Cell Transplantation for Repair of the Spinal Cord and Prospects for Generating Region-Specific Exogenic Neuronal Cells.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with currently irreversible consequences in several functional components of the central nervous system. Despite the severity of injury, there remains no approved treatment to restore function. However, with a growing number of preclinical studies and clinical trials, cell transplantation has gained significant potential as a treatment for SCI. Researchers have identified several cell types as potential candidates for transplantation. To optimize successful functional outcomes after transplantation, one key factor concerns generating neuronal cells with regional and subtype specificity, thus calling on the developmental transcriptome patterning of spinal cord cells. A potential source of spinal cord cells for transplantation is the generation of exogenic neuronal progenitor cells via the emerging technologies of gene editing and blastocyst complementation. This review highlights the use of cell transplantation to treat SCI in the context of relevant developmental gene expression patterns useful for producing regionally specific exogenic spinal cells via in vitro differentiation and blastocyst complementation.

Insights into measles virus: Serological surveillance and molecular characterization.

BACKGROUND: Measles has been a significant public health concern in Pakistan, especially in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, where sporadic and silent epidemics continue to challenge existing control measures. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and investigate the molecular epidemiology of the measles virus (MeV) in KPK and explore the vaccination status among the suspected individuals. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and October 2021. A total of 336 suspected measles cases from the study population were analyzed for IgM antibodies using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Throat swabs were randomly collected from a subset of positive cases for molecular analysis. Phylogenetic analysis of MeV isolates was performed using the neighbor-joining method. The vaccination status of individuals was also recorded. RESULTS: Among the suspected participants, 61.0% (205/336) were ELISA positive for IgM antibodies, with a higher prevalence in males (64.17%) compared to females (57.04%). The majority of cases (36.0%) were observed in infants and toddlers, consistent with previous reports. The majority of IgM-positive cases (71.7%) had not received any dose of measles vaccine, highlighting gaps in vaccine coverage and the need for improved immunization programs. Genetic analysis revealed that all MeV isolates belonged to the B3 genotype, with minor genetic variations from previously reported variants in the region. CONCLUSION: This study provides valuable insights into the genetic epidemiology of the MeV in KPK, Pakistan. The high incidence of measles infection among unvaccinated individuals highlights the urgency of raising awareness about vaccine importance and strengthening routine immunization programs.

Sustainable tourism development for traditional Chinese drama's intangible cultural heritage.

This study establishes an expert-driven evaluation system to assess the sustainable tourism development of drama-related intangible cultural heritage in China. Utilizing the Saaty 1-9 scale and hierarchical analysis method, 52 experts determined indicator weights and current development levels. Four dimensions are evaluated: humanistic value, project quality, tourism development, and sustainability. Results reveal humanistic value as most vital at 41.70 % weight. Secondary factors are project quality (29.89 %), tourism development (20.87 %), and sustainability (7.54 %). Aesthetic value, dissemination degree, and location conditions proved to the crucial tourism indicators. The ideological value of drama is paramount, alongside visibility and climate factors. The evaluation demonstrated strong preservation of humanistic value but deficiencies in tourism development, especially regarding infrastructure. Key recommendations include balancing preservation, dissemination, and innovation; emphasizing ideological value, visibility, and climate suitability; maintaining humanistic diversity; and improving site infrastructure. Further testing of evaluation indicators across periods is warranted alongside examining green revitalization potential. This assessment, guided by experts, offers a thorough framework for the sustainable development and preservation of the precious intangible heritage embodied in Chinese drama.

The possible "calming effect" of subchronic supplementation of a standardised phospholipid carrier-based Melissa officinalis L. extract in healthy adults with emotional distress and poor sleep conditions: results from a prospective, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background: Emotional distress conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, and poor sleep are widespread health problems that have a significant impact on people's lives. Conventional drugs are commonly prescribed to treat emotional distress and poor sleep conditions; however, these medications have several limitations and have shown multiple side effects. Over recent years botanicals-based pharmacological agents have gained increasing research and clinical interest in the management of emotional distress and sleep disorder. Of note, Melissa officinalis L. (MO) leaf extract has demonstrated considerable neuropharmacological properties both in animal and human studies and has emerged as a promising natural "calming agent." However, research in this area is limited, and more studies are needed to validate its efficacy in amelioration of emotional distress and poor sleep conditions. Objectives: We aimed to assess the pharmacological effects of subchronic supplementation of an innovative standardised phospholipid carrier-based MO aqueous extract on emotional distress and poor sleep conditions. Design: A 3-week prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, double-blinded clinical trial was conducted in 100 healthy adults complaining of a moderate degree of depression, anxiety, or stress, with scores of ≥14, ≥10, and ≥19, respectively, in the self-report Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-42) or poor sleep, as indicated by the score of >5 in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale. In addition, the impact of emotional distress and/or poor sleep on participants' mental wellbeing, emotional feelings, and quality of life was also assessed using the self-reported Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) scale, and quality of life (WHO-QoL-BREF) scale, respectively. Results: Oral supplementation of 200 mg of phospholipid-based MO aqueous extract (Relissa™) tablets twice a day (i.e., 400 mg/day) for 3 weeks led to significant improvements in the depressive mood, anxiety, stress, positive and negative affect (emotional feelings), overall mental wellbeing, and quality-of-life scores (all p values <0.001). Supplementation of MO extract was well tolerated, and no treatment-emergent effects or serious adverse events were reported. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the phospholipid carrier-based MO aqueous extract possesses considerable neuropharmacological properties, and its supplementation may provide a promising therapeutic option for the management of moderate emotional distress and/or poor sleep conditions. Clinical Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT05602688.

Monsoon flood risks in urban areas of Pakistan: A way forward for risk reduction and adaptation planning.

Climate change poses a significant threat to sustainable urban development. Heavy rainfall has led to severe urban flooding, disrupting human life and causing widespread damage. This study aims to examine the impacts, preparedness, and adaptation strategies related to monsoon flooding in Lahore, Pakistan's second-most populous metropolitan area. Using Yamane's sampling method, a total of 370 samples were surveyed and analyzed using descriptive analysis and chi-square tests. The results indicate that houses and parks were the most commonly damaged properties, with common impacts including roof collapse, house fires, seepage, and wall dampness. These impacts not only caused physical damage but also disrupted basic amenities and damaged roads, resulting in significant socioeconomic costs. Despite these challenges, residents adopted a variety of adaptation strategies such as the use of temporary tarps, moving household appliances to upper floors, and shifting to tiled floors and wall paneling to mitigate damage. However, the study highlights the need for further measures to reduce flood risks and promote adaptation planning in order to effectively address the ongoing challenges posed by climate change and urban flooding.

Environmental Governance Goals of Local Governments and Technological Innovation of Enterprises under Green Performance Assessment.

The current study empirically estimates the impact of local government environmental governance on enterprise technological innovation from the perspective of a green political performance assessment of local governments with Chinese characteristics. Fourteen years of data (from 2006 to 2019) on pollutant emissions, and the patents of A-share listed companies were collected from 230 cities in China. A fixed effect model and tool variable method were applied to empirically analyze the objectives of the study. The results show that the environmental governance formulated by the local government has regional differences, which are shown as lower governance indicators for underdeveloped areas and higher governance indicators for developed areas. Environmental governance has a greater promotion effect on technological innovation in enterprises in developed regions, as well as in large and private enterprises. Moreover, mechanism analysis showed that the local governments preferred the path of financial subsidies to promote the level of technological innovation in enterprises. This study provides a foundation for attaining the "win-win" scenario of local government environmental stewardship and high-quality green economic growth.

Forensic investigation of Cisco WebEx desktop client, web, and Android smartphone applications.

Digital forensic analysis of videoconferencing applications has received considerable attention recently, owing to the wider adoption and diffusion of such applications following the recent COVID-19 pandemic. In this contribution, we present a detailed forensic analysis of Cisco WebEx which is among the top three videoconferencing applications available today. More precisely, we present the results of the forensic investigation of Cisco WebEx desktop client, web, and Android smartphone applications. We focus on three digital forensic areas, namely memory, disk space, and network forensics. From the extracted artifacts, it is evident that valuable user data can be retrieved from different data localities. These include user credentials, emails, user IDs, profile photos, chat messages, shared media, meeting information including meeting passwords, contacts, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) keys, keyword searches, timestamps, and call logs. We develop a memory parsing tool for Cisco WebEx based on the extracted artifacts. Additionally, we identify anti-forensic artifacts such as deleted chat messages. Although network communications are encrypted, we successfully retrieve useful artifacts such as IPs of server domains and host devices along with message/event timestamps.

Do Green Finance Policies Foster Environmental, Social, and Governance Performance of Corporate?

The green finance policy is crucial for enterprises to participate in environmental governance actively. Taking the "Green Credit Guidelines" issued by China in 2012 as a quasi-natural experiment, this study investigated the impact of green finance policies on corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance by using a continuous Difference-in-Differences (DID) model based on the data of listed companies from 2006 to 2020. The conclusions are: (1) The green finance policy significantly improves corporate ESG, but the effects vary across enterprises. (2) The policy has encouraged enterprises to develop and adopt green products and technologies. Still, it has not had a positive effect on the treatment of enterprise pollutant emissions because the implementation of the policy makes enterprises pay more attention to front-end risk control than pollution treatment after production. (3) Research results have heterogeneity. The impact of green finance policies on enterprises at different levels of environmental regulation is different. Enterprises in areas with high intensity of environmental regulation are more vulnerable to green credit. The conclusion of this paper helps improve the green finance policy system, enhance the awareness and level of corporate ESG, and strengthen the collaborative governance of policies and enterprises on environmental issues in combination with the mandatory environmental regulations and incentive mechanisms to promote the green development of enterprises and realize the goal of carbon neutrality.

Updates on Measles Incidence and Eradication: Emphasis on the Immunological Aspects of Measles Infection.

Measles is an RNA virus infectious disease mainly seen in children. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine against measles, it remains a health issue in children. Although it is a self-limiting disease, it becomes severe in undernourished and immune-compromised individuals. Measles infection is associated with secondary infections by opportunistic bacteria due to the immunosuppressive effects of the measles virus. Recent reports highlight that measles infection erases the already existing immune memory of various pathogens. This review covers the incidence, pathogenesis, measles variants, clinical presentations, secondary infections, elimination of measles virus on a global scale, and especially the immune responses related to measles infection.

Breastfeeding and Weaning: Practices in Urban Slums of Southern Punjab, Pakistan.

Objective Proper breastfeeding and weaning practices are effective ways of reducing childhood morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to find out breastfeeding and weaning practices among infants of six months to one year in urban slums of Bahawalpur city. By evaluating the knowledge and attitude of lactating mothers regarding their child feeding habits, modifications and specific interventions can be implemented to improve the breastfeeding and weaning practices of the area. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in the Shahdrah slums of Bahawalpur City after getting approval from the institutional review board of Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur. The survey was conducted from April 10, 2017 to May 30, 2017. One hundred mothers of infants aging six months to one year of age were interviewed. Mothers filled a customized questionnaire, consisting of questions about logistic variables, breastfeeding, and weaning. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 (IBM Corp. Armonk, NY, USA). Results The mean age of the women was 24+2 years. It was found that 74% (n=74) of the mothers had one to three children, 85% (n=85) of the mothers were breastfeeding their infants at the time of the study, 40% (n=40) of the mothers were illiterate, 16% (n=16) of the mothers had secondary education, and 87% (n=87) of the mothers were nonworking women. Out of 85 women who were breastfeeding, 95% (n=80) of the women were 18-23 years of age. We found that 57% (n=57) of the infants were six to nine months old and the remaining 43% (n=43) were up to 12 months of age. Regarding the initiation of breastfeeding, 60% of the females started soon after delivery, and 32% started within two to seven days. We found that 70% (9/13) of the working women and 87.4% (76/87) of the non-working women were breastfeeding. The study found that 92.3% (12/13) of the working women and 88.5% (77/87) of the non-working women were weaning. Conclusion A majority of the mothers were breastfeeding and weaning their babies. The factors documented were young age, low parity, no working status, and nuclear families. The commonly used feeding materials were cereals, banana, rice, and bread. No side effects of weaning were observed. Weaning was associated by late age, parity, non-working status, educational status of father, and nuclear families.