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This article investigates the rapid expansion of private schooling in the Northern Areas of Pakistan during the period 1993-2003. Our observations are mainly based on a survey of about 40% of the total number of private schools in the Northern Areas in which we attested trends that are characteristic of many private schools elsewhere, both nationally and internationally. For instance, most of the parents are by no means wealthy, most think that private schools provide better quality than government schools, English-medium instruction is a key requirement, and all have pragmatic expectations of the benefits for their children both from private schooling and from English-medium education.

The re-emergence of virulent strains of the Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV) leads to significant economic losses of poultry industry in Pakistan during last few years. This disease causes the infection of bursa, which leads to major immune losses. A total number of 30 samples from five IBD outbreaks during the period of 2019-20 were collected from different areas of Faisalabad district, Pakistan and assayed by targeting the IBD virus VP2 region through RT-PCR. Among all the outbreaks, almost 80% of poultry birds were found positive for the IBDV. The bursa tissues were collected from the infected birds and histopathological examination of samples revealed severe lymphocytic depletion, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and necrosis of the bursa of Fabricius (BF). Positive samples were subjected to re-isolation and molecular characterization of IBDV. The Pakistan IBDV genes were subjected to DNA sequencing to determine the virus nucleotide sequences. The sequences of 100 Serotype-I IBDVs showing nearest homology were compared and identified with the study sequence. The construction of the phylogenetic tree for nucleotide sequences was accomplished by the neighbor-joining method in MEGA-6 with reference strains. The VP2 segment reassortment of IBDVs carrying segment A were identified as one important type of circulating strains in Pakistan. The findings indicated the molecular features of the Pakistan IBDV strains playing a role in the evolution of new strains of the virus, which will contribute to the vaccine selection and effective prevention of the disease., Competing Interests: No authors have competing interests.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-related disorder involving multiple organ systems and characterised by an increase in hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation. The study aimed to determine the role of coagulation factors and ferritin in relation to PE susceptibility in Pakistani women. Blood samples of 100 normotensive and 100 preeclamptic women, including 73 with mild PE and 27 with severe PE were taken for the study to evaluate activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), prothrombin time (PT), international normalising ratio (INR), fibrinogen levels, platelet count (PLT) and ferritin levels. Prolonged aPTT, PT and INR were recorded in both PE groups with a decrease in platelets and fibrinogen levels, compared to the control groups. Ferritin levels were not significantly (p=0.23) different in any of the groups. In conclusion, coagulopathic disorder should be clinically suspected and the coagulating factors in PE patients should be examined for early detection, effective antenatal care and for the proper management of this disorder to decrease maternofoetal mortality, morbidity and perinatal mortality.

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-related hypertensive disorder, which may stem from impair placentation. Renin-angiotensin system is one of the mediators of decidualization and trophoblastic proliferation. In the present study women with PE were studied in a comparison of normotensive controls to determine whether Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene I/D polymorphism affect the placental villi and umbilical cord formation with the assessment of biochemical and clinical risk factors., Methods: Total 400 blood (PE/controls = 200), 400 urine (PE/controls = 200), 90 tissue samples of UC (PE = 50, controls = 40) and 90 placental tissue samples (PE = 50, controls = 40) were recruited. Histomorphological and Histomorphometric analysis were done for placental and umbilical cord tissues. Blood and serum parameters were analyzed, samples were genotyped for I/D polymorphism. Data were statistically analyzed by Independent sample t-test, Chi-square test and the odds ratio., Results: Histological study revealed significant increase (p < 0.001) in distance from Wharton jelly (in both artery and vein) and outer layer thickness of vein; significant reduction (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05) in the lumen area of artery and vein. Abnormal villi, more syncytial knots (SK) and a significant decrease in elongated and large villi in PE placentas. Analysis of ACE gene determined that genotypic frequencies were statistically significant (p < 0.02) among both groups and DD genotype was predominant in the PE group., Conclusion: Present study reveals that ACE I/D polymorphism might affect the normal placental villi and umbilical cord formation in women with PE. In addition, histological studies and genetic evaluation can provide useful information in the determination of various reasons and mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of PE in Pakistan., (© 2019 The Authors. Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: To determine the association of essential hypertension with pregnancy-induced hypertension in women., Methods: The case-control study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from January 2012 to March 2013, and comprised on hypertensive female patients who visited the outpatient medicine clinics. The patients were aged 18-65 years and had been pregnant atleast once. Cases were women diagnosed as hypertensive or pre-hypertensive and the controls were normotensive women. The primary outcome was essential hypertension and the main exposure was pregnancy-induced hypertension., Results: Of the 258 subjects, 175(49.7%) were cases and 177(50.3%) were controls. The overall mean age was 44.6±13.3 years. Odds Ratio (95% Confidence interval) for pregnancy-induced hypertension for the outcome of essential hypertension was 1.6 (0.88, 3.0). The odds ratio increased further to 2.5(1.2, 5.2) after adjustment for age, family history of hypertension and physical activity. The association remained after further adjusting for body mass index in the final model; 2.20 (1.06, 4.57)., Conclusions: Women who develop hypertension in pregnancy are at higher risk of developing essential hypertension later in life.

Achromatopsia (ACHM) is an early-onset retinal dystrophy characterized by photophobia, nystagmus, color blindness and severely reduced visual acuity. Currently mutations in five genes CNGA3, CNGB3, GNAT2, PDE6C and PDE6H have been implicated in ACHM. We performed homozygosity mapping and linkage analysis in a consanguineous Pakistani ACHM family and mapped the locus to a 15.12-Mb region on chromosome 1q23.1-q24.3 with a maximum LOD score of 3.6. A DNA sample from an affected family member underwent exome sequencing. Within the ATF6 gene, a single-base insertion variant c.355&#95;356dupG (p.Glu119Glyfs*8) was identified, which completely segregates with the ACHM phenotype within the family. The frameshift variant was absent in public variant databases, in 130 exomes from unrelated Pakistani individuals, and in 235 ethnically matched controls. The variant is predicted to result in a truncated protein that lacks the DNA binding and transmembrane domains and therefore affects the function of ATF6 as a transcription factor that initiates the unfolded protein response during endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Immunolabeling with anti-ATF6 antibodies showed localization throughout the mouse neuronal retina, including retinal pigment epithelium, photoreceptor cells, inner nuclear layer, inner and outer plexiform layers, with a more prominent signal in retinal ganglion cells. In contrast to cytoplasmic expression of wild-type protein, in heterologous cells ATF6 protein with the p.Glu119Glyfs*8 variant is mainly confined to the nucleus. Our results imply that response to ER stress as mediated by the ATF6 pathway is essential for color vision in humans.

Inherited retinal dystrophies are phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous. This extensive heterogeneity poses a challenge when performing molecular diagnosis of patients, especially in developing countries. In this study, we applied homozygosity mapping as a tool to reduce the complexity given by genetic heterogeneity and identify disease-causing variants in consanguineous Pakistani pedigrees. DNA samples from eight families with autosomal recessive retinal dystrophies were subjected to genome wide homozygosity mapping (seven by SNP arrays and one by STR markers) and genes comprised within the detected homozygous regions were analyzed by Sanger sequencing. All families displayed consistent autozygous genomic regions. Sequence analysis of candidate genes identified four previously-reported mutations in CNGB3, CNGA3, RHO, and PDE6A, as well as three novel mutations: c.2656C > T (p.L886F) in RPGRIP1, c.991G > C (p.G331R) in CNGA3, and c.413-1G > A (IVS6-1G > A) in CNGB1. This latter mutation impacted pre-mRNA splicing of CNGB1 by creating a -1 frameshift leading to a premature termination codon. In addition to better delineating the genetic landscape of inherited retinal dystrophies in Pakistan, our data confirm that combining homozygosity mapping and candidate gene sequencing is a powerful approach for mutation identification in populations where consanguineous unions are common.

Purpose: To investigate the molecular basis of retinitis pigmentosa in two consanguineous families of Pakistani origin with multiple affected members., Methods: Homozygosity mapping and Sanger sequencing of candidate genes were performed in one family while the other was analyzed with whole exome next-generation sequencing. A minigene splicing assay was used to confirm the splicing defects., Results: In family MA48, a novel homozygous nucleotide substitution in C8orf37, c.244-2A>C, that disrupted the consensus splice acceptor site of exon 3 was found. The minigene splicing assay revealed that this mutation activated a cryptic splice site within exon 3, causing a 22 bp deletion in the transcript that is predicted to lead to a frameshift followed by premature protein truncation. In family MA13, a novel homozygous null mutation in C8orf37, c.555G>A, p.W185*, was identified. Both mutations segregated with the disease phenotype as expected in a recessive manner and were absent in 8,244 unrelated individuals of South Asian origin., Conclusions: In this report, we describe C8orf37 mutations that cause retinal dystrophy in two families of Pakistani origin, contributing further data on the phenotype and the spectrum of mutations in this form of retinitis pigmentosa.

Objective: To describe the ocular manifestations of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/Toxic Epidermal Necrosis among inpatients at a tertiary care hospital., Methods: The retrospective observational descriptive study was carried out at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised data on age, gender, aetiology and ocular findings related to patients diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/Toxic Epidermal Necrosis between January 2000 and December 2011. SPSS 19 was used for statistical analysis., Results: There were 87 patients; 48(55.2%) of them being males.The overall mean age was 33.2±22.2 years, ranging from 1 month to 84 years. The most common aetiology was idiopathic 20(23%) followed by non-steroidal inflammatory drugs and anti-epileptics 11(12.6%) each. Besides, 84(96.6%) patients had oral mucosal involvement whereas 45(51.7%) had ocular and 27(31.0%) had genital-mucosal involvement. Glassroding was performed in 16(18.4%) patients due to minor conjunctival adhesions., Conclusion: Ocular manifestations of varying severity were frequent, with drugs being the most common aetiology.

Introduction: Lung abscess is a commonly encountered entity in South-East Asia but not much data regarding its outcome is available. The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with increased mortality in patients diagnosed with lung abscess in a tertiary care center of Karachi, Pakistan., Methods: A retrospective case analysis was performed via hospital records, on patients admitted with lung abscess between January 2009 and January 2011 at the largest state-owned tertiary care centre in Karachi, Pakistan. Out of the 41 patients hospitalized, 17 could not survive and were evaluated for clinical, radiological and microbiological factors to determine association with heightened mortality., Results: Mortality due to lung abscess stood at 41.4% (17 of 41 cases). Adult male patients were found to have higher mortality with 13 out of 17 (43%) dead patients being male. A majority (21/41, 51.2%) of the cases belonged to the 41-60 year old age group. Highest mortality was seen in patients<20 years of age (3/4, 75%). Patients with blood sugar levels of >200 mg/dL (56%) succumb to disease. Patients with a positive history of smoking, diabetes mellitus, and alcohol intake expressed mortality rates of 44%, 56%, and 50% respectively; while 29.4% of the mortalities were positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa on sputum culture. A significant association was found with elevated mortality and low haemoglobin levels at time of admission; mortality was 58% (p=0.005) in patients with Hb less than or equal to 10 mg/dL., Conclusions: The risk factors involved with heightened mortality included male gender and history of smoking, diabetes and alcohol intake. High blood sugar levels and detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on sputum cultures were also implicated. Anemia (Hb level less than or equal to 10 mg/dl) was statistically significant predictive factor for increased mortality.

Background: Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene polymorphism has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major public health concern worldwide, including in Pakistan. Cardiovascular problems linked with T2DM have a significant impact on individuals and society. The goal of this study is to investigate the relationship between Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotypes, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular complications such as ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke. Methods: This study was carried out on 260 subjects divided into controls and diabetics. The diabetics were further divided into four subgroups such as D1: diabetics without cardiovascular issues, D2: diabetics with heart disease, D3: diabetics with stroke, and D4: diabetics with both heart disease and stroke. Anthropometric parameters (age, BMI) and risk factors (smoking, diabetes duration, hypertension) were assessed in all groups. Serum levels of TC, TG, LDL, HDL, VLDL, creatinine, BSF, and HbA1c were also measured. Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism was determined using PCR-RFLP. Results: Hypertension, BMI, and dyslipidemia are defined as elevated levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and VLDL, and decreased levels of HDL. Uncontrolled hyperglycemia (elevated fasting blood sugar and glycated hemoglobin) in T2DM was linked to vascular complications such as IHD and stroke. Hypertension was prevalent in 79.3% of the population. Stage 2 hypertension was more prevalent in all age groups. It was also noted that common genotypes in the Pakistani population are 3/3, 4/4, 2/3, and 3/4. The frequency of genotypes 3/4 and 2/3 is highest in diabetics with stroke. Genotype 3/3 is present frequently in diabetics with IHD/stroke and patients with both these complications. However, genotype 4/4 is most frequently found in diabetics with IHD. Conclusions: It is concluded that BMI, hypertension, hyperglycemia, atherosclerosis, and dyslipidemia are linked with cardiovascular complications of type 2 diabetes. Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism is associated with cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes by affecting the lipid profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is an emerging challenge that is triggering natural variabilities and disasters globally. In Gilgit–Baltistan (GB) region of Pakistan, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) have been occurring frequently due to glacier surges, increasing the vulnerability of mountain communities, particularly small farmers. This research aims to investigate the climate change-induced GLOFs of the Shishper glacier in Hunza valley of GB with the intent of studying the farming activities; local awareness and perceptions toward climate change; impacts of climate change and GLOFs on agriculture; and adaptation mechanisms based on indigenous knowledge. Mixed-methods research approach was employed for a field survey in two villages inhabited by farmers of the Burusho community. Quantitative data were gathered from a sample of 180 respondents by using a structured questionnaire, whereas field observation coupled with photography and spot interviews were undertaken to accumulate qualitative data. Results revealed that many farmers lost their fertile land, and their crops and fruit orchards were severely damaged as a result of the devastating effects of climate change and recent GLOFs in 2019 and 2020, resulting in low crop yield and agricultural income. Local communities typically respond to GLOFs through self-help strategies and indigenous methods to sustain their livelihoods. However, our findings suggest that current adaptation practices are insufficient in light of rising climate risks. Thus, there is an urgent need to assist mountain communities by providing maximum support and interventions to enhance their resilience to future GLOFs and to increase people's adaptive capacity by strengthening their socioeconomic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responsible leadership and employees' creativity are the main objectives of this study. There has been a strong emphasis on leadership styles, but it is rarely discussed from the perspective of responsible leadership. The article also explores how knowledge sharing facilitates and creative input from employees when leaders are responsible. This research is based on social learning and social exchange theories. We analyzed data collected from administrators of public sector universities in Pakistan using SPSS and SMART PLS 4. Validity and reliability of the focal constructs are ensured by the measurement model. A significant effect of responsible leadership on employees' creativity has been found. In addition, the results found that knowledge sharing mediated the relationship between responsible leadership and the creativity of employees. As part of this research, an integrated framework has been developed that will improve understanding of how responsible leadership helps to enable employees' creativity in higher education institutions as responsible leadership is the best leadership style to enhance employees' creativity in HEIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasma gondii is the most prevalent parasite that mostly affects warm-blooded animals, including humans. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), this parasite infects about one-third of the world's population of people. Lack of information regarding toxoplasmosis in the population of domestic and stray dogs and cats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a major factor in the decision to conduct this study. Our aim was to use serological technique to establish the seroprevalence of T. gondii in dogs and cats. In this study, 405 dogs and 405 cats, blood samples were collected from various veterinary hospitals and privates pet clinics and an ELISA test was used to determine anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies. Information on four risk factors age, sex, deworming of dogs and cats and, area was collected from the owners by questionnaire. Total seroprevalence in dogs, and cats was 45.18% (183/405), and 51.60% (209/405), respectively. No significant difference was documented on basis of age and gender between dogs, and cats. Dogs and cats from urban areas showed lower seroprevalence than rural areas. Dogs that had received deworming showed lower seroprevalence. This research indicates that neglected parasite Toxoplasma gondii is prevalent in dogs and cats in Pakistan, which may have great public health importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan, Pakistan has evolved an upland cotton cultivar Cyto-124 through introgression for Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (Begomovirus) resistance. It was developed through crossing [{2(Gossypium hirsutum x Gossypium anomalum) X ³Gossypium hirsutum} x {2(Gossypium arborium x Gossypium anomalum) x ²G. hirsutum]. It was tested for seed cotton yield in varietal trials, and zonal varietal trials at Govt. and farmer fields. Cyto-124 gave 37.1, 19.9 and 22.4% higher yield as compared to three standards MNH-786, CIM-554 and CRSM-38 respectively in varietal trials while Cyto-124 had seedcotton yield of 3075 kgha-1 in-contrast to 2919 kg ha-1 of CIM-573 in zonal trials. Cyto-124 produced more seedcotton yield (SCY) than the standards for two consecutive years (2013 & 2014) in National Coordinated Varietal Trial (NCVT). In NCVT during 2013-14, this strain had a maximum yield of 2244 kg ha-1 compared with 1326 kg ha-1 of standard variety CIM-573 in Punjab. The virus data taken in NCVT indicated that minimum disease incidence (27.9%) was recorded in Cyto-124 making it the more tolerant strain against CLCuV. The approval of this CLCuV resistant cultivar will considerably contribute a lot in the revival of cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the mediating role of corporate social responsibility practices and the nexus between the operational excellence of competitive strategies, and performance, for Islamic banks operating in Pakistan. Particularly, two competitive strategies, namely, the cost-sensitive strategy and the differentiation strategy were considered. This study employed a structured questionnaire to collect the data from 512 respondents (361 from fully-fledged Islamic banks, FFIBs, and 151 from Islamic window banks, IWBs). A partial least square–structural equation modeling approach was employed to test the hierarchal component model. As a robustness check, the Gaussian copula approach was used to address the endogeneity issue, and the Partial least square prediction-oriented segmentation approach was adopted to explore the unobserved heterogeneity. The findings showed evidence of complementary partial mediation between competitive strategies and bank performance, channeled through operational excellence. However, corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices partially mediated the relationship between cost-sensitive strategy and bank performance. This study is worthwhile for managers, policy makers and regulatory authorities concerned with religiously conscious corporations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Infectious Bursal Disease is characterized by destroying the Bursa of Fabricius (Primary lymphoid organ), where B cells mature and differentiate. The virus is very stable and resistant to physical and chemical agents, heat, and ultraviolet radiation. Thus, it persists in poultry houses for several weeks after cleaning and disinfection. The present study was designed to develop the IBD immune complex to evaluate immunoprophylactic potential. Materials and Methods: The infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) was procured from the infected Bursae collected from the disease outbreak areas of the Faisalabad District, and molecular detection was done through RT-PCR. The inactivated IBD virus was injected into the layer birds to raise egg yolk antibodies (IgY). The eggs were collected, and the yolk containing antibodies were processed to separate IgY through the ammonium sulfate precipitation method. The known quantity of antigen and antibodies were mixed to develop the immune complex (Icx) antigen. The immune response of immune complex IBD antigen was determined in rabbits. The comparative immune response of immune complex IBD antigen and IBD commercial vaccine was made in poultry birds, and the comparative mean antibody titers were determined through factorial analysis. Eighty, one day old, semi-specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens were kept in four groups. Chickens were bled weekly to evaluate infectious bursal virus antibody titers by I-ELISA. All the groups were challenged with local IBD virus strain on day 28, and the Bursa to bodyweight ratios was compared after being challenged on day 35. Results: The study revealed that the antibody titers of G-III were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) than those of other groups on days 28, 35, and 42. On day 35, the Bursa to the bodyweight of group-III was significantly lower (P ≤ 0.05) than the challenged control group. Conclusion: The findings showed that the immune complex (Icx) antigen induced a strong and persistent immunogenic response in terms of antibody titer compared to a conventional live vaccine. Icx provoked better protective immunity and protected chickens against the IBD virus challenge and may be considered a substitute for the IBDV vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was not long ago when technological emergence fundamentally changed the landscape of global businesses. Following that, business operations started shifting away from traditional to advance digitalized processes. These digitalized processes gave a further boost to the e-commerce industry, making the online environment more competitive. Despite the growing trend, there has always been a consumer market that is not involved in online shopping, and this gap is huge when it comes to consumers from developing countries, specifically Pakistan. On contrary, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has brought drastic changes to the way consumers used to form their intention and behave toward digitalized solutions in pre COVID-19 times. Evidence shows that the global e-commerce industry has touched phenomenal growth during COVID-19, whereas Pakistan’s e-commerce industry still holds a huge potential and has not fully boomed yet. These facts pave new avenues for marketers to cater to this consumer market for long-term growth. Hence, the study provides insights into how consumers’ online buying behavior has transformed during the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of Pakistan. The study presents a framework based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Furthermore, the moderating role of gender and payment mode has also been examined. For the analysis of variables, the partial least squares (PLS) method was used to conduct structural equation modeling (SEM) by collecting data from 266 respondents. The results show a significant and positive impact of perceived benefits, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, and social influence on consumers’ intention, but they also show an insignificant impact of gender and payment mode as a moderating variable on PEOU-BI and BI-AB, respectively. The results are of utmost significance for Pakistani businesses, marketers, and e-traders to streamline their business practices accordingly. Lastly, the proposed framework demonstrates new directions for future research to work upon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Research on women's leadership has been largely male-centric and has used masculine characteristics to measure and evaluate such roles. This paper aims to unveil women's leadership in Pakistani universities. Using a feminist perspective, we argue that female academics encounter multiple barriers at work. The data for this paper was collected via in-depth interviews with twelve women leaders from public universities in Islamabad, Pakistan to understand their experiences. Our findings show how our research participants struggled in order to navigate their careers. This paper documents organizational factors such as male-dominated networks, stereotypes and personal factors, for instance, time spent on familial roles that may hamper their positions. Clearly, they encountered constraints in reaching top management levels and sustaining these. However, in order to achieve such positions these women acknowledged the support of family, their high socioeconomic status and effective networking and mentoring relations with peers. The insights gained by this study illustrate how they navigated the male-centric realm of higher education and these should be useful for those who aspire to be leaders. Our research should also offer some potential strategies for closing the gender gap in universities by facilitating women to assume leadership positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitic infections especially gastrointestinal parasites are a major constraint for blooming dairy industry of Pakistan, because it limit, the productive performance of animals. Aim of the project was to find out the prevalence of internal parasites in small and large ruminants in central zone of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. For this purpose, a total of 1700 fecal samples were received from central districts and processed for coprological examination. Out of 1700 samples, 947 samples (55.7%) were positive for intestinal parasites. Specie wise prevalence of GI parasites was recorded as 51.5% in cows, 58.3% in buffalo, 73.9 % in sheep and 68.5% in goats. Trichostrongylus (32.8%) was recorded as highly prevalent in cattle followed by amoeba (10.2%) and Fasciola (6.1%), while in buffaloes fasciola was recorded higher followed by amoeba (19%) and Trichostongylus (5.35%). Haemonchus contortus was the most prevalent intestinal parasite in the study area followed by Trichostrongylus in small ruminants, whereas mixed infection in goats was recorded as 21%. Different predisposing factors studied in the current study were season, location, age and sex. Prevalence was recorded higher in hot and humid months of the year because it favors the growth and development of gastrointestinal parasites. Similarly, young and male animals were found more susceptible to gastrointestinal parasites in the current study. Frequent screening of animals and deworming should be practiced for complete eradication of gastrointestinal parasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the frequency of dyslipidemia and its types in adult diabetics of Karachi. Study Design: Cross Sectional, Observational study. Setting: Diabetes Outpatient Clinic in JPMC, Karachi. Period: January 2019 to June 2019. Material & Methods: 248 adult diabetics presenting in diabetic outpatient clinic in JPMC, Karachi selected by non-purposive convenient sample technique. Diagnosed diabetics who were not on any lipid lowering therapy were included in the study. Non diabetics and those diabetics who were already on lipid lowering drugs were excluded. After relevant information is taken the lipid profile of the participants was done with a 12 hours fasting and the data was secured on a predesigned performa. The results were analyzed on SPSS version 20. Results: Among the 248 diabetics that presented 88(35.4%) were males and 160(64.5%) were females. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was 85.9% (213 diabetics had dyslipidemia). High triglycerides were present in 52.4% (130), high LDL in 28.2% (70) and low HDL in 175(70.6%). [P=0.000]. At least one dyslipidemic factor was deranged in 81(32.7%), two in 102(41.1%) and 3 in 30(12.1%) persons. In males, 53 out of 88(60.2%) were dyslipidemic, and in females all had dyslipidemia (100%). [P = 0.000]. Hypertriglyceridemia was present in 38(43.1%) males and 92(57.5%) females [P=.021], High LDL in 21(23.8%) males and 49(44%) females [P=.163], while low HDL was present in 16(22%) males and 159(99%) females [P=.000]. Conclusion: Dyslipidemia is highly prevalent in our population. Female diabetic patients had relatively higher triglycerides than men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media, as significant pillars of society, perform an important role in the creation and preservation of discourses that influence our day-to-day lives and form our knowledge of ourselves and the things around us. Media do not only reveal the communal perceptions but influence the construction and adaptation of public perceptions. Hence, the media reflect, clear and confirm the rival social and political discourses, and contribute to the production of meanings or in other words, in fabricating and launching the reality. The purpose of the research was to examine print media discourse in the Pakistani context and to study the role of media representations in creating, emphasizing and circulating particular ideologies. The data was collected from columns of Jang. The outcomes and conclusion add to the literature regarding the role of representation in Pakistani print media. Furthermore, they provide an opportunity to comprehend the policy of the newspaper and the outlook of the columnists through critical discourse analysis of two hundred and fifty-two (252) columns of the most prominent Urdu language newspaper of Pakistan. The study concludes that the discourse of columns in Pakistani Urdu language newspapers, especially, related to the representation of Imran Khan, is ideologically loaded and does not only mirror but circulates the columnists' ideologies particularly and of newspaper's publishers in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of current study was to evaluate the antioxidant potential and nutritional composition of milk thistle with special reference to silymarin. For the purpose, different varieties of milk thistle were procured from three different cities of Pakistan. The study was comprised of three different phases. In 1st phase, nutritional composition, that is, moisture, fat, protein, fiber, and nitrogen free extract, was determined according to their respective methods. Moreover, antioxidant potential and quantification of silymarin content were explored in 2nd phase. Furthermore, in last phase, milk thistle seeds tea was developed and evaluated for nutritional and sensorial characteristics. At last, data obtained from each parameter was subjected to appropriate statistical design to determine the level of significance. Results showed significant difference in the nutritional and chemical composition of different milk thistle varieties as well as locations. Moreover, moisture content, ash content, fat content, fiber content, protein content, and NFE varied from 6.27% to 5.01%, 2.37 to 1.25%, 23.19 to 19.74%, 7.4 to 4.39%, 30.09 to 20.74%, and 45.42 to 34.13%, respectively. Furthermore, silymarin content quantified though HPLC ranged from 1669.5 mg/g to 1607.6 mg/g for soxhlet extract whereas, 1,840.6 mg/g to 1765.9 mg/g for microwave‐assisted extraction extract. Conclusively, it was depicted from the results that in case of variety, Blue was the best than White whereas, Islamabad was best in case of location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigates the socio-religious factors in the propagation of genetically inherited disease of Beta thalassemia. The disorder which reportedly has a significant protraction through repeated cousin marriages results in the social maladjustment of the parents of the sick children due to constant depression, anxiety, and weak social interaction and may lead to social isolation as well. This research aims to find out the significant effect of socio-religious trends on psychosocial burden of beta thalassemia major among cousin and non-cousin couples in the province of Punjab in Pakistan. It takes a sample of 932 parents of sick children, among whom 735 were married with cousins and 197 with non-cousins, for data collection. The findings reveal that inadequate knowledge of the disease, insufficient or misdirected social support, stigmatization, and marriage breakups caused by the disease, superstitions, and misinterpretations of religion and the subsequent practices accordingly as significant predictors of psychosocial burden of beta thalassemia major among non-cousins and cousin couples. Additionally, it also finds patriarchy as only significant predictors of outcome variable among cousin couples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the problems of automated brain tumor classification, a novel approach is proposed based on long short-term memory (LSTM) model using magnetic resonance images (MRI). First, N4ITK and Gaussian filters having size 5 × 5 are used to boost the of multi-sequence MRI quality. The presented deep LSTM model having four layers is utilized for classification. In each layer, optimal hidden units (HU) are selected such as 200 HU, 225 HU, 200 HU and 225 HU, respectively. These hidden or concealed units are chosen after performing extensive experiments to acquire better results. The results are validated on different versions of BRATS datasets (BRATS 2012–15, 2018) and SISS-ISLES 2015 dataset. The presented method attained dice similarity coefficient (DSC) 1.00 on 2012 synthetic, 0.95 on 2013, 0.99 on 2013 Leader board, 0.99 on 2014, 0.98 on 2015, 0.99 on 2018 and 0.95 on SISS-ISLES 2015. The methodology is also checked on real patient's cases of brain tumor collected from Pakistan ordinance factory and achieved 0.97 DSC. The results confirm that the presented method provides more help for radiologists to classify brain tumor precisely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Statins are considered as standard drugs to control cholesterol levels, but their use is also associated with renal hypertrophy, hemorrhagic stroke, hepatomegaly, and myopathy. Murraya koenigii is an herb that is used in traditional cuisine and as a medicine in South Asia. Here we assessed the antidyslipidemic and antiatherosclerotic effects of this spice in repeated heated mix vegetable oils (RHMVO)-induced atherosclerotic models. Methods: Aqueous extract of M. koenigii leaves (Mk LE) was prepared and its phytoconstituents were determined. Rabbits were divided into 5 groups (n = 10). Except for the control group, all the other four groups were treated with RHMVO for 16 weeks (dose = 2 ml/kg/day) to induce dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis. These groups were further treated for 10 weeks either with 300 and 500 mg/kg/day Mk LE, lovastatin, RHMVO, or left untreated. Body and organ weights were measured along with oxidative stress and tissue damage parameters. Lipid profile and hepatic function markers were studied. Atheroma measurement and histopathological examination were also performed in control and treated groups. Results: Mk LE significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated RHMVO-induced dyslipidemia and atheroma formation. Furthermore, fat accumulation and lipid peroxidation in hepatic tissues were reduced by Mk LE in a dose-dependent manner. Our results indicated that the antidyslipidemic effects of Mk LE in 500 mg/kg/day dose were comparable to lovastatin. Additionally, oxidative stress markers were reduced much more significantly in Mk LE-500 than in the statin group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study recommends Mk LE as a potent antioxidant and lipid-lowering natural medicine that can attenuate the RHMVO-induced atherosclerotic in optimal doses and duration. Therefore, Mk LE can be accessible, cheap, and free of adverse effects alternate to statins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urd bean (Vigna mungo (L) Hepper) is an important pulse crop produced worldwide. The Urdbean Leaf Crinkle Virus (ULCV) is a widespread disease of urdbean in Pakistan because it causes extensive damage to its yield. ULCV is infected by two most important pest, whitefly, and beetles. The environmental factors also play a vital role in the spread of disease. Among the environmental factors, the relative humidity and temperature have a significant impact on the ULCV disease. Moreover, the relationship between environmental factors, ULCV and whitefly populations is significant and shows non-remarkable interactions. It has been found that the total chlorophyll of the infected plants has increased on an average of 18.47 (12.3-24.4) which is significantly different from healthy plants. Moreover, the photosynthetic rate of the infected urdbean genotype has also increased on an average of 5.36 (4.36-8.97) compared to healthy plants 2.20 (1.42-2.95). The total phenol in the infected plants after the ULCV infection was 82.19 (74.32- 85.18) milligrams/kg which increased to 102.5 (94.2-111.5) milligrams/kg of fresh weight. In conclusion, the infected plants have higher photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll contents and total phenol content than the healthy plants. All urdbean genotypes were found to be susceptible to ULCV. Furthermore, both environmental factors and whitefly populations have a positive impact on the ULCV disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of wheat grain can impact the farmer's income and also affect human health. The interaction between the planting time and genetic information indicated a significant effect. Determining correct planting time that can exploit the result of interaction between genotypes and atmosphere that enhance the production and grain quality. The main objective of this study was to choose the more suitable planting dates that maximize the wheat production and quality of wheat grain in cotton-wheat cropping system at different locations. Four wheat cultivars were planted at November 10th, 20th, December 1st, and December 10th at three different cottonwheat system growing districts, i.e., Bahawalpur, Khanewal, and Multan during both years. Late sown crop December 10th recorded maximum protein content (16.32%), starch contents (55.24%), and gluten content (34.19%) while early sown crop showed maximum moisture content (23.33%). Cultivar ASS-2011 demonstrated maximum protein content (13.47%), moisture content (10.73%), and starch content (55.09% and gluten content (33.66%). Year-II recorded the maximum protein content 11.95% moisture content 13.91%, starch content (53.89%), and gluten content 4.90% as compared 1st year in case of wheat crop. Wheat cultivar AAS-2011 showed best results regarding quality attributes in case of the late sown condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Paraphenylene-diamine (PPD) poisoning is an emerging problem of developing African and South Asian countries. This study was done with the objective to determine the clinical lab diagnostic accuracy of serum creatinine phosphokinase in cases initially reporting facial oedema followed by renal failure and rhabdomyolysis due to paraphenylene-diamine (PPD) poisoning. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study in which data was retrospectively collected at District Head Quarter (DHQ) Hospitals. Data was collected over a period of one year from Jan- Dec 2018. Data was collected from the patient file records. Data was analysed on SPSS version 20. Results: In the present study, 658 cases of Kala Pathar poisoning presented and treated. M: F ratio was 5:20. There were 518 (78.8%) females. Majority of the female patients were married 488 (94%). Most common clinical manifestations included marked facial oedema; dysphagia and stridor. Post complications include rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure which developed after two to five days. Initial lab investigations within 6-8 hours after ingestion showed marked increase in TLC count, ALT and Na+ ions. There was marked elevation of serum CPK (1400±200 U/L) levels after 24 hours. Conclusion: PPD poisoning is more common in females of younger age group belonging to rural areas. Early diagnosis and prompt supportive treatment within 2-12 hours of ingestion can save many lives. There is no specific antidote available for this poison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Against the backdrop of growing sociolinguistic interest in transnationalism, this paper uses the notion of “scale” as an “ideological project” (Irvine in Scale. Discourse and dimensions of social life, University of California Press, California, 2016: 214) to study situated discursive performances of transnationalism amongst Shia Ismaili Muslims in a village in Hunza, Northern Pakistan and the city of Khorog, Eastern Tajikistan. By virtue of the ideological importance granted to English by the Ismaili community’s spiritual leader, the Aga Khan IV, transnational scaling is studied through the window of discourse on English. Specifically, the paper analyses how Ismailis in these two localities appropriate the Aga Khan’s English as a “second language” policy. Drawing on data collected during ethnographic fieldwork, the paper demonstrates how Ismailis make English into an economic and symbolic resource, which is simultaneously used to underscore community-internal sameness and index Ismaili progress. In bringing together an analysis of the discursive construction of local policy appropriation with reflections on transnational scaling practices, the paper makes a novel contribution to both current debates on the spatialisation of language policy discourse (Canagarajah in Reclaming the local in language policy and practice (xiii-xxx), Routledge, London and New York, 2005; Hult in Int J Sociol Lang 202:7-24, Hult 2010; Mortimer and Wortham in Annu Rev Appl Linguist 35:160-172, 2015) and language commodification and value (Heller in J Sociolinguist 7(4):473-492, 2003, Heller in Annu Rev Anthropol 39:101-114, 2010; Tan and Rubdy in Language as commodity: global structures, local market places, Continuum, London, 2008; Duchêne and Heller in Language in late capitalism: pride and profit, Routledge, London and New York, 2012; Park and Wee in Markets of English. Linguistic capital and language policy in a globalizing world, Routledge, London and New York, 2012). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment "Influence of hot water treatments on the storage life of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) cv. Sherkhana-I" was carried out at Post harvest Laboratory, Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan. The research was conducted in completely randomized design (CRD) with two factors i.e. hot water dipping times (0, 5, 10, and 15 Minutes) and storage durations (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 Days). Hot water dipping times significantly affected the quality parameters of Sherkhana-I sweet orange fruits. The fruits of sweet orange having hot water dipping time of 15 minutes showed the maximum fruit juice content (51.07%), volume (141.94 ml), firmness (2.41 Kg.cm-2), acidity (1.50%) and ascorbic acid (34.50%). The storage durations also had significant effects on the quality attributes of sweet orange. However the maximum fruit volume (160.25 ml), juice content (57.00%), firmness (2.89 kg cm-2), ascorbic acid (40.96%) and acidity (1.64%) were noted in fresh fruits. The HWDT of 15 minutes was found to be the most suitable treatment for preserving the postharvest quality of sweet orange. From the above findings, it can be concluded that hot water treated (Hot water temperature: 45 °C) sweet orange fruits can be stored commercially up to 60 days at room storage conditions (Storage Temperature: 12 ± 2 °C and RH: 70 - 80%). HWT can serve as a dynamic means of maintaining the postharvest quality of sweet orange fruits during long term storage with economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is designed to calculate the newly introduced Gender Inequality Index for Pakistan according to the formula mentioned in technical notes of United Nations Development Report (2010) and then finding the impact of Social, Political and Economic Globalization on Gender Inequality Index. Time series data from 1980 to 2014 is used for Gender Inequality Index, Social, Political and Economic Globalization. Johnsons Co-integration technique is applied to investigate the impact of social, economic and political globalization on gender inequality index in Pakistan. The results of study show negative and significant relationship between economic globalization, social globalization and gender inequality index, while a negative but insignificant relationship is found between political globalization and gender inequality index. The results of the study are consistent with various theoretical and empirical studies. The policies related to globalization promotion are recommended to enrich the country with development through gender balances. To increase impact of political globalization, Pakistan needs to put more emphasis in following the spirit of treaties which target gender disparity of which she is the signatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of waste water for irrigation purposes has increased over the past years. This waste water contains high amounts of trace elements and heavy metals. Many of these are non-essential and toxic to plants, animals and human beings. The use of polluted water in the immediate surroundings of big cities in Pakistan is a common practice for growing of vegetables. When this water applied for long time in irrigation, these heavy metals may accumulate in soil and that may be toxic to plants and also cause deterioration of soil. The present study revealed that heavy metal content was above the toxicity level in leafy vegetables grown in the area of Lahore. This study showed that among the different tested plant species, the amount of heavy metals was more in leaves than fruits. Plants whose fruits grow below the soil showed higher concentration of heavy metals while other showed less concentration whose edible portion was above the ground level. Leafy vegetables (spinach, cabbage, coriander etc) showed higher concentration in leaves than in fruits. The concentration of heavy metals in upper layer of soil (0 -15 cm) is higher than the lower layer (15-30 cm). The reason behind is that the upper layer was receiving sewage water permanently while the penetration of sewage water below 15 cm was less. The increase in heavy metal accumulation in different plant species and their different parts is not constant and is not in proportion to the increase in heavy metal concentration in soil irrigated with sewage wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the frequency of Cap+1 mutation and associated hematological parameters in suspected beta thalassemia patients. Study Design: Analytical cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Hematology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) Rawalpindi from Aug 2017 to Aug 2018. Methodology: 960 patients suspected to have beta thalassemia were inducted into the study. After detailed history and examination basic hematological parameters (Hemoglobin, Mean Corpuscular Volume, Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin) were analyzed using automated analyzer (Sysmex XE-5000). Molecular genetic analysis by conventional PCR was carried out for CAP+1 mutation. Genomic DNA purification kit (Gentra system USA) was used for extracting DNA from whole blood in order to study the molecular genetics for Cap+1 mutation. Primers were designed for detection and analysis of normal and mutant DNA. Results: The frequency of Cap+1 mutation was observed in 3.2 ± 1.7% (31/960) in all suspected cases of beta thalassemia with a normal range of Hemoglobin (12.4 ± 1.1 g/dl), Mean Corpuscular Volume (86.4 ± 2.1fl/red cell) and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (29 ± 1.7pg/cell). Conclusion: Cap+1 mutation is a silent mutation and its diagnosis remains a challenge because of its normal clinical presentation and normal to mildly deranged basic hematological parameters. Detection of CAP+1 at molecular level has revolutionized the thalassemia prevention program in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to critically examine the trends, issues and challenges in policy and practice of English language education in Pakistan. This is done first by historically reviewing the English language education policies since Pakistan's independence in 1947, looking particularly at policy objectives, implementation strategies and outcomes, and the rationale for policy change. Second, the practice of teaching English in varied instructional settings is described. It is found that implementation lags far behind the major policy change in 1989 for “democratising” English. Furthermore, the consequences of using English as the medium of instruction are discussed in the light of recent policy advisories about using English for teaching science and mathematics from Grade 6 onwards in all Pakistani schools. Other issues and challenges in implementing the policy of mass literacy in English are also highlighted. It is argued that while policy decisions are driven mainly by global change forces, strategic planning for implementation that is informed by local conditions and exigencies is necessary for successful policy implementation. Otherwise, recent policy changes in Pakistan may be in danger of leading to widespread illiteracy, rather than literacy, in general but particularly in English. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Vaccination is one of the most important intervention in Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) control and prevention strategy. The suitability of vaccine depends upon antigenic relation between vaccine strain and prevalent field strain. The objective of the study was to check antigenic relation between Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) serotype 'O' (vaccine strain) with homologous serotype 'O' field viruses. Inactivated FMD vaccine was prepared from serotype 'O' virus that was taken from Foot and Mouth Disease Research Centre (FandMDRC), Lahore, Pakistan. This virus had 1.59 ug/ml value of 146S and serum was raised against this vaccine. Five field viruses of FMDV serotype 'O' of different regions were collected from ELISA Lab, FandMDRC that were confirmed through Sandwich ELISA (IZSLER, Italy). These isolates were adapted on Baby Hamster Kidney-21 (BHK-21) cell line and confirmed through PCR. Furthermore, TCID50 and 100TCID50 of all field viruses were calculated. Virus neutralization test (VNT) was performed according to World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) protocol. The neutralization titer for vaccine virus was determined (1.80log10) and used to calculate r1 value. The r1 value for three viruses was from 0.50 to 1 while other two have value less than 0.3. The study concluded that vaccine virus was matched with 60% of the field viruses but the protection provided by this vaccinal serum against field viruses was high up to 80%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To study the role of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) of genes related to preeclampsia in Pakistani pregnant women. Methods: After ethical approval and getting informed consent; 250 pregnant women were enrolled and equally divided into two groups (125 preeclamptic cases and 125 normotensive pregnant women). Demographic details and medical history were recorded, and 10 ml blood sample was obtained for DNA extraction. The tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) assays were developed for assessing the variants of three preeclampsia related genes; F5, MTHFR and VEGFA. An association of six SNVs; F5:c.1601G > A (rs6025), F5:c.6665A > G (rs6027), MTHFR: c.665C > T (rs1801133), MTHFR: c.1286A > C (rs1801131), VEGFA: c.-2055A > C (rs699947) and VEGFA: c.*237C > T (rs3025039) with preeclampsia was determined by using different genetic models. Results: Genotyping of the SNVs revealed that patients with MTHFR:c.665C > T, have increased susceptibility to preeclampsia (CT versus CC/TT: OR = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.18–6.59; P* = 0.046 and CT/TT vs CC: OR = 2.91, 95% CI = 1.29–6.57; P* = 0.0497, in overdominant and dominant models, respectively), whereas F5:c.6665A > G, (A/G vs AA/GG: OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.21–0.84; P* = 0.038 in overdominant model) and MTHFR:c.1286A > C, (CC versus AA: OR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.18–0.72; P* = 0.0392 in codominant model) have significantly decreased risk for preeclampsia. F5:c.1601G > A, VEGFA: c.-2055A > C and VEGFA: c.*237C > T variants revealed no relationship with the disease. Conclusion: This is the first case control study describing the protective role of F5:c.6665A > G against preeclampsia in any world population. In addition, the present study confirmed the association and role of MTHFR gene variations in the development of preeclampsia in Pakistani patients. Further genetic studies may be required to better understand the complex genetic mechanism of SNVs in preeclampsia related genes in pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]