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Abstract Background A new species of smut fungus, Urocystis heteropogonis, was discovered infecting Heteropogon contortus in Shawar Valley, Swat district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The study aimed to characterize this fungus based on its morpho-anatomical and molecular features and clarify its phylogenetic position within the genus Urocystis. Results Urocystis heteropogonis was identified as a novel species, distinct from other Urocystis species. Morphologically, it is characterized by larger spore balls (14–69 × 11–45 μm) and central spores that are 14–28 × 11–20 μm in size, with each spore containing1–8 central spores. The spore walls measure 0.9–2.5 μm in thickness and the species differs in infection patterns compared to other Urocystis species. Phylogenetic analysis based on the ITS and LSU regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) further confirmed the novelty of the species, placing it within a distinct clade alongside U. agropyri, U. occulta, U. piptatheri, and U. tritici. Conclusions The discovery of Urocystis heteropogonis adds to the diversity of smut fungi infecting grasses and highlights the need for further research into its ecological and agricultural implications. Future studies should focus on the disease’s spread, management, and potential impact on host populations.

This study investigates how government ownership (state-owned IPOs) and the political regime affect the flipping of IPO shares, as well as the moderating impact of investor demand on the association between the political regime and flipping activity. Ordinary least square was employed to investigate the impact of government ownership and political regime on the flipping of IPO shares. The data set consists of 95 IPO firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) during the period of January 2000 to December 2019. The findings of this study reveal that government ownership and a political regime have a positive influence on the flipping of IPO shares, demonstrating the quality that creates liquidity in Pakistan’s IPO market. Furthermore, in Pakistan, investor demand has been reported to moderate the association between the political regime and IPO flipping activity. This research offers valuable insights that may result in abnormal trading behavior or flipping immediately after listing. Likewise, state-owned IPOs and the political regime appear to be more appealing to investors, signaling the firms’ high quality, causing in increased demand and higher levels of flipping. As a result, the government and regulators may devise policies to control unusual trading, ensuring that government investments in the capital market are successful and also that the government’s economic and political objectives are met. Moreover, this research is critical for investors and issuers making investment decisions. JEL Classification : G12, G18, G32.

Abstract Background The ever-evolving healthcare system of today demands physicians who steer their roles as treatment providers, managers and collaborators. Professionals are highly interdependent due to increased complexity of health problems and risk of errors increases with transitions in care. In hospitals, the main workforce is postgraduate residents; therefore, intraprofessional collaboration amongst residents is essential. Several instruments are available to evaluate interprofessional collaboration amongst physicians, nurses and hospital teams but none specifically assessed intra-professional collaborative practices amongst residents working in tertiary care hospitals in multi-disciplinary teams. This study intends to develop and validate an instrument to self-assess intraprofessional collaborative practices in postgraduate residents undergoing residency in multiple specialties at tertiary care hospitals. Approach This study on Instrument Development employed mixed method study design executed in two phases. In phase 1, six domains of intraprofessional collaborative practices were identified from literature and 35 items were developed. Fifteen experts participated in qualitative content validation and provided comments. To establish content validity in phase 2, content validity index (CVI) and content clarity average (CCA) were assessed by seventeen experts. Response process validity was established by cognitive interviewing of 5 postgraduate residents. Pilot testing was done on a sample of 407 residents. Cronbach’s alpha was determined, and confirmatory factor analysis established construct validity. Results During phase 1, items were modified based on qualitative feedback from 15 experts. In round 2, CVI and CCA were determined based on responses of 17 experts. The items having an I-CVI greater than 0.90 were accepted and six items underwent modifications as their I-CVI fell between 0.78 and 0.90. Similarly, four items with a CCA of less than 2.4 were modified to increase clarity. Cognitive interviews of participants on 30 items resulted in the deletion of 1 item and changes in 5 items. The final instrument had 29 items categorized under six constructs. All items had good factor loadings during CFA, so none was deleted. Cronbach’s Alpha α was 0.937. Conclusion Intraprofessional collaborative practices in residents is a valid and reliable self-assessment tool comprising 29 items measuring six constructs. It may be used by residents to assess their collaborative practices and incorporated in curricula to help develop collaborative practices and their assessment during training of postgraduate residents.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of Methotrexate (MTX) versus Cyclosporine (CyA) in the patients of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) Study Design: Systematic review and Meta-analysis. Methodology: After formulating our research team and PICO question rationally, a search strategy and literature search were carried out as per Cochrane guidelines. Full-text articles were retrieved after title and abstract screening per our inclusion criteria. The whole search process was documented in the form of a PRISMA flow chart. Team members made and filed data extraction sheets, and qualitative data synthesis was performed. Afterwards, a meta-analysis was carried out, involving a total of 03 randomized controlled trials. Revman was used to process the continuous and dichotomous data collected for our outcomes. RoB 2 was used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. Grade pro-GDT was used to summarize the findings in the table. Results: Pooled results from 3 RCTs showed that CyA in a 2.5mg/kg dose is better than MTX @0.4 mg/kg/week at 12 weeks in AD. At follow-up, MTX maintains better disease control, i.e., until 24 weeks post-treatment. MTX has a better safety profile than CyA. Conclusion: MTX and CyA are both effective drugs for moderate to severe AD, but they have their pros and cons.

OBJECTIVES To determine the accuracy of the plain chest radiograph in diagnosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), keeping a high-resolution CT scan (HRCT) as the gold standard. METHODOLOGY A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 75 patients who visited the Department of Radiology department over two years were assessed by prospective analysis of their radiology reports. All the HRCTs and Chest X-ray images were reviewed. Data collected was recorded on a specially designed proforma and entered into Microsoft Excel and SPSS (Version 22.0. IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Patients with a history of acute exacerbation of symptoms were excluded. RESULTS The median age of the patients was 59 years, with SD 12.2. Chest radiographs detected interstitial lung disease (ILD) in 42/75 (56%).). The chest radiograph’s sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) were 76%, 84%, 86.3% and 76.7%. A plain chest X-ray's positive likelihood ratio (LR+) was 4.75, while the negative likelihood ratio (LR-) was 0.28. The overall accuracy of CXR was calculated as 78.6%. CONCLUSION Our study concluded that chest X-ray is the ideal initial investigation for diagnosing Interstitial lung disease (ILDS) with an accuracy of 78.6% compared to HRCT.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of Tazarotene 0.1% cream versus Clindamycin 1% gel in treating acne vulgaris. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of the Study: Dermatology Department, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Jan to Jul 2018. Methodology: One hundred and fifty-four patients of both genders who had moderate acne vulgaris for more than four weeks were divided into two Groups. In both Groups, patients applied one-fourth fingertip unit of Tazarotene 0.1% cream in the evening once daily and Clindamycin 1% gel over the affected area in the morning once daily for 12 weeks. The Global Acne Grading System Score (GAGS score) was used for severity and efficacy assessment. Results: The majority of the patients belonged to 13-25 years of age, i.e., 61(79.2%) and 54(70.1%) in Group-A (Tazarotene 0.1% cream) and Group-B (Clindamycin 1% gel), respectively. The efficacy of topical Tazarotene cream (0.1%) was better than topical Clindamycin 1% gel, and the difference was statistically significant with a p-value less than 0.01. GAGS score

Background: Polygamy stays one of the key themes in a different social order. It is through social practices, convictions and the people’s decisions that individuals choose to be focused on polygamy ways of life. Objective: To highlight the prevalence and associated factors of polygamous marriages among men in Pakistan. Methods: The current study analyzes the secondary data of PDHS (Pakistan Demographic & Health Survey). This survey was done in Pakistan from November-2017 to April-2018. The study selected cases of 3145 men, which were married once or more than once and other factors from obtained data to find association. Statistical software SPSS version 22 was used for data analysis. Results: Data were retrieved from 3145 men but a complete analysis was done on 3070 men (remaining were excluded due to missing data issues). The average age among men was 32 ± 8.6 years. Majority belonged to rural area (55.5%), with high standard education (55.4%), high wealth status (55.6%), and desire for more children (53. 3%), had child mortality issue (52.2%) and had their workplace away from not close to home (52.2%). Out of 3070 men, 51.8% were polygamous. On multivariate analysis, age, residence, education, wealth, desire for more children, child mortality issue and work status were found to be independent predictors of polygamy. Conclusion: Using the PDHS data, we have found that the prevalence of polygamy was 51.8%. However, different socio-demographic factors affecting it showed significance like wealth index, husband work away & husband desire for more children positively contributing polygamous marriages in Pakistani society.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of oral fluconazole and oral itraconazole in the treatment of Pityriasis versicolor. Study Design: Comparative prospective study. Methodology: Total 72 patients of both genders with Pityriasis versicolor were included. Patients were randomly allocated into two treatment groups with 36 patients in each group: group A and group B by lottery method. Patients in group A received Cap Fluconazole 150 mg bi- weekly for two consecutive weeks while those in group B received two doses of 400 mg of itraconazole once weekly for two weeks. Patients were asked to follow-up after 4 weeks skin scrapings for microscopy using 10% KOH mount was done at follow-up. Efficacy was assessed in terms of negative fungal hyphae on microscopy. Results: In this study, age ranged from 18 to 40 years with mean age of 33.52 ± 4.12 years in group A, whereas 35.055 ± 4.18 years in group B. Mean duration of disease was 4.66 ± 1.51 months in group A and 5.27 ± 1.70 months in group B. Efficacy was seen in 77.8% of group A patients as compared to 50% in group B patients (p=0.014). Conclusion: Oral Fluconazole two doses of 150 mg/week (total 300mg/week) for two consecutive weeks was found more effective than oral itraconazole.

Objective: To determine the correlation between glycosylated hemoglobin (HBA1c) and mean platelet volume (MPV) among the patients suffering from type II diabetes mellitus. Study Design: Correlational study. Place and Duration of Study: Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi, from Jun 2018 to Dec 2018. Methodology: A total of two hundred patients with type II diabetes mellitus reporting for the routine follow-up were recruited. They were divided into two groups on the basis of HBA1c levels. Group A had patients with HBA1c level 7%. Mean platelet volume and routine socio-demographic factors were measured and compared in both the groups. Results: Mean duration of diabetes among the patients was 4.28 ± 5.128 years. A total of 163 (81.5%) patients were using the oral hypoglycemic while 37 (18.5%) were on the insulin. Mean platelet volume of patients in group A was 8.16 ± 0.39 while mean platelet volume of patients in group B was 9.34 ± 0.81. Strong correlation of mean platelet volume and glycosylated hemoglobin among the patients in this study (p-value

Objective: To compare the frequency of success of intralesional vitamin D3 versus cryotherapy for management of patients with plantar warts. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Dermatology, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, from Aug 2016 to Feb 2017. Methodology: Total 60 patients, fulfilling the selection criteria, were included in the study. The patients were randomly divided in two groups by using lottery method. In group 1, Vitamin D3 was injected into the base of the warts after local anaesthetic agent, prilocaine. In group 2, cryotherapy was done by using a high-intensity regimen of one session every two weeks till 6 weeks. All patients were followed-up in Out-Patient Department (OPD) for 13 weeks. After 13 weeks, condition of warts was assessed. In case of complete resolution of warts, the success was labeled. Results: In this study success rate of intralesional D3 was 63.3% and for cryotherapy success rate was 43.3% (p-value=0.121). Stratification of age and gender did not show any statistically significant difference between success rates of both treatment modalities. However patients with history of shorter duration ranging in between 11-15 days showed significant higher success rate for intralesional vitamin-D3 as compared to cryotherapy. Conclusion: Frequency of success of intralesional vitamin-D3 was more than that of cryotherapy for treating planter warts.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of intralesional purified protein derivative (PPD) with conventional cryotherapy in the treatment of cutaneous warts. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Dermatology Department, Pak Emirates Military Hospital (PEMH) Rawalpindi, from Jul 2017 to Jan 2018. Methodology: Total number of 60 patients were included in the study through Out Patient Department OPD. All patients were randomly divided in 2 groups by lottery method. Group A patients were given intra-lesional PPD (0.1ml in a single wart or targeting the largest wart in case of multiple warts, procedure was repeated fortnightly) while Group B patients were given cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen (2 freeze thaw cycles 20 sec duration each fortnightly). All patients were followed up after the end of treatment (maximum 6 sessions i.e. 3 months or complete clearance of wart whichever is earlier) and assessment of treatment efficacy was based on the response which was noted after 3 months of treatment. The response was categorized as excellent (no visible lesion), good (50-99% improvement), intermediate (

LSD is an important transboundary disease affecting the cattle industry worldwide. The objectives of this study were to determine trends and significant change points, and to forecast the number of LSD outbreak reports in Africa, Europe, and Asia. LSD outbreak report data (January 2005 to January 2022) from the World Organization for Animal Health were analyzed. We determined statistically significant change points in the data using binary segmentation, and forecast the number of LSD reports using auto-regressive moving average (ARIMA) and neural network auto-regressive (NNAR) models. Four significant change points were identified for each continent. The year between the third and fourth change points (2016–2019) in the African data was the period with the highest mean of number of LSD reports. All change points of LSD outbreaks in Europe corresponded with massive outbreaks during 2015–2017. Asia had the highest number of LSD reports in 2019 after the third detected change point in 2018. For the next three years (2022–2024), both ARIMA and NNAR forecast a rise in the number of LSD reports in Africa and a steady number in Europe. However, ARIMA predicts a stable number of outbreaks in Asia, whereas NNAR predicts an increase in 2023–2024. This study provides information that contributes to a better understanding of the epidemiology of LSD.

Objective: Comparison of efficacy of combination comprising 2% ketoconazole solution wash plus topical 1% clotrimazole versus topical 1% clotrimazole alone in management of patients with Pityriasis versicolor. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Place and Duration of Study: Dermatology department, Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi, from Oct 2016 to Apr 2017. Material and Methods: Sixty patients of Pityriasis versicolor, both male and female were included in study. Diagnosis of Pityriasis versicolor was made clinically and confirmed microscopically by examining skin scrapings for fungal hyphae. Patients with concomitant systemic illnesses or those who had received anti-fungal in last three months were excluded from study. Random number tables were used to allocate patients to the two treatment groups. Group A received 2% ketoconazole shampoo twice per week for four weeks plus topical 1% clotrimazole twice daily application for 2 weeks. Group B received only topical therapy with 1% clotrimazole cream applied twice daily for 2 weeks. Assessment of treatment efficacy was done by clinical examination of patient and microscopy of skin scrapping for fungal hyphaedone at baseline and at end of study (4 weeks of treatment). A negative clinical examination and negative skin scrapping for fungal hyphae was considered effective therapeutic response. Results: In group A, the mean age of patients was 29.76 ± 8.89 years and in group B was 27.67 ± 10.46 years. Efficacy in group A was observed in 22 (73.33%) patients while in group B in 14 (46.67%) patients. Conclusion: Combination of 2% ketoconazole solution wash plus topical 1% clotrimazole was found more effective in treatment of patients with Pityriasis versicolor as compared totopical 1% clotrimazole alone.

We have presented here a Dental anomalies, hypodontia/oligodontia and microdontia in a family which reported to us at Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry Rawalpindi. A father along with his two sons presented to us with complaints of small sized dentition and gaps between teeth. On examination it was found that all three of them had concomitantly occurring hypodontia and microdontia which had functional and esthetic implications. It was then planned to adopt multidisciplinary approach to treat the patients involving orthodontics, restorative dentistry and prosthodontics.

Several electrophysiological parameters, including the auditory evoked response component M50/M100 latencies and the phase synchrony of transient and steady-state gamma-band oscillations have been implicated as atypical (to various extents) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Furthermore, some hypotheses suggest that an underlying neurobiological mechanism for these observations might be atypical local circuit function indexed by atypical levels of inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA. This study was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, escalating-dose, acute investigation conducted in 25 14–18 year-old adolescents with ASD. The study assessed the sensitivity of magnetoencephalography (MEG) and MEGAPRESS “GABA” magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to monitor dose-dependent acute effects, as well as seeking to define properties of the pre-drug “baseline” electrophysiological and GABA signatures that might predict responsiveness to the GABA-B agonist, arbaclofen (STX-209). Overall, GABA levels and gamma-band oscillatory activity showed no acute changes at either low (15 mg) or high (30 mg) dose. Evoked M50 response latency measures tended to shorten (normalize), but there was heterogeneity across the group in M50 latency response, with only a subset of participants (n = 6) showing significant M50 latency shortening, and only at the 15 mg dose. Findings thus suggest that MEG M50 latency measures show acute effects of arbaclofen administration in select individuals, perhaps reflecting effective target engagement. Whether these subjects have a greater trend towards clinical benefit remains to be established. Finally, findings also provide preliminary support for the use of objective electrophysiological measures upon which to base inclusion for optimal enrichment of populations to be included in full-scale clinical trials of arbaclofen.

Objective: To determine the frequency of symptomatic osteoarthritis in general population of Karachi presenting with joint pain. Introduction: People easily get tired due to heavy duty occupations to keep pace with the society. Arthralgia commonly called as “Joint pain” is one of the most frequently observed complain, especially in individuals aged 50 above. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) from 1st November 2013 to 25th November 2013. The data was collected from 316 patients presenting to the department of rheumatology and orthopedics with joint pain. A structured questionnaire was designed based on the clinical symptomatology of osteoarthritis. It was administered to the participants aged above 18 yrs. old. 17.7% of males and 82.3% of females participated in the study. Result: Out of 316 patients with joint pain, 71.2% (n=225) were diagnosed osteoarthritis on the basis of symptoms present with a high prevalence in females than males. The most common joints to be involved in osteoarthritis were found to be knee joint (90.2%) and hip joint (55.7%). The majority of the patients (n=109) had an X-ray of their joint and n=125 was getting analgesics as an effective therapy for osteoarthritis. Conclusion: The frequency of osteoarthritis is increasing in Karachi with globalization due to high level occupational stress along with recreational activity stress and other contributive factors. Female predominance as compare to that of man is quite alarming that needs to be controlled for maintaining future quality of life and providing ease for daily activities.

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between birth order and personality of a child, Using causal comparative research design and t-test for independent sample, it was found that the first born subjects (N=26) who attempted to live up to parents’ standards and expectations achieved significantly high scores on the self acceptance, responsibility, achievement via independence and achievement via conformance subtest of the California Psychological Inventory (M=22.7, SD=8.76) than the last bom (M=19.7, SD=8.86). It was found that high parental demand and expectations from of the first-borns resulted in greater scores on achievement via conformance scale and achievement via independence scale of the CPI than the last born children. The =. scores were 7.07 and 2.2 respectively, t(26)= +2.021, P

The purpose of research was to determine the relationship between constitutional variation and fundamental neurotic behavioural reactions. A review of current literature was undertaken in order to summarise some of the possible effects of body type on one's behaviour and development of neurotic patterns. This research gives an overview of causes of clinical symptoms among adolescents. Information was gathered from one hundred and eighty adolescents N = (180) of various colleges of Peshawar district in Pakistan. Criterion of selection of the research sample was the body weight that was identified by calculating Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a statistical measure of the weight of a person scaled according to height. The sample was classified into the three groups based on their body type. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), developed by Lovinbond (1995) was used as an instrument to collect the required data. The DASS is the set of three self-report scales designed to measure the negative emotional states of depression, anxiety and stress. The endomorphs and the ectomorphs had moderate depression level, that is, M = 17.9, SD = 5.9; M = 16.4, SD = 5.2 respectively, whereas, the mesomorphs had mild depression level, that is, M = 11.1, SD = 3.5. The t-statistic showed endomorphs scored significantly high on depression scale than the mesomorphs, t (7.6); p > 0.05 two tailed. While significantly high level of depression was found among the ectomorphs than the mesomorphs, t (6.5); p > 0.05 two tailed, moderate level of stress was found among endomorphs (M = 22.8, SD = 7.5) and ectomorphs (M = 18.6, SD = 6.5). The mesomorphs scored low on stress and had mild level of stress. (M = 16.1, SD = 4.5). The t - statistics has shown no significant difference among the ectomorphs and the endomorphs, t (-1.47); p > .143. It is therefore concluded that those who deviated from the standard body type were more depressed, anxious and under stress whereas females showed more signs of neurotic symptoms than their male counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many sex-specific biomarkers have been recently revealed in Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, cerebral glial cells were rarely reported. This study analyzed 220,095 single-nuclei transcriptomes from the frontal cortex of thirty-three AD individuals in the GEO database. Sex-specific Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) were identified in glial cells, including 243 in astrocytes, 1,154 in microglia, and 572 in oligodendrocytes. Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation analyses and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses revealed functional concentration in synaptic, neural, and hormone-related pathways. Protein-protein interaction network (PPI) identified MT3, CALM2, DLG2, KCND2, PAKACB, CAMK2D, and NLGN4Y in astrocytes, TREM2, FOS, APOE, APP, and NLGN4Y in microglia, and GRIN2A, ITPR2, GNAS, and NLGN4Y in oligodendrocytes as key genes. NLGN4Y was the only gene shared by the three glia and was identified as the biomarker for the gender specificity of AD. Gene-transcription factor (TF)-miRNA coregulatory network identified key regulators for NLGN4Y and its target TCMs. Ecklonia kurome Okam (Kunbu) and Herba Ephedrae (Mahuang) were identified, and the effects of the active ingredients on AD were displayed. Finally, enrichment analysis of Kunbu and Mahuang suggested that they might act as therapeutic candidates for gender specificity of AD.