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Aim: To evaluate gram-negative rods' prevalence and antibiotic resistance, which are responsible for bloodstream infections in ICU patients. Study design: Cross-sectional study Place and duration of study: Lahore General Hospital, Lahore from 1stJuly 2022 to 31th December 2022. Methodology: Total 200 patients in ICU suspected to have bloodstream infection were enrolled in this study. Blood samples were cultured on Blood agar and then subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing by the disk diffusion method.Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS Software. Results: 135 were positive for Gram-negative bacterial strains and 13 show gram positive strain with 25 showing mixed growth and 27 showing no growth .In all positive cases for different bacterial isolates resistance for amikacin was 60.8%, cefepime 66.8%, ceftriaxone 79%, ceftazidime 75.6%, cotrimoxazole 57.4%, ciprofloxacin 61.4%, gentamycin 60.8%, levofloxacin 59.4%, imipenem 58.7%, meropenem 65.5%, doxycycline 51.3%, tazobactam 71.6%, and piperacillin + tazobactam74.3%. Overall gram-negative bacterial isolates exhibited a high resistance rate for cefotaxime at 79% and the lowest resistance rate for doxycyclineat 51.3%. Out of 148 positive cases, 70(35%) were male and 78(39%) were females. Most positive cases were reported in the age group of 16-25 years (33.3%). Conclusion: All the positive samples showed gram-negative rods and gram positive on gram staining. Klebsiella 37(18.5%) was the most prevalent pathogen found in blood samples of ICU patients. Keywords: Prevalence, antibiotic resistance, bloodstream infections, gram-negative rods.

Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) is a deleterious pathogen which causes widespread Sugarcane mosaic disease (SCMD) and is classified in the genus Potyvirus (Potyviridae), disseminated by the aphid vector. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated antiviral innate immunity is a key biological process and antiviral defence system to interfere with viral genomes for controlling plant pathogens. The current study aims to analyze sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L. and Saccharum spp.) locus-derived microRNAs (sof-miRNAs/ssp-miRNAs) with predicted potential for targeting the SCMV +ssRNA-encoded mRNAs, using ‘five algorithms’ approach. The ultimate goal in this research is to mobilize the in silico endogenous predicted sof-miRNAs/ssp-miRNAs to trigger RNAi catalytic pathway experimentally and generate sugarcane cultivars for evaluating potential antiviral resistance monitoring capability and capacity for SCMV. Experimentally validated mature sugarcane (S. officinarum, 2n = 8X = 80) and (S. spp., 2n = 100-120) sof-miRNAs/ssp-miRNAs (n = 28) were acquired for alignment with the SCMV genome. Of the 28 targeting mature locus-derived sof-miRNAs/ssp-miRNAs investigated, one sugarcane miRNA homolog, sof-miR159c, was concluded to localize potential binding site at genomic nucleotide site 3847 targeting CL ORF of SCMV. In order to validate target prediction accuracy, whether the sugarcane sof-miRNA/ssp-miRNA might bind predicted SCMV mRNA target(s), we created an integrated Circos plot. Genome-wide in-silico-predicted miRNA-mediated target gene regulatory network validated interactions that warrant in vivo analysis. The current work provides valuable evidence and biological material for generating SCMV-resistant sugarcane varieties.

Aim: Perineural invasion and Histological grades of Prostatic adenocarcinoma Study design: Analytical descriptive cross sectional Study setting: Department of Pathology, KEMU, Lahore in collaboration with other tertiary care hospitals. Duration of study: 6 months Methodology: 60 cases of prostatic carcinoma were enrolled in this study. Detailed demographics of included patients were recorded after taking informed written consent. Formalin fixed, processed and paraffin embedded tissue blocks of prostate adenocarcinoma collected. Results: Out of 60 biopsies, 57(95%) were TURP, 1(1.67%) was a TRUS guided biopsy, 1(1.67%) was a core needle biopsy and 1(1.67%) was a radical prostatectomy specimen. Perineural invasion was identified in 27 cases. There was insignificant association between perineural invasion and histological grades of prostatic carcinoma and p-value = 0.613. Among all high grade tumors with Gleason score (8-10), 23 cases were positive for perineural invasion and 25 were negative. Conclusion: Perineural invasion was identified in 27 cases i.e. 45%. There was insignificant association between perineural invasion and histological grades of prostatic carcinoma. Key words: Prostate, adenocarcinoma, perineural invasion, association, TURP

In this paper we examine some of the economic and ethical consequences of different credit market regulations, including usury laws, complete prohibition of interest and providing ease to the borrower upon default (bankruptcy laws). The references to these credit market regulations can be found in many religious and moral philosophy texts. We first examine the effectiveness of these regulations in deterring exploitative lending by developing a model that shows lending can be regulated through either act-based or harm-based regulations. We show that act-based regulations which comprise usury laws and complete prohibition of interest deter lenders more than harm-based regulations which constitute bankruptcy laws. We then analyze that while the regulations may deter certain forms of lending behavior, they may also create certain externalities by contributing towards inequity and societal risk. We propose that a regulator’s choice of implementing credit market regulations maybe dependent on her ethical commitment towards growth and reduction of inequity. We suggest the usury laws are more ethical than bankruptcy laws; however, discouraging the use of debt contracts through prohibition of interest and encouraging the use of risk sharing contracts maybe the most ethical way to regulate the credit markets.