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Objective: To compare the frequency of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with diabetes of different age groups, body mass indexes and duration of diabetes. Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of General Medicine, Combined Military Hospital, Quetta Pakistan, from Jun to Nov 2019. Methodology: One hundred thirty-two patients of either gender with diabetes for more than one year were included. All patients underwent ultrasound to scan for fatty liver, and a consultant radiologist confirmed the findings. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was diagnosed as per operational definition. Results: Of the total 132, 89(67.5%) were males, and 43(32.5%) were females. The mean age of the patients was 49.34±5.76 years. The mean weight of the patients was 72.91±13.40 Kg, the mean height was 1.56±0.09 meters, and 6.35±2.99 years was the mean duration of diabetes. Most patients were 46-60 years (78.8%). NAFLD was seen in 58.5% of patients with diabetes with female preponderance. Conclusion: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was found to be more frequent in patients of the age group 46-60 years, and also it has a strong correlation with body mass index of >25 kg/m2 and longer duration of diabetes. A significant proportion of patients with diabetes were also found to have ‘lean non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the awareness and knowledge of the Covid-19 pandemic among the population of Lahore. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was completed in six months from 5th February 2021 to 5th August 2021. A self-constructed questionnaire consisting of questions related to general knowledge, prevention, symptoms, spread, and treatment was used. The technique of convenient sampling was used. After taking informed written consent, data were collected from the population of Lahore. An online questionnaire was used to collect data and google forms were generated and shared through social media (Facebook, WhatsApp). SPSS version 25 was used for the analysis of the data. Results: A total of 164 participants were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 38.45. Among all participants, 71.28 % have a good awareness of the coronavirus and its precautions related to maintaining social distancing and hygienic measures while 28.72 % were not well aware of the corona and its precautions. Conclusion: There was a good level of awareness and knowledge regarding Covid-19 among the general population of Lahore. People were well aware of the general knowledge and precautionary measures however some gaps are found in the section on the spread and treatment of coronavirus.

Objective: To determine the frequency of dyslipidaemia in type-2 diabetic patients and to compare the frequency of dyslipidaemia in patients with and without microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes. Study Design: cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of General Medicine, Combined Military Hospital Quetta Pakistan, from Dec 2018 to Jun 2019. Methodology: All patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria and visited General Medicine department of Combined Military Hospital Quetta with type II diabetes mellitus were included in the study. Blood sample following an 8-12 hours fasting over the last night and 24 hour urine sample for microalbuminuria was collected to assess the outcome i.e. frequency of dyslipidaemia and also its frequency with and without microalbuminuria. Result: A total of 165 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were included. Ninety nine (60%) were males and 66 (40%) were females with the mean age of 48.08 ± 7.63 years. Overall, dyslipidaemia was found in 48 (29.1%) patients, dyslipidaemia was noted in 29 (17.6%) with microalbuminuria and 19 (11.5%) without microalbuminuria. Chi-square test revealed that dyslipidaemia was significantly more in patients of diabetes mellites having microalbuminuria than those not having it (p-value=0.01). Conclusion: Abnormal lipid metabolism was present in significantly more in patients with microalbuminuria as compared to those without microalbuminuria suffering from type II diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To assess the frequency of stress hyperglycemia and mortality in patients with hyperglycemia admitted in medical Intensive Care Unit. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Medical Intensive Care Unit, Combined Military Hospital Quetta, from Nov 2018 to Jun 2019. Methodology: A total of 150 adult patients of age between 18-80 years, of both genders, with Intensive Care Unit stay >24 hours, who were treated in medical Intensive Care Unit during study period, were included in the study. Those patients with duration of stay

Background: During the pandemic, Corona virus forced many people, especially students, to spend more time than before on the computer and smartphone to study and communicate. The poor posture of the body may have worse effect on its body parts , most of which is the cervical spine (forward head posture). Objective: To assess the incidence of neck pain and the associated factors among undergraduate medical students related to position during E learning Subjects and Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students in three Iraqi universities during 2021. The sample size was 152. Online questionnaire by Google forms sampling method were used to collect the data which was analysed using SPSS 25. Results: The percentage of students who suffered cervical pain was (80.3%) of the 152 who participated in this study and the majority of those who suffered pain were complained from increase pain during the pandemic (72.1%). This study also showed the students recumbent on the floor 67 (44.1%) more than those who use the table and chair 62 (40.8%) during E-learning. The percentage of students who use the phone for more than 4 hours were (73.7%). Conclusion: there is a relationship between poor posture and cervical pain during E-learning in the pandemic. Most of students were suffering from neck pain with greatest percentage were in those who student in recumbent on the floor and when using chair and table.

Objective: To establish the correlation between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Study Design: Correlation study. Place and Duration of Study: Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi (PEMH), Medical Outpatient department (OPD), from Nov 2017 to May 2018. Methodology: A total of 160 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus of both genders, 30-70 years of age presenting in OPD were included in study, while those with T1DM, CKD stage 3 and above, infection or diabetic foot, any endocrine disease and female patients with pregnancy were excluded from the study. The blood samples were taken for blood sugar random (BSR), blood sugar fasting (BSF), haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), lipid profile and results were collected next day. The Pearson correlation test was used to analyze correlations. Results: Among 160 patients the mean age was 57.28 ± 10.13 years, 81 (50.6%) were males while 79 (49.4%) were females. The 34 (21.20%) patients had good, while 125 (78.80%) had poor glycaemic control using haemoglobin A1c of 7% as a cut off. A positive and statistically significant correlation was observed between haemoglobin A1c and total cholesterol (r=0.233, p

Abstract Objective: To compare the efficacy of Rosuvastatin 5mg and Simvastatin 20mg in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of General Medicine, Pak Emirates Military Hospital (PEMH), Rawalpindi, from Jul 2017 to Jan 2018. Methodology: Patients of type 2 diabetes with hypercholesterolemia (mean LDL-C levels >100 mg/dl) were included in the study. In a sample of 100 patients, half of the patients were in the Rosuvastatin 5mg group (group A) while half patients were in the Simvastatin 20mg group (group B). Non-probability consecutive sampling was done. We followed up the patients for 6 weeks. All the laboratory investigations were performed from the laboratory of the same hospital. Investigator himself recorded all the information including name, age, gender, weight, LDL-C levels, Renal function test reports and CK-MB levels in a self-designed, self-administered proforma. Data were analyzed with statistical analysis program SPSS V 23. Results: Age range in this study was from 35 to 60 years with a mean age of 46.980 ± 6.31 years in group A vs 48.520 ± 5.61 years in group B. Mean LDL-C Levels were 149.460 ± 25.76 mg/dl in group A vs 146.960 ± 22.92 mg/dl in group B. Mean weight was 82.880 ± 9.17 kg in group A vs 88.660 ± 10.33kg in group B. Male gender was dominant in both group (70% and 72%). In group A, efficacy was seen in 40 (80%) patients as compared to 24 (48%) patients in group B (p

Objective: To determine frequency of vitamin D deficiency in female patients presenting with non-specific musculoskeletal symptoms. Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Medical Outpatient Department (OPD), Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Quetta from 30th November 2018 to 30th May 2019. Materials and Methods: A total of 150 female patients with nonspecific musculoskeletal symptoms were included. Patients on vitamin D supplements, osteopenia, osteoporosis, chronic kidney disease, neuropathies, cancers, diabetes mellitus, iron and Vitamin B12 deficiency were excluded. Data including gender, age and presence of bone pain, muscle aches, bone tenderness and fracture was collected. SPSS v 17 was used for data analysis. Chi-square test was applied to test for associations, p value less than 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: The mean age was 37.20 + 13.30 years. Mean Vitamin D levels were 14.89 + 7.76 ng/ml with range from 3.10 to 35.67ng/ml. Participants with vitamin D3 < 10 ng/ml were 24% (n=36), < 20 ng/ml were 54% (n= 81),

Objective: To assess the prevalence of abnormal radiological changes and their impact on lung function in post tuberculosis cases. Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in medical Outpatient Department (OPD) of CMH, Quetta from 30th Nov 2018 to 30th May 2019. Materials and Methods: A total of sixty treated cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, presenting in medical OPD of CMH Quetta for regular follow-up, were included in the study. The subjects were recruited by non-probability consecutive sampling technique according to predefined inclusion criteria. Demographic data including age, gender, post treatment duration, clinical features and history of asthma, atopy, rhinitis, biomass exposure, coalmine exposure, animal and pet exposure was collected. Their lung function was assessed using spirometry and radiological changes were assessed by either chest X-ray or high resolution CT chest. Results: Among the 60 patients, mean age was 36.32 + 9.95 years. The majority (70%) of subjects were males (n=42).The mean duration post treatment was 4.79 + 4.25 years. Among the study population 51.7% (n=31) were symptomatic, 73.3% (n=44) had abnormal lung function tests. With those having abnormal lung functions tests, 23.3% (n=14) had obstructive, 43.3% (n=26) had restrictive and 6.7% (n=4) had mixed airway disease. The radiological investigations were abnormal in 80% (n=48) of the patients showing various radiological changes such as reticular shadows, nodules, pleural thickening, collapse, fibrotic bands, hilar calcifications, lung volume reduction and traction bronchiectasis. Conclusion: Our study showed that the restrictive pattern was most common finding on spirometry while, fibrotic bands were the most common radiological findings in post tuberculosis cases in our population.

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is one of the rare zoonotic infections caused by orthopoxvirus. MPXV has recently been an evolving threat to public health with its contagious human-to-human transmission. Various presentations of MPXV infection have been reported ranging from generalised symptoms such as fever, chills, body aches, and swollen lymph nodes to dermatological presentations. Neurological manifestations that have been reported include headaches, myalgia, seizures, and even mood disturbances. Postinfectious complications such as encephalitis, vision problems, and skin infections have also been noticed. Guillain–Barre Syndrome (GBS) is an acquired acute inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathy characterized by progressive, symmetrical, proximal, and distal tingling and weakness. Although various microorganisms are known to cause GBS and have been linked to the smallpox vaccine, they are rarely linked to MPXV disease. In this report, we describe a case of a confirmed monkeypox infection in a patient presenting with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing usage of wireless technology has prompted the development of a new generation antenna compatible with the latest devices, with on-body antennas (wearable antennas) being one of the revolutionary applications. This modern design is relevant in technologies that require close human body contact, such as telemedicine and identification systems, due to its superior performance compared to normal antennas. Some of its finer characteristics include flexibility, reflection coefficient, bandwidth, directivity, gain, radiation, specific absorption rate (SAR), and efficiency that are anticipated to be influenced by the coupling and absorption by the human body tissues. Furthermore, improvements like band-gap structure and artificial magnetic conductors (AMC) and (DGS) are included in the wearable antenna that offers a high degree of isolation from the human body and significantly reduces SAR. In this paper, the development of on-body antennas and how they are affected by the human body were reviewed. Additionally, parameters that affect the performance of this new antenna model, such as materials and common technologies, are included as an auxiliary study for researchers to determine the factors affecting the performance of the wearable antenna and the access to a highly efficient antenna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food production and waste recycling are the two major issues faced globally with rapidly increasing population. Recycling organic wastes to crop amendments could be a possible solution to these issues. Earthworms transfer organic waste to compost, which is used to grow crops and increase crop productivity. This study assessed the impact of vermicompost produced from the residues of six desert plant species, i.e., (Ziziphus mauritiana, Aerva javanica, Calligonum comosum, Sacchrum benghalens, Calligonum polygonoides and Prosopis cineraria) combined with farmyard manure (5 t ha-1) on growth, yield and photosynthetic activity of maize crop. Earthworm species Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826) was used to prepare vermicomposting of all tested plant species. The desert species were collected from natural habitats, chopped, dried, mixed with FYM and then earthworms were released to prepare the vermicompost. The earthworms were excluded twenty days after release and resultant was considered as compost and used in the experiment. Results revealed that application of P. cineraria vermicompost resulted in the highest plant height (75.33 cm), stem diameter (22.66 mm), cob length (17.66 cm), number of grains/cob (374.67), 1000-grain weight (260.41 g) and grains yield (3.20 t/ha). Application of P. cineraria vermicompost resulted in the highest uptake of macronutrients, i.e., N (91.01%), P (22.07%), K (80.41%), micronutrients, i.e., Fe (19.07 ppm), Zn (40.05 ppm), and phenolic contents (150). Application of P. cineraria vermicompost also resulted in the highest quantum photosynthetic yield (0.42 mole C/mole of photon), chlorophyll florescence (355.18 moles of photon m-2s-1) and electron transport rate (310.18 micro mole m-2s-1). It is concluded that vermicomposting has the potential to improve growth and yield of maize crop. Particularly, application of vermicompost obtained from P. cineraria can be used to improve the growth and yield of maize crop. Nonetheless, field trials are necessary for a wide scale recommendation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this investigational cross-sectional study, we explored the relationships among caregiver burden, depressive symptoms, spirituality, and quality of life (QOL) in 58 parental caregivers of adolescents with spina bifida (SB). A hierarchical linear regression analysis provided evidence that depressive symptoms and caregiver burden were negatively related to QOL scores, but spirituality was positively related. We found a significant interaction between caregiver burden and spirituality, suggesting that spirituality moderates the relationship between caregiver burden and quality of life. The negative effect of caregiver burden on QOL decreased as spirituality increased. These results warrant further research into how caregiver burden and spirituality intersect and impact QOL in parental caregivers of adolescents with SB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphedema of the external genitalia is a rare condition characterized by swelling of the scrotal skin and subcutaneous tissue, resulting from a pathology in lymphatic drainage. Over time, the development of fibrosis leads to a considerable impairment in the patient's quality of life. While conservative management is generally the first-line approach, surgical cases may necessitate surgical intervention to achieve comprehensive and lasting improvements. We present the case of a 43-year-old obese male patient who presented to the clinic with a complaint of persistent bilateral scrotal swelling for three months. Clinical examination revealed a pressure-indolent, soft, and massively enlarged swelling of the scrotum on both sides. Ultrasound findings confirmed a diffusely thickened edematous scrotal wall. The patient was advised to start physiotherapy and adhere to conservative management. Due to the debilitating size of the mass, the patient opted for excision of the scrotal swelling followed by scrotoplasty. This case report explores the presentation, signs and symptoms, impact on patients' lives, and various management options for scrotal lymphedema. It underscores the intricacies involved in the diagnosis and treatment decision-making process, emphasizing the need for a tailored and multidisciplinary approach. It is imperative to initially rule out life-threatening causes of scrotal lymphedema to ensure optimal patient care. The integration of surgical interventions should be carefully considered in the overall management strategy for optimal and comprehensive results. Scrotoplasty, in the context of scrotal lymphedema, not only improves the quality of life but also positively influences sexual function. Interpersonal and communication skills, Medical knowledge, Patient care, Practice-based learning and improvement. • There are limited cases reported on the presence of isolated scrotal lymphedema. • The most common etiologies for scrotal lymphedema include idiopathic, localized lymphedema secondary to morbid obesity, lymphatic filariasis, and genital hidradenitis. • Conservative management encompasses lymphatic massage, while surgical management involves excision with scrotoplasty and reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare self-perceived oral symptoms and clinical (plaque index [PI], bleeding on probing [BOP], clinical attachment loss [CAL]) and radiographic (marginal bone loss [MBL]) periodontal parameters among naswar (NW) and non-naswar dippers (NNW).Methods: One hundred and forty-two individuals (72 patients consuming naswar and 70 controls) were included. All participants completed a baseline questionnaire that included information regarding demographic characteristics and self-perceived oral symptoms. Clinical periodontal parameters (PI, BOP, PD and CAL) were recorded. MBL was measured on digital panoramic radiographs.Results: Pain in teeth, pain on chewing, bleeding gums and burning sensation in the mouth was significantly worse among NW than NNW (p<0.01). Clinical periodontal parameters and MBL were significantly high in NW than NNW (p<0.001). There was statistically significant influence of daily use and mean duration of naswar consumption on the severity of PI, BOP, PD (4 to 6 and >6 mm) and MBL among NW group.Conclusions: Self-perceived oral symptoms and periodontal parameters were worse among naswar dippers. It is highly recommended that naswar dipping should be considered a potential threat that could have major effects on periodontal tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Basrah Journal of Science / Magallat Al-Barat Li-L-ulum is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Basrah Journal of Science / Magallat Al-Barat Li-L-ulum is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)