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Samia Kazmi,1 Ashar Alam,2 Beena Salman,2 Faiza Saeed,2 Shoukat Memon,2 Javeria Chughtai,2 Shahzad Ahmed,2 Sobia Tariq,2 Salman Imtiaz2 1Department of Internal Medicine, The Indus Hospital and Health Network, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan; 2Department of Nephrology, The Indus Hospital and Health Network, Karachi, Sindh, PakistanCorrespondence: Samia KazmiDepartment of Internal Medicine, The Indus Hospital and Health Network, Plot C-76, Sector 31/5, Opposite Crossing, Darussalam Society Sector 39 Korangi, Karachi, Sindh, PakistanTel +923061608016Email samia.kazmi@tih.org.pkBackground: In an ESRD subset of patients, COVID-19 infection is associated with increased disease burden and higher mortality rates.Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-center cohort study in which 43 ESRD patients had a diagnosis of COVID-19. Association of risk factors with mortality was assessed by chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Data were collected on a structured performa which included variables like age, gender, comorbid conditions, drug history, clinical presentation, hemodynamic status and laboratory parameters. Outcome variables were recovery and death. All patients received standard treatment for COVID-19 according to hospital protocols, along with hemodialysis and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) when needed.Results: Those most affected were found to be male, 25 (58.1%), while the number of females affected was 18 (41.9%). The most frequent comorbid condition was hypertension (HTN), seen in 35 (81.4%) patients; however, thromboembolic complications were very few in these patients. The mortality rate in our study was 25.6%, and the population most susceptible to poor outcomes in the ESRD subgroup was elderly people (45.5%), while younger patients recovered the most from COVID-19 (53.1%). Hypoalbuminemia, leukocytosis, lymphopenia and raised LDH were also found to be associated with death in ESRD patients suffering from COVID-19 (81.8, 72.7, 100 and 100%, respectively). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, we found that the odds ratio of dying from COVID-19 was 19.5 times higher in patients aged > 65 years as compared to patients aged 18– 50 years (p=0.039). Similarly, patients with a high TLC were 24.1 times more likely to die than patients with a normal TLC (p=0.008).Conclusion: In our center, the mortality rate of ESRD patients affected with COVID-19 disease was 25.6%, and older age, leukocytosis, lymphopenia, hypoalbuminemia and high LDH were significantly associated with mortality.Keywords: ESRD, COVID-19, hemodialysis, Pakistan, CKD, CRRT

This article, titled "AIG-AGREE Modification: Redefining Adverse Event Assessment in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy with Economic Perspectives," discusses the use of the AGREE scale for classifying adverse events in gastrointestinal endoscopy. The study, conducted at the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology in India, aimed to integrate the economic impact of complications on patients within the AGREE classification. A total of 42,471 endoscopic procedures were performed, and 218 adverse events were identified. The modified AGREE classification, known as AIG-AGREE, introduced a unique approach by incorporating a suffix denoting the financial burden on the patient. The study concludes that the AIG-AGREE modification is a pioneering effort that emphasizes the importance of considering economic factors in evaluating adverse events in gastrointestinal endoscopy. Further research is needed to explore the applicability of this modification in diverse healthcare settings and populations. [Extracted from the article]

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Drought is a grave concern due to changing climate phenomenon which drastically affects wheat production throughout the world. Screening drought tolerant varieties of wheat are important for ameliorating productivity of water scarce areas. An experiment was conducted at physiology division Nuclear Institute of Agriculture Tandojam (Latitude: 25.433 Longitude: 68.533) Sindh, Pakistan during 2016-2017. Treatment included a factorial combination using a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Six wheat cultivars (cv. cultivars IBWSN-1010, IBWSN-1025, TD-1, ESW-9525, Khirman and Chakwal-86) were investigated for their response at seedling stage under different water stress treatments (T-1 0, T-2 -0.5, T-3 -0.75 and T-4 -1.0 MPa) in controlled conditions. The results of experiments with reference to cultivars revealed that cultivar Khirman & IBWSN-1010 showed maximum shoot length (17.33 and 16.68 cm), while the cultivar Khirman and TD-1showed maximum root length (10.02 and 8.67 cm), shoot fresh weight (34.46 g 10-1shoots), root fresh wt. (71.76 g 10-1shoots), shoot dry wt. (13.55 g 10-1shoots), root dry wt. (13.62 g 10-1roots),while the cultivar IBWSN-1010 observed more chlorophyll contents (0.27 mg g1 fresh wt) and ionic contents (K+ and Ca2+, and K+/Ca2+ratio)(1.05, 1.03 and 0.93 %). Among all the wheat cultivars tested Khirman and IBWSN-1010 are tolerant cultivar sand have the potential to perform better under drought conditions, whereas IBWSN-1025 and Chakwal-86 were moderately tolerant under water stress conditions. Moreover, the cultivars i.e. TD-1 and ESW-9525 are the sensitive cultivars under drought environment. It may be concluded from present in-vitro studies that osmotic stress significantly reduced the shoot/root length fresh and dry weight in all six wheat cultivars. The maximum reduction (P≤0.05) was found at higher osmotic stress induced by PEG-6000 (-1.0 MPa). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scrapie is basically a kind of disease that originally was specific to European countries, but from England it spread all over the world to Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries. Scrapie is a prion disease which is fatal and results in or can be characterized by the degeneration of the nervous system. It belongs to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) infecting small ruminants including sheep and goat. Sheep susceptibility or resistance to classical scrapie is highly supervised by the polymorphisms at codons 136, 154 and 171 of the PRNP. In this review, we found that countries like Romania, Finland, Italy, Slovakia, Germany, Greece, Spain, Poland, Turkey, Iran, Brazil, England, Portugal, Hungary, Austria, and Czech Republic, are susceptible to scrapie, while in Pakistan, China, Algeria, West Africa, America, Burkina Faso, and Niger are those countries where sheep are not susceptible to this disease. From these studies, we can clearly conclude that China and Pakistan are the countries where sheep show more resistance to scrapie. We focused to summarize the PRNP polymorphism at 136, 154, and 171 in sheep and some important findings in major parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banana is mostly propagated by conventional method of sucker which is very slow process. Moreover, in vegetative propagation, the plants once infected by pathogen can shift it to many generations and the whole plant population may be infected within few years. In vitro propagation of banana is the best alternative approach that leads to a rapid process of propagation and also the production of disease-free plants. Therefore, the present study was conducted at Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory and Plant Sciences Laboratory, Science Complex, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, Pakistan during the year 2017. In seven different treatments, Murashige and Skoog basal media was supplemented with different concentrations of BAP and IAA. During this study, the experiments were performed using completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Least significant difference (LSD) test was applied to assess the significant differences among means. The results reveal that the highest number of shoots (366.6) was produced after 6th subculture. During this study, the highest proliferation rate (92.22%) was recorded in T6; MS salts supplemented with BAP (2.0 mg/l) and IAA (0.5 mg/l). The minimum number of days (6) for bud initiation was recorded in T6. Similarly, the highest average fresh weight (14.88 g) was recorded in T6. The highest number of main roots (9.25 ± 2.08) were recorded in MS basal media supplemented with IAA (2.0 mg/l) and BAP (0.5 mg/l). It was followed by MS basal media fortified with IAA (3.0 mg/l) and BAP (1.0 mg/l) that gave 7.81 ± 1.03 number of shoots. The survival rate (92%) was recorded in acclimatization when the plantlets were transferred in plastic pots having peat moss under controlled condition. This optimized protocol would be helpful for mass scale production of high yielding and disease-free banana plants in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated the effect of honey administration in pre- and post-hatch sessions on the immunity and intestinal microflora of growing broilers. The pre-hatch experiment was conducted on fertile eggs (n = 160) that were inoculated either with 0.5 ml 20% diluted honey (+pre-hatch) or with the same quantity of normal saline (-pre-hatch) on day 15 of incubation. After hatching, the chicks from each group were divided into two groups: control (-post-hatch) and the other receiving 1% honey (+post-hatch) in drinking water up to day 21. The experimental groups: C = -pre-hatch/- post-hatch, T1 = -pre-hatch/+post-hatch, T2 = +pre-hatch/-post-hatch and T3 = +pre-hatch/+post-hatch, were evaluated for performance parameters, antibody titer against Newcastle disease virus (NDV), relative weight of lymphoid organs and counts of gut microflora. It was shown that the pre-hatch honey administration significantly (P < 0.05) improved feed intake, final body weight, relative weight of spleen and anti-NDV antibody titer. Post-hatch honey supplementation significantly (P < 0.05) increased feed intake, FCR, final body weight, anti-NDV titer, relative weight of spleen and Lactobacilli count, while decreased (P < 0.05) the counts of Escherichia coli and Salmonella on day 21. The interaction of both the pre- and post-hatch honey administrations also significantly affected (P < 0.05) performance and immunity parameters, as well as the intestinal microflora. So, in ovo and post-hatch administration of honey had positive impacts on performance, immune organ indices, gut microbiota and anti-NDV titer in growing broiler chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeders are aware of the phenomenon that in a hybridization programmes, certain crosses pass-on more favorable genes towards the progenies than others. Thus, identification of potential parents and hybrids remained main concern to cotton breeders for improving various yield and fibre traits in cotton breeding programmes. The present studies were carried-out to estimate the general and specific combining ability estimates and heterotic effects for different characters from line x tester crosses developed from six lines viz., Sindh-1, Sadori, CRIS-134, Chandi-95, Haridost and IR-1524 crossed with three testers i.e. NIA-ufaq, Sohni and Shahbaz. The experiment was laid-out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications during 2016. The degrees of freedom for hybrids were split into lines, testers and line x tester interaction. The mean squares owing to lines and testers were significant for majority of the traits, however the general combining ability of lines for 1st sympodial node number while general combining ability of testers only boll weight was non-significant. Similarly, the mean square for line x tester interaction which designate specific combining ability were also significant for all traits except staple length, G.O.T. % and seed index. Among the lines, Chandi-95, IR-1524 and from testers Shahbaz expressed higher GCA effects especially for seed cotton yield, thus, proved as good general combiners and suitable parents for hybridization and selection of desirable plants from segregating populations. For SCA effects, F1 hybrids like Sadori x Shahbaz, Haridost x NIA-ufaq and Sindh-1 x Shahbaz demonstrated as best specific combiners, therefore’ these proved promising hybrids. The high heterotic effects were expressed by the hybrids Sadori x Shahbaz for bolls per plant, boll weight and seed cotton yield plant-1 and IR-1524 x NIA-ufaq for staple length thus, these hybrids with dominant and over dominant genes could be potential hybrids for the exploitation of heterosis breeding in cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The human papillomavirus (hpv) is a common sexually transmitted infection and a primary cause of cervical cancer. The Government of Canada has set a target of reaching 90% hpv vaccine coverage among adolescents by 2025. Here, we examine hpv vaccine uptake in school-based immunization programs across Canada and explore how achieving the 90% target could affect the future incidence of cervical cancer, mortality, and health system expenditures in a cohort of Canadian women. Methods Data for hpv vaccine uptake in the most recent reported school year available in each jurisdiction were provided in 2017 by jurisdictional school-based immunization programs and were used to estimate a national weighted average of 67%. The OncoSim microsimulation model (version 2.5) was used to compare 3 different levels of hpv vaccine uptake (0%, 67%, 90%) on health and economic outcomes for a hypothetical cohort of all 5- to 10-yearold girls in Canada in 2015. Results Vaccine uptake for girls in school-based programs varied from 55.0% to 92.0% in the jurisdictions reviewed. The OncoSim model projects that increasing uptake to 90% from 67% would result in a 23% reduction in cervical cancer incidence rates (to 3.1 cases from 4.0 cases per 100,000, averaged across the lifetime of the cohort) and a 23% decline in the average annual mortality rate (to 1.0 deaths from 1.3 deaths per 100,000). Finally, the model projects that the health system will incur a cost of $9 million (1% increase) during the lifetime of the cohort if uptake is increased to 90% from 67%. Costs are discounted (1.5%) and expressed in 2016 Canadian dollars. Costs reflect the payer perspective. Conclusions Our model shows that increasing hpv vaccine uptake to 90% from current levels for girls in schoolbased immunization programs could result in substantial reductions in the future incidence and mortality rates for cervical cancer in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study deals with the quality evaluation of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) waste and its extracted oil for their possible utilizations. Amount of moisture, ash, protein, fiber and carbohydrate was found to be 12.46%, 4.38%, 18.34%, 13.78% and 35.44%, respectively. Average oil content in pomegranate waste material was determined to be 15.60%. The extracted oil was analyzed for free fatty acid (FFA), saponification value (SV), iodine value (IV) and peroxide value (PV). GC-MS characterization of fatty acid profile revealed the dominant fatty acid in pomegranate waste oil was punicic acid (84.68%) followed by oleic acid (3.85%), stearic acid (3.57%), palmitic acid (2.88%), linoleic acid (2.67%), arachidic acid (1.22%), and catalpic acid (1.13%). Proximate composition of pomegranate waste material has indicated that it may be used in the manufacturing of poultry and animal feeds. While, physiochemical properties of extracted oil from pomegranate waste revealed that it has great potential to be used as nutraceutical in food industries due to presence of considerable amount of biologically important punicic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer was created in 2007 by the federal government to accelerate cancer control across Canada. Its OncoSim microsimulation model platform, which consists of a suite of specific cancer models, was conceived as a tool to augment conventional resources for population-level policy- and decision-making. The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer manages the OncoSim program, with funding from Health Canada and model development by Statistics Canada. Microsimulation modelling allows for the detailed capture of population heterogeneity and health and demographic history over time. Extensive data from multiple Canadian sources were used as inputs or to validate the model. OncoSim has been validated through expert consultation; assessments of face validity, internal validity, and external validity; and model fit against observed data. The platform comprises three in-depth cancer models (lung, colorectal, cervical), with another in-depth model (breast) and a generalized model (25 cancers) being in development. Unique among models of its class, OncoSim is available online for public sector use free of charge. Users can customize input values and output display, and extensive user support is provided. OncoSim has been used to support decision-making at the national and jurisdictional levels. Although simulation studies are generally not included in hierarchies of evidence, they are integral to informing cancer control policy when clinical studies are not feasible. OncoSim can evaluate complex intervention scenarios for multiple cancers. Canadian decision-makers thus have a powerful tool to assess the costs, benefits, cost-effectiveness, and budgetary effects of cancer control interventions when faced with difficult choices for improvements in population health and resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten wheat varieties, Benazir, Hamal Fakir, TD-I, NIA Sunder, TJ-83, Marvi-2000, NIA Amber, Sarsabz, Kiran-95, and Imdad-05, sown in split-plot design (SPD) with three replications, underwent wellwatered and water-stress influences at the time of anthesis, at the Botanical Garden, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, during 2022-2023. The observed traits included days to 1st booting, days to 90% heading, days to 90% maturity, peduncle length (cm), plant height (cm), tillers plant-1, spike length (cm), spikelets spike-1, grains spike-1, seed index (1000-grain weight, g), grain yield plant-1 (g), biological yield plant-1 (g), and harvest index (%). Based on drought tolerance indices, the result demonstrated that genotypes, treatments, and genotypes ×treatments significantly affected yield and its contributing traits. The genotypes, such as Imdad-05, NIA Amber, and TD-1, considerably exhibited drought tolerance, whereas Marvi-2000 and Kiran-95 were susceptible. The grain yield expressed positive and significant association toward other traits, such as days to 1st booting, days to 90% heading, days to 90% maturity, peduncle length, plant height, tillers plant-1, spike length, spikelets spike-1, grains spike-1, seed index grain weight, grain yield plant-1, biological yield plant-1, and harvest index. Seven indices calculated grain yield in Yp and Ys appeared significantly and positively associated with the first three components mentioned at about 95.76% of the total variability and directly connected with the STI, GMP, TOL, and MP, namely, Imdad-05, NIA Sunder, and TD-1 considered as highly drought-tolerant; Marvi-2000 and Benazir, as moderately tolerant, and NIA Amber and Kiran-95 were the susceptible ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening has been shown to reduce mortality from lung cancer; however, the optimal screening duration and "at risk" population are not known. Methods The Cancer Risk Management Model developed by Statistics Canada for the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer includes a lung screening module based on data from the U.S. National Lung Screening Trial (NLST). The base-case scenario reproduces NLST outcomes with high fidelity. The impact in Canada of annual screening on the number of incident cases and life-years gained, with a wider range of age and smoking history eligibility criteria and varied participation rates, was modelled to show the magnitude of clinical benefit nationally and by province. Life-years gained, costs (discounted and undiscounted), and resource requirements were also estimated. Results In 2014, 1.4 million Canadians were eligible for screening according to NLST criteria. Over 10 years, screening would detect 12,500 more lung cancers than the expected 268,300 and would gain 9200 life-years. The computed tomography imaging requirement of 24,000-30,000 at program initiation would rise to between 87,000 and 113,000 by the 5th year of an annual NLST-like screening program. Costs would increase from approximately $75 million to $128 million at 10 years, and the cumulative cost nationally over 10 years would approach $1 billion, partially offset by a reduction in the costs of managing advanced lung cancer. Conclusions Modelling various ways in which LDCT might be implemented provides decision-makers with estimates of the effect on clinical benefit and on resource needs that clinical trial results are unable to provide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-renewable energy sources have remained the choice of the world for centuries. Rapid growth in population and industrialisation have caused their shortage and environmental degradation by using them. Thus, at the present rate of consumption, they will not last very long. In this prospective, this study has been conducted. The estimation of energy in terms of biogas and heat from various organic fractions of municipal solid waste is presented and discussed. The results show that organic fractions of municipal solid waste possess methane potential in the range of 3%–22% and their heat capacity ranges from 3007 to 20,099 kJ kg−1. Also, theoretical biogas potential of different individual fruit as well as vegetable components and mixed food waste are analysed and estimated in the range of 608–1244 m3 t−1. Further, the share of bioenergy from municipal solid waste in the total primary energy supply in Pakistan has been estimated to be 1.82%. About 8.43% of present energy demand of the country could be met from municipal solid waste. The study leads us to the conclusion that the share of imported energy (i.e. 0.1% of total energy supply) and reduction in the amount of energy from fossil fuels can be achieved by adopting a waste-to-energy system in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In Canada, discussion about changing from cytology to human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing for primary screening in cervical cancer is ongoing. However, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care has not yet made a recommendation, concluding that the evidence is insufficient. Methods We used the cervical cancer and HPV transmission models of the Cancer Risk Management Model to study the health and economic outcomes of primary cytology compared with HPV DNA testing in 14 screening scenarios with varying screening modalities and intervals. Projected cervical cancer cases, deaths, colposcopies, screens, costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness were evaluated. We performed sensitivity analyses for HPV DNA test costs. Results Compared with triennial cytology from age 25, 5-yearly HPV DNA screening alone from age 30 resulted in equivalent incident cases and deaths, but 55% (82,000) fewer colposcopies and 43% (1,195,000) fewer screens. At HPV DNA screening intervals of 3 years, whether alone or in an age-based sequence with cytology, screening costs are greater, but at intervals of more than 5 years, they are lower. Scenarios on the cost-effectiveness frontier were HPV DNA testing alone every 10, 7.5, 5, or 3 years, and triennial cytology starting at age 21 or 25 when combined with HPV DNA testing every 3 years. Conclusions Changing from cytology to HPV DNA testing as the primary screening test for cervical cancer would be an acceptable strategy in Canada with respect to incidence, mortality, screening and diagnostic test volumes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study is to examine the role of meteorological variables as an important aspect of climate change and their role in determining environmental changes such as drought for nine Chinese weather stations over the period 1980-2010. We use Statistix 8.1 software and Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) together with a large dataset of five major meteorological variables: temperature, humidity, wind velocity, solar radiation and precipitation to determine positive or negative trends in our dataset. Our main findings are as follows. First, we find that Anyang and Changzhi stations of China have remained under high wind velocity. Second, Xingtai station has high solar radiation, wind velocity and also there is evidence of drought. Third, we find highest coefficient of variation for humidity (23.3%) for Yushe station. Overall, there is an increasing trend in temperature, solar radiation, humidity and wind velocity and decreasing trend in precipitation from 1980 to 2010. We conclude that all these factors contributed to shortage of rainfall and resulted in drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eupeodes corollae Fabricius and Eupeodes latifasciatus Macquart are the members of aphidophagus genus Eupeodes Osten Sacken belongs to order Diptera. These species of hoverflies economically very important, adults are very good pollinators and their larvae are predators, which feed on the aphids, which cause serious damage to our cash crops and vegetables. In present study, two species of hoverflies are recorded from Quetta Balochistan, Pakistan. These species are redescribed on the basis of the morphological characters, male and female external and internal genitalia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two species of genus Danaus Kluk (1802), Danaus chiysippus Linnaeus (1758) and Demons genutia Cramer (1779), commonly called monarchs, queens and milkweed butterflies are re-described. This re-description is based on coloration of wings, structure of mouthparts, maxillary palpi and internal male and female genitalia. The occurrence of these species of butterflies is new record from Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]