Objective Examine whether altered expression of microRNAs in central nervous system components is pathologically linked to chronic knee joint pain in osteoarthritis. Methods A surgical animal model for knee joint OA was generated by medial meniscus transection in rats followed by behavioral pain tests. Relationships between pathological changes in knee joint and development of chronic joint pain were examined by histology and imaging analyses. Alterations in microRNAs associated with OA-evoked pain sensation were determined in bilateral lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and the spinal dorsal horn by microRNA array followed by individual microRNA analyses. Gain- and loss-of-function studies of selected microRNAs (miR-146a and miR-183 cluster) were conducted to identify target pain mediators regulated by these selective microRNAs in glial cells. Results The ipsilateral hind leg displayed significantly increased hyperalgesia after 4 weeks of surgery and sensitivity was sustained for the remainder of the 8 week experimental period (F=341, P<0.001). The development of OA-induced chronic pain was correlated with pathological changes in the knee joints as assessed by histological and imaging analyses. MicroRNA analyses showed that miR-146a and the miR-183 cluster were markedly reduced in the sensory neurons in DRG (L4/L5) and spinal cord from animals experiencing knee joint OA pain. The downregulation of miR-146a and/or the miR-183 cluster in the central compartments (DRG and spinal cord) are closely associated with the upregulation of inflammatory pain mediators. The corroboration between decreases in these signature microRNAs and their specific target pain mediators were further confirmed by gain- and loss-of-function analyses in glia, the major cellular component of the central nervous system (CNS). Conclusion MicroRNA therapy using miR-146a and the miR-183 cluster could be powerful therapeutic intervention for OA in alleviating joint pain and concomitantly regenerating peripheral knee joint cartilage.

Agglomeration economies are the external benefits earned from clustering of industries and people in cities. The study assumes unbridled clustering of population in emerging urban agglomerations turning economies into diseconomies. This study empirically investigates the heterogeneous socioeconomic impacts of agglomeration economies in selected cities of Punjab, Pakistan, from 1998 to 2018, using the Pooled Mean Group and the Mean Group techniques of Panel ARDL. Agglomeration economies are determined by population density, number of registered factories, employment size, and housing, in the cities of Punjab. The study designed four indices for socioeconomic conditions using principal component analysis. These include: educationindex, healthcare-index, water & sanitation-index, and economic conditions-index. Research findings reveal pressures of high population density, unemployment, and costly housing on educational & healthcare facilities, poor sanitation & waste management, in cities of Punjab, Pakistan. The study suggests that policy makers and urban planners to develop short term and long term policies and development plans for villages and secondary cities to uplift wellbeing of the local population. Nonetheless, cities need to decentralize for sustainable development and management.

Environmental pollution caused by heavy metal ions has become a major health problem across the world. In this study, a selective colorimetric sensor based on starch functionalized silver nanoparticles (St-Ag NPs) for rapid detection of Hg2+ in real samples was developed. The environmentally friendly green approach was utilized to synthesize starch functionalized silver nanoparticles (St-AgNPs). A multi-technique approach involving UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used for the characterization of St-Ag NPs. These starch functionalized AgNPs were tested for the detection of heavy metals at 25 °C. The screening process revealed clear changes in the AgNPs color and absorption intensity only in the presence of Hg2+ due to the redox reaction between Ag0 and Hg2+. The color and absorption intensity of nanoparticles remain unchanged in the presence of all the other tested metals ion. The proposed method has strong selectivity and sensitivity to Hg2+ ions, with a detection limit of 1 ppm revealed by UV-visible spectrophotometry. The proposed procedure was found to be successful for the detection of Hg2+ in real samples of tap water.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of hypocalcemia among patients after thyroid surgery. Study Design: Descriptive study/ Cross-sectional Place and Duration: The study was conducted at the surgical department of Mayo Hospital, Lahore for the duration of eighteen months from July 2020 to December 2021. Methods: Fifty-five male and female subjects participated in this research. Patients ranged in age from 17 to 62 years. After obtaining written permission from the patient, demographic information such as age, sex, BMI, and tumors type was collected. Contralateral lobe cancer was also shown to be a problem. Before surgery and on the first post-operative day, the blood calcium levels of the patients were measured. Patients who received a full thyroidectomy were evaluated for signs of hypocalcemia. Analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0. Results: Among 55 patients, majority of the cases were females 30 (54.5%) were females and the rest were males 25 (45.5%). The patients mean age was 37.16±14.52 years and had mean BMI 24.45±6.62 kg/m2. Papillary cancer was the most common tumor found in 42 (76.4%) cases, followed by follicular cancer in 9 (16.4%) case and 4 (7.3%) cases had hurthle cell carcinoma. We found frequency of hypocalcemia in 14 (25.5%) cases. Among 14 patients of hypocalcemia 10 (71.4%) were females and 4 (38.6%) were males. Retrosternal of goiter found in 5 (35.7%) cases and no retrosternal extension found in 9 (64.3%) case. Post-operative other complications among all cases were seroma, transient hoarseness of voice and neck hematoma. Conclusion: In this study we found higher frequency of hypocalcemia in 25.5% cases after thyroid surgery. Majority of the cases were females and had no retrosternal extension. Except hypocalcemia other complications among all cases were seroma, transient hoarseness of voice and neck hematoma. Keywords: Thyroid Surgery, Tumors, Complications, Hypocalcemia

Background/ Objectives: The present study explores the impact of socioeconomic status on the depression of the elderly. The study has been conducted on 800 respondents in Punjab, Pakistan. The main objective of the research was to examine the impact of socioeconomic status on geriatric depression of the elderly. Methods/ Statistical analysis: Questionnaires were used to collect data. Survey research design was used. Simple random sampling technique was used for the particular research. Findings: The results showed that socioeconomic has a significant negative correlation with the level of depression. This shows that those who have higher level of socioeconomic status tended to have lower level of depression. The ability to do routine activities in daily life is based on socioeconomic status was the most prevailing factor of having good mental health in old age. Novelty/Applications : The scholarship recommended that socioeconomic status is related to mental health and has a negative effect on people overall mental health in old age. Based on the findings, it is recommended that government may develop programs such as social security for the elderly people that will help them in maintaining their socioeconomic status. Mental health practitioners must focus on the interventions that will recognize the importance of mental health in later ages.