Comparing Intradermal (ID) Rabies Vaccination with Conventional IM Regimen on Humoral Response of New Zealand White Rabbits for the Production of Animal-Derived Polyclonal Antibodies.

In developing countries, it is imperative to implement cost-effective strategies for animal humoral response development in the production of antiserum. This study compared the effect of immunization regimens on the humoral immune response of New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits (N = 24) using cell culture rabies vaccine (CCRV) through intradermal (ID) and traditional intramuscular (IM) routes. The rabbits were divided into three experimental groups: (a) IPC-R2 with a two-site one-week regimen; (b) TRC-R3 with a two-site twenty-eight-day regimen; and (c) Alternate-R4 with a four-site one-week regimen. These regimens were then compared to the standard IM schedule of five doses of rabies vaccine administered at days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28 in control group R-1. The results were evaluated at days 14 and 35 postvaccination using rabies-specific Platelia II™ ELISA kit method. The results showed a better response to the ID regimen than the IM route regarding immunogenicity and volume consumption of the vaccine. The three selected ID regimes showed significantly higher mean titer values than the control IM regimen group R-1 (p < 0.001). The study aims to explore simple immunization strategies to enhance the RV-specific antibody titers for immunization donor animals. This method would produce polyclonal antibodies and strengthen local production of polyclonal antibodies in Pakistan to deal with vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) shortage, thus providing effective postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) for better control of rabies in developing countries.

Cassia Angustifolia Primed ASCs Accelerate Burn Wound Healing by Modulation of Inflammatory Response.

BACKGROUND: Thermal traumas impose a huge burden on healthcare systems. This merits the need for advanced but cost-effective remedies with clinical prospects. In this context, we prepared a regenerative 3D-construct comprising of Cassia angustifolia extract (SM) primed adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) laden amniotic membrane for faster burn wound repair. METHODS: ASCs were preconditioned with SM (30 µg/ml for 24 h), and subsequently exposed to in-vitro thermal injury (51 °C,10 min). In-vivo thermal injury was induced by placing pre-heated copper-disc (2 cm diameter) on dorsum of the Wistar rats. ASCs (2.0 × 105) pre-treated with SM (SM-ASCs), cultured on stromal side of amniotic membrane (AM) were transplanted in rat heat-injury model. Non-transplanted heat-injured rats and non-heat-injured rats were kept as controls. RESULTS: The significantly upregulated expression of IGF1, SDF1A, TGFß1, VEGF, GSS, GSR, IL4, BCL2 genes and downregulation of BAX, IL6, TNFα, and NFkB1 in SM-ASCs in in-vitro and in-vivo settings confirmed its potential in promoting cell-proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, antioxidant, cell-survival, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing activity. Moreover, SM-ASCs induced early wound closure, better architecture, normal epidermal thickness, orderly-arranged collagen fibers, and well-developed skin appendages in healed rat-skin transplanted with AM+SM-ASCs, additionally confirmed by increased expression of structural genes (Krt1, Krt8, Krt19, Desmin, Vimentin, α-Sma) in comparison to untreated-ASCs laden-AM transplanted in heat injured rats. CONCLUSION: SM priming effectively enabled ASCs to counter thermal injury by significantly enhancing cell survival and reducing inflammation upon transplantation. This study provides bases for development of effective combinational therapies (natural scaffold, medicine, and stem cells) with clinical prospects for treating burn wounds.

Bioplastics from waste biomass of marine and poultry industries.

Plastics are indispensable and typically derived from non-renewable sources. The extensive production and indiscriminate use of synthetic plastics pose a serious threat to the environment and lead to problems due to their non-biodegradability. Various forms of plastics that are used in daily life should be limited and replaced by biodegradable materials. To deal with the challenges of sustainability or environmental issues that occur due to the production and disposal of synthetic plastics, biodegradable and environment-friendly plastics are crucial. Utilizing renewable sources such as keratin derived from chicken feathers and chitosan from shrimp cell wastes as an alternative to obtain safe bio-based polymers has gained much attention because of rising environmental issues. Approximately, 2-5 billion tons of waste are produced by the poultry and marine industries each year, adversely impacting the environment. These polymers are more acceptable and ecofriendly compared with conventional plastics due to their biostability, biodegradability, and excellent mechanical properties. The replacement of synthetic plastic packaging with biodegradable polymers from animal by-products significantly reduces the volume of waste generated. This review highlights important aspects such as the classification of bioplastics, properties and use of waste biomass for bioplastics production, their structure, mechanical properties, and demand in industrial sectors such as agriculture, biomedicine, and food packaging.

The effects of bariatric surgery on male and female fertility: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

•Currently natural lifestyle modification is recommended over bariatric surgery in the management of infertility in obese men and women, despite natural weight loss often being an ineffective method to both lose and maintain weight loss in these individuals.•Through this meta-analysis and systematic review, we provide evidence that bariatric surgery effectively improves fertility outcomes for men and women by measurements of hormone levels and improvements in sexual function index scores.•This study demonstrates the importance and even cruciality of bariatric surgery in obese men and women who struggle with reproductive health, especially when finding it difficult to lose and maintain weight. It also proves that it is vital to continue to create and expand our knowledge with evidence-based medicine to help this cohort of patients.

Stress and coping strategies in parents of children with special needs.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the stress level and commonly used coping strategies of parents having children with special needs. METHODS: The correlational study was conducted from January to April 2019 in Lahore, Pakistan, and comprised parents of special children from three special schools of the city. Data was collected using the Coping Strategies Inventory and the Perceived Stress Scale. Data was analysed using SPSS 24. RESULTS: Of the 150 children, 98(65%) were aged <10 years. Among the parents, 108(65.5%) faced moderate stress, 8(4.8%) faced low stress and 34(20.6%) faced high level of stress. Mean score was the highest for cognitive restructuring as the coping strategy 14.95±2.87, followed by problem-solving 14.81±2.98. There was a significant negative correlation of stress with cognitive restructuring (<0.01), positive link with problem-focused engagement (p<0.05), positive correlation with self-criticism (p<0.001), social withdrawal (p<0.01), and emotion-focussed disengagement (p<0.001). High level of stress was positively associated with high level of disengagement (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Parents were found to be using more positive and practical strategies to cope with stress induced by taking care of children with special needs.

Alexithymia and anxiety symptoms in Pakistani adolescents: A study of compounded directions.

OBJECTIVE: To identify gender and age differences in alexithymia and anxiety. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2018 to March 2019 at Burewala, a city of South Punjab and comprised adolescents selected through random sampling method from different schools. The subjects were assessed using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale. Multiple analysis of variance was applied to determine the direct and interactive effects of age groups and gender on alexithymia and anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: Of the 185 subjects, 105(57%) were boys and 80(43%) were girls. The overall mean age was 14.42+/-1.31 years (range: 11-16 years). Boys had significantly (p<0.05) higher level of alexithymia symptoms partially compared to the girls. Significant (p<0.05) interactive effects of age and gender were also noted. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of clinical symptoms in schoolgoing adolescents may hinder physical and psychological health of adolescents.

Correlates of Psychological Distress Among Pakistani Adults During the COVID-19 Outbreak: Parallel and Serial Mediation Analyses.

Objective: The global outbreak of COVID-19 has greatly affected individual's lives around the world and resulted in various negative psychological consequences. During the pandemic, reflection on and attention to COVID-19 may help in dealing with its symptomology but frequent and persistent thoughts about the situation can be unhealthy. The present study examined the direct and indirect associations between obsession concerning COVID-19, psychological distress, life satisfaction, and meaning in life. Design: This mediation study presents a primary analysis of normative data collected after the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in Pakistan. Parametric bootstrapping was used to test the mediation models of subjective well-being, the extent of the effect, and meaning in life as parallel and serial mediators concerning the associations between COVID-19 obsession and psychological distress measures. Setting: A sample of 1,002 adults (45% men and 55% women) were recruited utilizing an online survey between April to May 2020. They were aged between 19 and 45 years (M = 24.30, SD = 7.29) and normalized on population characteristics. Results: Two out of three mediators in parallel mediation fully mediated the relationship between obsession and psychological distress (total effect = 0.443, SE = 0.050, p < 0.0001) illustrating that high-level obsessions were associated with low levels of satisfaction with life and presence of meaning in life and search for meaning in life. Psychological distress is likely to decrease in the presence of a high level of satisfaction with life and meaning. Moreover, satisfaction with life and search for meaning in life significantly mediated the association between COVID-19 obsession (z=-3.507, p < 0.0001 and z = -2.632, p < 0.001 respectively). Conclusion: The present study showed that life satisfaction and search for meaning in life may play a significant role in decreasing psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Persian Language Version of the Obsession With the COVID-19 Scale for Adolescents.

Objective: The worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused significant public health burdens and psychological dysfunctions. In this challenging time, adolescents require special care. The Persian version of the Obsession with COVID-19 Scale (OCS) for adolescents was developed to screen for dysfunctional obsession associated with the coronavirus during the global pandemic. The structure and internal consistency of the OCS were established. Design and Measures: Although there are different language versions of the OCS, this is the first study to validate the psychometric properties of the OCS in Iranian adolescents. Seven hundred and nine students (369 girls) participated in the study. Demographic questions and the OCS were administered. Results: The findings provided support for the existence of a unidimensional structure that met the criteria for configural, metric, and full scalar invariance across gender (girls and boys), inhabitancy (urban and rural), and infection experience (infected and non-infected). The OCS is short and highly reliable measurement. However, further research is necessary to establish the validity of the scale in Iranian population. Conclusions: The development of such valid scales is an essential part of both research and practice during times of crisis, like a global pandemic. Diagnosis of pandemic related to obsessive thoughts in adolescents is needed as the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing and as experts point out, it can be expected that the effects of the pandemic will be observed in the coming years. The Persian version makes it possible to conduct international comparative research on the anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

An epidemiological study of prevalence and comorbidity of obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms (SOCD) and stress in Pakistani Adults.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and comorbidity of subclinical obsessive compulsive disorder (SOCD) symptoms and stress across gender, marital and employment statuses. METHODS: A cross-sectional research was conducted from December, 2016 to March 2017 at two universities of cosmopolitan city Lahore. Two self-report scales measuring SOCD symptoms and stress were used to collect data from 377 adults selected through simple random sampling technique, proportionately distributed across gender, marital and employment status. RESULTS: From the total sample, 52% reported low level of stress and 48% faced high level of stress. Significant differences in prevalence were observed across marital and employment statuses whereas for men and women, it was observed same (24%). Comorbidity of high level of SOCD symptoms and high level of stress was seen 34%. CONCLUSION: Significant prevalence and comorbidity exists between SOCD symptoms and stress and more studies addressing diverse population are needed.