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Since the coronavirus disease 2019, called COVID-19, has overwhelmed the high-income countries with ample resources and established health-care system, we argue that there are plausible concerns why it may devastate the low-income countries like Pakistan. Focusing on Pakistan, we highlight the underlying reasons, eg, demographic features, ineffective health-care system, economic and political inequalities, corruption, and socio-cultural characteristics, that create fertile grounds for COVID-19 to overwhelm low-income countries. This study presents Pakistan’s brief profile to demonstrate these underlying structures that may make low-income countries like Pakistan more vulnerable in the face of an unceasing COVID-19 pandemic. The study concludes that the country may make appropriate and possibly effective short-term preparedness measures to halt or slow the transmission of the virus, and deal with its current implications as well as it may pay significant attention to long-term measures to deal effectively with COVID-19’s longer-term effects. These measures will help them, including Pakistan, to deal appropriately with a similar future critical event.

Plant resistance to herbivores is a key component in integrated pest management. In most cases, silicon (Si) amendment to plants enhances resistance to herbivorous insects. The increase of plant physical barrier and altered insect behaviors are proposed as mechanisms for the enhanced resistance in Si-amended plants, but our understanding of the induced mechanisms involved in Si-enhanced plant resistance to phloem-feeding insects remains unclear. Here, we show that Si amendment to rice ( Oryza sativa ) plants impacts multiple plant defense responses induced by a phloem-feeder, the brown planthopper ( Nilaparvata lugens , BPH). Si amendment improved silicification of leaf sheaths that BPH feed on. Si addition suppressed the increase of malondialdehyde concentration while encouraged increase of H 2 O 2 concentration in plants attacked by BPH. Higher activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase were recorded in Si-amended than in non-amended BPH-infested plants. BPH infestation activated synthases for secondary metabolites, polyphenol oxidase and pheny-lalanine ammonia-lyase, and β-1,3-glucanase, but the activation was greater in Si-amended than in non-amended plants. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that Si amendment interacts with BPH infestation in the induction of plant defense responses and consequently, to confer enhanced rice plant resistance.

The fall armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda ) is a major economic pest in the United States and has recently become a significant concern in African and Asian countries. Due to its increased resistance to current management strategies, including pesticides and transgenic corn, alternative management techniques have become more necessary. Currently, silicon (Si) is being used in many pest control systems due to its ability to increase plant resistance to biotic and abiotic factors and promote plant growth. The current experiments were carried out at the College of Plant Protection, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China, to test the effect of Si on lifetable parameters and lipase activity of fall armyworm and vegetative and physiological parameters of maize plants. Two sources of Si (silicon dioxide: SiO 2 and potassium silicate: K 2 SiO 3 ) were applied on maize plants with two application methods (foliar application and soil drenching). The experiment results revealed that foliar applications of SiO 2 and K 2 SiO 3 significantly (P≤0.05) increased mortality percentage and developmental period and decreased larval and pupal biomass of fall armyworm. Similarly, both Si sources significantly (P≤0.05) reduced lipase activity of larvae, and fecundity of adults, whereas prolonged longevity of adults. Among plant parameters, a significant increase in fresh and dry weight of shoot, stem length, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant activity was observed with foliar applications of Si. Root fresh and dry weight was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher in plants treated with soil drenching of SiO 2 and K 2 SiO 3 . Moreover, SiO 2 performed better for all parameters as compared to K 2 SiO 3 and control treatment. The study conclusively demonstrated a significant negative effect on various biological parameters of fall armyworm when plants were treated with Si, so it can be a promising strategy to control this pest.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has received various distinct perspectives and responses at the local as well as global levels. The current study pays attention to local perspectives, which have appeared in the Sindh Province of Pakistan. Given the constraints of the pandemic, and using convenience sampling, we conducted 10 online group discussions, 7 one-on-one interviews, and 30 cellphone discussions from a small town of Sindh Province. We made every effort to make our sampling inclusive in terms of decisive sociocultural factors: gender, religion, level of formal education, and occupation/job. We obtained data from women, men, Muslims and non-Muslims, the formally educated and noneducated, government employees, and daily wage laborers. Moreover, to perform content analysis, we used social media such as WhatsApp and Facebook. We have found that some people consider COVID-19 a \"political\" game, \"supernatural test\" or \"Western plot\". The given perceptions then guide further actions: either ignore or adopt the preventive measures or take supernatural preventive measures. Considering it as a test of God, Muslims perform prayers, while the community who practice Hinduism are taking cow urine to deal with the virus. This study brings these perspectives to the center stage; yet, the results cannot be generalized across the country, or within the province. Moreover, the study situates these perspectives within the global and socio-cultural, economic, and political contexts and invites more in-depth studies to inquire why such perspectives emerge. We discuss different narratives concerning COVID-19 in a small town of Sindh Province. We maintain that documenting these various perspectives and analyzing their impacts on the preparedness programs is essential, yet understanding the causes behind the stated standpoints is equally essential, if not more so.

Temperature is an important environmental factor for ectotherms’ fitness and survival. The upper sublethal and lethal temperatures were compared between adults of three closely related destructive planthopper species, the small brown planthopper ( Laodelphax striatellus , SBPH), the brown planthopper ( Nilaparvata lugens , BPH), and the white-backed planthopper ( Sogatella furcifera , WBPH) in the absence and presence of the host plant ( Oryza sativa , var. Taichong1). Values of the critical thermal maxima (CT max ) were higher in SBPH than in both BPH and WBPH and higher in BPH than in WBPH, and values of the heat coma temperatures (HCT) were higher in both BPH and SBPH than in WBPH. CT max and HCT values were higher in the presence than in the absence of plant material. Between sexes, females generally showed higher CT max and HCT than males. The upper lethal temperatures (ULT 50 ) measured in the absence of plant material were not significantly different among the planthopper species. The planthoppers also exhibited different behaviors in an increasing temperature regime, with fewer insects dropping-off from the plant in SBPH than in BPH and WBPH. These results indicate that SBPH and BPH are more heat tolerant than WBPH. The findings highlight the biological divergence in closely related planthopper species and the importance of performing the heat tolerance measurement in an ecologically relevant setting, which serves to predict seasonal and spatial occurrence patterns of the destructive planthopper species.

By the mid of June 2021, after an almost 1.5-year-long COVID-19 pandemic that has significantly affected the world in multiple ways, various vaccines against COVID-19 have arrived and started worldwide. Yet, economic, (geo)political, and socio-cultural factors may influence its uptake at individual and country levels. Several issues will (and already have been reported in media) revolve around this vaccination regarding its accessibility, affordability, and acceptability at an individual level and a country level. Given that in this commentary, we provoke a discussion: Who—a country as well as the individuals—would have access to it, and who would economically afford it, and who would accept it? Centering these intriguing questions, we revisit the body of literature that explicates vaccine hesitancy, refusal, and resistance, and we also draw on the current literature and media reports about vaccination against COVID-19. We suggest that these backdrops need essential attention so that everyone can afford, accept, and have access to it. Otherwise, the current risk in the face of a year-old pandemic will continue.

Helicoverpa armigera (Hub.) is a destructive pest of the tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) crop in Pakistan. Although insecticides are the primary management strategy used to control H . armigera , most of them are not effective due to considerable toxic residual effects on the fruits. Nonetheless, H . armigera is rapidly evolving resistance against the available pesticides for its management. This situation calls upon the need of alternative management options against the pest. Different plant extracts have been suggested as a viable, environment-friendly option for plant protection with minimal side effects. Furthermore, the plant extracts could also manage the insect species evolving resistance against pesticides. This study evaluated the efficacy of different plant extracts (i.e., Neem seed, turmeric, garlic and marsh pepper) against H . armigera . Furthermore, the impact of the plant extracts on growth and yield of tomato crop was also tested under field conditions. The results revealed that all plant extracts resulted in higher mortality of H . armigera compared to control. Similarly, the highest plant height was observed for the plants treated with the plant extracts compared to untreated plants. Moreover, the highest tomato yield was observed in plants treated with plant extracts, especially with neem seed (21.013 kg/plot) followed by pepper extract (19.25 kg/plot), and garlic extract 18.4 kg/plot) compared to the untreated plants (8.9 kg/plot). It is concluded that plant extracts can be used as eco-friendly approaches for improving tomato yield and resistance management of H . armigera .

BackgroundThe impact of poor nutritional health on maternal and infant morbidity and mortality remains high in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), exacerbated by climate change-linked disasters. Maternal nutritional health, as a modifiable factor, is influenced by various social, political, economic and environmental factors, as well as cultural practices. Identifying climate change-related interventions, adaptive strategies and best practices targeting maternal nutritional health and well-being in LMICs within a cultural context helps inform the co-production of sustainable, culturally sensitive interventions to improve health outcomes for mothers and babies.Methods and analysisWe will undertake a systematic review of the literature employing the six steps of the Protocol, Search, Appraisal, Synthesis, Analysis and Report (PSALSAR) framework, including both peer-reviewed and grey literature. The Population, Concept and Context approach will be used to formulate the review question and the inclusion and exclusion criteria. We will include primary research comprising all study designs published in English from 2007 onwards. We will conduct searches in online academic databases, including CINAHL, MEDLINE, Global Health (CABI), AGRIS (FAO) and SCOPUS, as well as defined grey literature sources (ie, Google Scholar). Titles, abstracts and later full-text articles will be independently accessed and screened for eligibility criteria by four researchers. Following the integrative review methodology, we will present findings narratively, organised around the components of the PSALSAR framework to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the available evidence.Ethics and disseminationAs no primary data will be collected, the systematic review does not require formal ethics approval. However, we will give attention to ethical considerations within the identified studies. Findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences. The findings of our systematic review and the ethnographic component of our research project will inform the development of appropriate maternal nutritional health interventions using co-production methodology in Pakistan.PROSPERO registration numberCRD420251080897.

Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) production is significantly altered by the infestation of sucking insects, particularly aphids. Chemical sprays are not recommended for the management of aphids as wheat grains are consumed soon after crop harvests. Therefore, determining the susceptibility of different wheat genotypes and selecting the most tolerant genotype could significantly lower aphid infestation. This study evaluated the susceptibility of six different wheat genotypes (‘Sehar-2006’, ‘Shafaq-2006’, ‘Faisalabad-2008’, ‘Lasani-2008’, ‘Millat-2011’ and ‘Punjab-2011’) to three aphid species ( Rhopalosiphum padi Linnaeus, Schizaphis graminum Rondani, Sitobion avenae Fabricius) at various growth stages. Seed dressing with insecticides and plant extracts were also evaluated for their efficacy to reduce the incidence of these aphid species. Afterwards, an economic analysis was performed to compute cost-benefit ratio and assess the economic feasibility for the use of insecticides and plant extracts. Aphids’ infestation was recorded from the seedling stage and their population gradually increased as growth progressed towards tillering, stem elongation, heading, dough and ripening stages. The most susceptible growth stage was heading with 21.89 aphids/tiller followed by stem elongation (14.89 aphids/tiller) and dough stage (13.56 aphids/tiller). The genotype ‘Punjab-2011’ recorded the lower aphid infestation than ‘Faisalabad-2008’, ‘Sehar-2006’, ‘Lasani-2008’ and ‘Shafaq-2006’. Rhopalosiphum padi appeared during mid-February, whereas S . graminum and S . avenae appeared during first week of March. Significant differences were recorded for losses in number of grains/spike and 1000-grain weight among tested wheat genotypes. The aphid population had non-significant correlation with yield-related traits. Hicap proved the most effective for the management of aphid species followed by Hombre and Husk among tested seed dressers, while Citrullus colocynthis L. and Moringa oleifera Lam. plant extracts exhibited the highest efficacy among different plant extracts used in the study. Economic analysis depicted that use of Hombre and Hicap resulted in the highest income and benefit cost ratio. Therefore, use of genotype Punjab-2011’ and seed dressing with Hombre and Hicap can be successfully used to lower aphid infestation and get higher economic returns for wheat crop.

In this manuscript, we establish some results on fixed points by using a triplet of auxiliary functions endowed with a locally ‐transitive binary relation. We also present an example to illustrate the suitability of our results and discuss some applications to first and second order ordinary differential equations with periodic boundary value problems, obtaining the existence and uniqueness of a lower solution.