“Does Pakistan still have polio cases?”: Exploring discussions on polio and polio vaccine in online news comments in Pakistan

IntroductionPolio, which is caused by poliovirus, is a contagious, potentially crippling, and deadly disease. Pakistan is one of the countries in which polio is still endemic in the 21st century. In 2019, 146 polio cases were reported across the country with some resulting in deaths. Following the spread of rumors insinuating that children were falling sick after receiving an anti-polio vaccine, a mob attacked and set fire to a small hospital in the Peshawar district in April 2019. The present study investigates readers’ discussions that emerged from Dawn’s online readers’ comments on polio-related news stories in Pakistan.MethodsUsing thematic analysis, we analyzed (N = 2216) comments made by readers in the polio-related news stories published on Dawn.com from January 1, 2012, to March 1, 2020.ResultsSeven major themes emerged from the analysis of the comments: 1) reasons for and challenges resulting in the failure to eradicate polio; 2) proposed solutions and policy changes to eradicate polio; 3) misinformation; 4) criticism, frustration, and shame; 5) comparison of Pakistan to other countries; 6) the internet as a public sphere; 7) suffering, empathy, and appreciation. Overall, our findings suggested that commenters are knowledgeable about polio vaccines and consider polio a serious threat to public health in Pakistan.ConclusionOur study not only validated previous study findings such as reasons, challenges, and issues related to polio vaccination, but also found new challenges in online news sites concerning misinformation on polio and polio vaccination in Pakistan.     

Neuroendocrine mechanisms that delay and initiate puberty in higher primates

This paper highlights a series of studies using the male rhesus monkey that has led to a model for the control of the onset of puberty in higher primates. The model proposes that the timing of puberty in these species is governed by the duration of a central brake that, during juvenile development, holds in check the hypothalamic network of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, which, in the adult, drive the pituitary-gonadal axis. The neurobiology of this hypothalamic brake, and the physiological mechanisms that time its application and removal, are incompletely understood. Nevertheless, the pubertal resurgence of pulsatile GnRH release, which terminates the juvenile phase of primate development and triggers the initiation of puberty in man and monkeys, is associated with structural and molecular remodeling of the hypothalamus. A major component of this developmental plasticity appears to involve neuropeptide Y (NPY). NPY inhibits GnRH release, and NPY gene expression in the hypothalamus is elevated during juvenile development when GnRH release is restrained. Since the changes in hypothalamic function and morphology that trigger primate puberty unfold in the absence of gonadal steroid feedback, the possibility is raised that, in addition to activating the pituitary-gonadal axis at this stage of development, they may also contribute directly to the causation of behaviors and affective states that emerge at adolescence.     

Enolase 1 of Candida albicans binds human CD4+ T cells and modulates naïve and memory responses

To obtain a better understanding of the biology behind life-threatening fungal infections caused by Candida albicans, we recently conducted an in silico screening for fungal and host protein interaction partners. We report here that the extracellular domain of human CD4 binds to the moonlighting protein enolase 1 (Eno1) of C. albicans as predicted bioinformatically. By using different anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies, we determined that C. albicans Eno1 (CaEno1) primarily binds to the extracellular domain 3 of CD4. Functionally, we observed that CaEno1 binding to CD4 activated lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (LCK), which was also the case for anti-CD4 monoclonal antibodies tested in parallel. CaEno1 binding to naïve human CD4⁺ T cells skewed cytokine secretion toward a Th2 profile indicative of poor fungal control. Moreover, CaEno1 inhibited human memory CD4⁺ T-cell recall responses. Therapeutically, CD4⁺ T cells transduced with a p41/Crf1-specific T-cell receptor developed for adoptive T-cell therapy were not inhibited by CaEno1 in vitro. Together, the interaction of human CD4⁺ T cells with CaEno1 modulated host CD4⁺ T-cell responses in favor of the fungus. Thus, CaEno1 mediates not only immune evasion through its interference with complement regulators but also through the direct modulation of CD4⁺ T-cell responses.     

The numbers game: a demographic profile of free India

India's population has grown since independence from 350 million in 1947 to 950 million in 1997 and will probably reach 1 billion by the year 2000. Projections made from the most recent census indicate that India will be the world's most populous country by 2040. According to World Bank projections, India's population will surpass 1.7 billion by 2097. India's leaders, allocating funds to industrialization, but not enough to health care and education, failed to understand the nature and consequences of high population growth. Rapid population growth in India has led to considerable unemployment among the working-age population, considerable population pressure upon renewable and nonrenewable resources, and a demand for basic facilities which surpasses their supply. The quality of life and the environment have been adversely affected. This paper considers how investments in social development led to the achievement of replacement level fertility in Kerala, Goa, and Tamil Nadu; the sex ratio; child survival; neglect of girls; the politics of population control; and the future.     

Effect of tetrakis-μ-3,5-diisopropylsalicylatodiaquodicopper(II) on the status of reduced glutathione in freshly isolated hepatocytes

Effects of different concentrations of tetrakis--3,5-diisopropylsalicylatodiaquodicopper(II) (Cu(II)₂(3,5-DIPS)₄(H₂O)₂) on the reduced status of glutathione (GSH), the major nonprotein thiol in tissues, were investigated using freshly isolated hepatocytes. Cu(II)₂(3,5-DIPS)₄ below 100 M did not have any significant effects on either the GSH content or viability of the hepatocytes, but at 150–250 M it decreased both parameters after 1 h of incubation. The decrease in cellular GSH was not followed by an increase in the oxidized form of GSH (GSSG) in the cell suspension. The addition of deferoxamine with Cu(II)₂(3,5-DIPS)₄ to the hepatocyte suspension prevented depletion in GSH content and loss of cell viability by Cu(II)₂(3,5-DIPS)₄. Both GSH depletion and loss of cell viability were found to be Cu(II)₂(3,5-DIPS)₄ dose dependent. From these results, it appears that Cu(II)₂(3,5-DIPS)₄ penetrated the cell membrane and acted by decreasing the GSH level by forming a copper-glutathione complex.     

Relative pharmacokinetics of three amikacin brands in onco-hemotologic pediatric patients experiencing febrile neutropeina.

Three commercially available brands of amikacin were investigated in a parallel study design for the assessment of comparative pharmacokinetics in pediatric oncology patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenic febrile episode. Amikacin concentration in serum samples was determined by fluorescence polarization immunoassay method using Abbott TDx system. Computer software, PK II was used for computation of pharmacokinetic parameters of amikacin. The serum concentration of all brands nonsignificantly (p > 0.05) varied at all time points, except at 1 and 2 hrs post dosing. At 1 hr post dosing, the serum concentration of brand II varied from rest of two brands. Whereas at 2 hr following I/V infusion, brands II and I were statistically different. Highest serum concentration of 38.69 +/- 1.45 microg/ml was observed in case of brand III while brands I and II showed lower but not significantly different serum concentration values, i.e., 36.30 +/- 1.65 and 37.89 +/- 1.32 microg/ml, respectively when compared with brand I. The other pharmacokinetic parameters of 3 brands found to have non-significant difference (P < 0.05) except, t(1/2)alpha and Cl of brands I and II that deviated statistically significant (p < 0.01). The relative bioavailability of brand II and III as compared with brand I, considered as standard 86.17 and 96.86%, respectively falls within the accepted limits of +/- 20% required for the bioequivalence of any two brands. Based upon findings of the present study, all these brands may be used interchangeably in oncology patients. Further studies, however are needed to determine whether the statistically elevated Cl value in brand II is of any clinical significance.