 25, 50, and 75 mT generated by an electromagnet (rectified sinusoidal non-uniform) for 15, 30 and 45 min each. The treated seeds were sown and grown under field conditions in experimental plots (2.4 m 2 ) according to standard agricultural practices along with control. The germination, growth, and yield parameters were measured by standard methods and for mineral contents, laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used. The enhancements in germination, emergence index, mean germination time (MGT) and vigor index I and II were recorded up to 54.52%, 50.92%, 35.98%, 24.93% and 47.21%, respectively. The growth parameters i.e., growth rate (56.98%), leaf area (64.61%), root fresh weight (55.77%), root dry weight (76.16%), shoot dry weight (45.26%), shoot fresh weight (23.35%), shoot length (29.39%) and root length (17.78%) were also enhanced significantly in plants, raised from magnetically treated seeds. The chlorophyll contents (35.41%), fruit length (18.11%), fruit weight (14.93%), yield (29.16%) and mineral contents were also recorded to be higher in MF treated plants group versus control. Results suggest that pre-sowing MF treatment could possibly be used to improve the productivity by enhancing germination and seedling growth since this treatment is eco-friendly, affordable and applicable at cultivator level.

Background X-linked ichthyosis is a dermatological condition caused by deficiency for the enzyme steroid sulfatase. Previously, X-linked ichthyosis/steroid sulfatase deficiency has been associated with developmental and neurological phenotypes. Here, we show for the first time, that X-linked ichthyosis may be comorbid with an additional psychiatric phenotype (psychosis). Case presentation We report the case of an 11-year-old Saudi Arabian boy with X-linked ichthyosis associated with psychosis, mental retardation, autism spectrum disorder, inattentive attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and epilepsy. Genetic analysis revealed a 1.68 Mb deletion encompassing STS in 95% of cells while biochemical analysis revealed correspondingly low steroid sulfatase activity consistent with a diagnosis of X-linked ichthyosis. The psychotic symptoms could be reasonably well controlled by administration of an atypical antipsychotic. Conclusions This report describes a case of comorbid X-linked ichthyosis and psychosis (most closely corresponding to early-onset schizophrenia) for the first time, and suggests that deficiency for steroid sulfatase and contiguous genes may increase vulnerability to psychosis as well as other psychological disorders.