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Objective: To determine the prevalence of lupus nephritis in patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE). Settings: This observational study was conducted at the department of nephrology, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar Pakistan. Participants were enrolled from 1st January 2023 to 31st March 2023. Materials and methods: Patients diagnosed with SLE were enrolled. SLE was confirmed based American college of rheumatology criteria for SLE (positive ANA ≥1:80 and clinical score 10 or more). Lupus nephritis was confirmed when serum creatinine was more than 1.5mg/dl and urinary protein loss more than 0.5gm/day. Results: A total of 109 patients were enrolled. Mean age of the patients was 29.80 ± 5.245 years. 68 participants (62.4%) were female. Lupus nephritis was observed in 56 patients (51.4%). Correlation of lupus nephritis showed significant association with age and gender of the patient. Conclusion: Lupus nephritis is fairly common in patients with SLE in our population. Young female patients are more likely having it.

Drought is one of the natural hazards that have negatively affected the agricultural sector worldwide. The aims of this study were to track drought characteristics (duration (DD), severity (DS), and frequency (DF)) in South Africa between 2002 and 2021 and to evaluate its impact on wheat production. Climate data were collected from the South African Weather Service (SAWS) along with wheat yield data from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (2002–2021). The standard precipitation index (SPI) was calculated on 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month time scales, and the trend was then tracked using the Mann–Kendall (MK) test. To signify the climatic effects on crop yield, the standardized yield residual series (SYRS) was computed along with the crop-drought resilience factor (CR) on a provincial scale (2002–2021). The output of the SPI analysis for 32 stations covering all of South Africa indicates a drought tendency across the country. On a regional scale, western coastal provinces (WES-C and NR-C) have been more vulnerable to meteorological droughts over the past 20 years. Positive correlation results between SYRS and wheat yield indicate that the WES-C province was highly influenced by drought during all stages of wheat growth (Apr–Nov). Historical drought spells in 2003, 2009, and 2010 with low CR = 0.64 caused the province to be highly impacted by the negative impacts of droughts on yield loss. Overall, drought events have historically impacted the western part of the country and dominated in the coastal area. Thus, mitigation plans should be commenced, and priority should be given to this region. These findings can assist policymakers in budgeting for irrigation demand in rainfed agricultural regions.

Malaria is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries like Pakistan. Current study is based on geospatial analysis of malaria across Bahawalpur district of Pakistan. The key purpose is to measure spatial patterns which might be helpful for generating local environmental etiological hypothesis for malaria. Union council level epidemiological data for malaria was collected through 115 health centers from the study area for the period of six years 2012–2017. Techniques of spatial autocorrelation were applied to find results. Local Moran’s I statistics was used to perform cluster and outlier analysis of malaria. Presence of local clustering was further assessed by using Getis Ord Gi* statistics to assess intensity of hotspots and cold spots at the union council level. However, Inverse Distance Weighing (IDW) was used to interpolate and predict the spatial pattern of malaria cases in study area. Results showed spatial heterogeneity of malaria incidence in the district identifying both high (hotspots) and low (cold spots) clusters. Highest statistical significance has been revealed in northwestern rural areas of the district defining them as malaria hotspots. Contrary, extreme northern areas and urban centers of tehsils were found to be cold spot during all the six years. Finally, this study provides also a set of suggestions addressing the local environmental issues and to minimize the incidence of malaria through administrative environmental management and community participation. In addition, it will not only provide a base for advance geospatial research of malaria but can also be applied in other malaria endemic districts of the country.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been linked with various kind of cardiac arrhythmias. The risk of arrhythmias in patients with COPD has been driven by the stage and disease state, with a higher frequency of supraventricular tachycardia during exacerbations. Aim: To evaluate the frequency of atrial arrhythmias (which include atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and multifocal atrial tachycardia) in the patients who were suffering from COPD. Methods: It was a cross sectional analysis or prevalence study. This research was piloted in the Medicine Department, Medical Division IV, Services Hospital, Lahore. This research was ended in 365 days after endorsement of synopsis from 1st June, 2017 to 30th May 2018. Results: In our study, 111(46.25%) were in range 40-55 years of age while 129(53.75%) were in range 56-70 years of age, the calculated mean standard deviation was 56.23±8.19 years, 134(55.83%) were male and 106(44.17%) were females, 142(59.17%) between 1-2 years and 98(40.83%) had >2 years of duration. Frequency of atrial arrhythmias in the patients who were suffering from COPD was recorded as 22(9.17%) having Atrial Fibrillation, 53(22.08%) had Atrial flutter and 31(12.92%) had Multifocal atrial tachycardia. Conclusion: Atrial arrhythmias are common findings in patients with COPD. So, it is very important for treating physicians that every patient having COPD, should undergo Electrocardiogram (ECG) for picking up the atrial arrhythmias. Keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, atrial arrhythmias, frequency

This work will proceed to examine the dynamics of collapsing charged string cloud in a spherically symmetric rainbow metric. This is the framework that allows new stars and compact objects to emerge. The dynamical variables (mass density, string tension) and their physical existence as energy conditions are computed and visually depicted. We also calculated the duration and radius of development of the collapsing string cloud’s apparent horizons. The mass density, string tension, expected time and radius of apparent horizon creation are dependent on the Rainbow parameter [Formula: see text] At the center of the configuration [Formula: see text] the mass density, string tension and electric field intensity are at their maximum leading to the formation of a compact object (black hole). The fluid’s mass density and string tension are reduced by the electric field. Furthermore, the presence of an electric field delays the formation of a compact object (black hole).

The hurdles to entering a foreign market have been dismantled by greater internet connectivity. As a result, there is virtually endless potential to expand a company abroad. In growing abroad, it's crucial to keep the brand at the forefront of the approach. When enterprises enter foreign markets, they confront several problems such as a lack of market intelligence, buyer expectations, severe rivalry from global brands, and a lack of trending awareness. Most exporters focus on the short product-focused and sales-driven methods, such as producing that which is simple to create, finding a contract, fulfilling the request, and closing sales. This method just forces an exporter into a pricing competition in a globalized world, leaving the limited possibility to continuous production, product innovation, and credibility. Every company that wishes to export should aim towards market-driven, long-term, and sustainable exporting.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented impact on global health, economy, and way of life. SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the disease, utilizes the ACE2 receptor found on host cells to mediate entry, replication, and infection. Numerous studies have elucidated the presence of many components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in the eye, including the ACE2 receptor. Considering this, and the anatomical vulnerability that the exposed ocular surface offers with its interconnectedness to the respiratory system, there is a theoretical risk of pathogen entry from the ocular route as well as the development of COVID-19-associated eye disease. Despite this, the actual epidemiological data demonstrates low ocular symptoms, possibly due to differing ACE2 receptor expression across age, ethnicity, and sex coupled with the protective properties of tears. We summarize the current literature on ocular RAAS with specific focus on the ACE2 receptor and its interplay with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Background: Patients with diabetes mellitus ends up in many complications and retinopathy is one of the microvascular complications of this metabolic disease. Aim: To conclude the frequency of diabetic retinopathy in previously diagnosed patients of diabetes. Methods: Cross Sectional study was conducted in General Medicine Department, Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore. This study was conducted from 16th January 2021 to 16th July 2021. A total of 171 patients in both male and female with diabetes mellitus were involved in the study. All patients undertook fundoscopy to look for diabetic retinopathy in department of medicine. Non-probability consecutive sampling technique was used. Results: As per this study age series from 30 to 75 years with mean age of 51.099±6.19 years, mean duration of diabetes 9.304±3.60 years and mean weight was 87.713±7.63 Kg. Male patients were 64.9% and females were 35.1%. Diabetic retinopathy was seen in 36.8%. Conclusion: There is increase in prevalence of diabetic retinopathy with rise in period of diabetes mellitus. Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, Diabetic retinopathy, Duration of diabetes

Exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) is one of the recently developed techniques in GIS used to analyze the statistical characteristics and spatial heterogeneity of population data. Current research is focused on the examination of spatial patterns of population growth rate in Bahawalpur district of Pakistan. Based on census data at union council level of the district, the present study uses specific techniques of ESDA including spatial autocorrelation and Moran’s Index to analyze the distribution and concentration of population. Keeping in view the research objectives, paper is divided in two sections. The first section deals with the analysis of spatial distribution of population growth rate at a specific interval size. The second part of the research deals with the application of spatial autocorrelation to examine the spatial clustering of population growth in the district. The results of the study show the spatial clustering of population growth rate in the northern part i.e. Bahawalpur city. The study concludes that uneven and non- random population distribution is not the result of random chance and is associated with various factors. The study can be beneficial for population planning authorities to identify the major clustered areas of high and low population growth for planning and regional development of the area.

Industrialization is a procedure which contributes to the economy of a country and plays a pivotal role in theexpansion of wealth and economic growth of a community. Textile industry has acted as the backbone of the industrialsector of Pakistan and has contributed a lot in the regional growth especially in Punjab. The present study is aimed toassess the role of locational factors that have proven favorable in the growth and successful development of textileindustry in Jaranwala tehsil, Faisalabad district. An empirical research design was selected and Jaranwala tehsil waschosen as the study area. Both primary and secondary data sources were used, and primary data were collected througha fully-structured questionnaire. Five sample sites were selected, and 75 textile industries were visited, and data wereobtained by interviewing the administrative staff of the respective textile units. The collected data were further arrangedand tabulated by using Microsoft Excel 2010, SPSS 20; Paired sample T test was performed to check the significancebetween types of industries and factors affecting the location of surveyed textile industries. Distributional and thematicmaps were prepared with the help of Arc GIS 10.1. The result of the study showed that availability of raw material,cheap labor and better climatic conditions were the most favorable factors for the location of industries in the studyarea. The study recommends the further work on other types of industries following same pattern in order to understandtheir economic progress in regional growth and development of the study area.

Industrialization is a procedure which contributes to the economy of a country and plays a pivotal role in the expansion of wealth and economic growth of a community. Textile industry has acted as the backbone of the industrial sector of Pakistan and has contributed a lot in the regional growth especially in Punjab. The present study is aimed to assess the role of locational factors that have proven favorable in the growth and successful development of textile industry in Jaranwala tehsil, Faisalabad district. An empirical research design was selected and Jaranwala tehsil was chosen as the study area. Both primary and secondary data sources were used, and primary data were collected through a fully-structured questionnaire. Five sample sites were selected, and 75 textile industries were visited, and data were obtained by interviewing the administrative staff of the respective textile units. The collected data were further arranged and tabulated by using Microsoft Excel 2010, SPSS 20; Paired sample T test was performed to check the significance between types of industries and factors affecting the location of surveyed textile industries. Distributional and thematic maps were prepared with the help of Arc GIS 10.1. The result of the study showed that availability of raw material, cheap labor and better climatic conditions were the most favorable factors for the location of industries in the study area. The study recommends the further work on other types of industries following same pattern in order to understand their economic progress in regional growth and development of the study area.

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) is the most common virus that causes eye disease. Although around 60% of the world's population are seropositive for HSV antigens, fortunately, it is estimated that only 1% of seropositive individuals develop eye disease. The most common ocular manifestation of HSV is keratitis, while uveitis and retinal necrosis occur in a small number of cases. HSV keratitis is a debilitating disease, for several reasons: pain , photophobia, and vision loss in acute disease, latency of the virus which leads to infection reactivation from various triggers, scarring, and neovascularisation, leading to permanent vision loss with poor visual rehabilitation prospects. The Herpetic Eye Disease Study (HEDS) was a landmark series of randomised controlled trials in the 1990s that set the benchmark for evidence-based treatment guidelines for anterior eye herpetic disease. Since this time, there has been a change in the distribution of seroprevalence of herpes in the community, a simplified diagnostic classification, advances in treatment options, an emergence of new and a better understanding of risk factors, and discoveries in science that show promise for vaccine and novel future treatments. However, many of the principles of the HEDS study remain rightly entrenched in clinical practice. In this article, the HEDS study is revisited 20 years on through the lens of published literature, to determine current best practise and look towards the future.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder, multisystemic in nature more common in females of childbearing age. There are certain risk factors which predispose to this disease. It affects various organs, kidney is among them. Almost 60% patients having SLE ultimately leads to kidney dysfunction at some stage of the life. Aim: To find out pattern of histopathological findings of lupus nephritis as per WHO classification on kidney biopsy in Pakistan. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was completed in department of Medicine, Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, from March 2016 to May, 2018. Total sample size was 165 patients. Only patients who fulfilled the 2012 SLICC (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics) criteria were included in the study. SPSS version 25.0 was used data analysis. Results: Age of the patients was between 31-50 years i.e. 114(69.09%), mean and SD was 43.96±4.84 years, females were more commonly affected by calculating 99(59.70%). Patterns of lupus nephritis as per WHO classification and renal biopsy were noted which shows 18(10.91%) had Class I, 53(32.12%) Class II, 43(26.07%) Class III, 35(21.20%) Class IV, 10(6.06%) Class V and 6(3.64%) had Class VI. Conclusion: Class II and Class III Lupus Nephritis are the most common modalities found in patients of SLE. Every patient with Lupus Nephritis should undergo a Renal Biopsy for correct diagnosis of the class of this disease and further management accordingly. Keywords: Lupus Nephritis, SLE, renal biopsy

The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan, China in late December 2019 became the harbinger of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, geospatial techniques, such as modeling and mapping, have helped in disease pattern detection. Here we provide a synthesis of the techniques and associated findings in relation to COVID-19 and its geographic, environmental, and socio-demographic characteristics, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) methodology for scoping reviews. We searched PubMed for relevant articles and discussed the results separately for three categories: disease mapping, exposure mapping, and spatial epidemiological modeling. The majority of studies were ecological in nature and primarily carried out in China, Brazil, and the USA. The most common spatial methods used were clustering, hotspot analysis, space-time scan statistic, and regression modeling. Researchers used a wide range of spatial and statistical software to apply spatial analysis for the purpose of disease mapping, exposure mapping, and epidemiological modeling. Factors limiting the use of these spatial techniques were the unavailability and bias of COVID-19 data—along with scarcity of fine-scaled demographic, environmental, and socio-economic data—which restrained most of the researchers from exploring causal relationships of potential influencing factors of COVID-19. Our review identified geospatial analysis in COVID-19 research and highlighted current trends and research gaps. Since most of the studies found centered on Asia and the Americas, there is a need for more comparable spatial studies using geographically fine-scaled data in other areas of the world.

Tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) were first described in 2009. While initially the major focus was on CD8+ TRM, there has recently been increased interest in defining the phenotype and the role of CD4+ TRM in diseases. Circulating CD4+ T cells seed CD4+ TRM, but there also appears to be an equilibrium between CD4+ TRM and blood CD4+ T cells. CD4+ TRM are more mobile than CD8+ TRM, usually localized deeper within the dermis/lamina propria and yet may exhibit synergy with CD8+ TRM in disease control. This has been demonstrated in herpes simplex infections in mice. In human recurrent herpes infections, both CD4+ and CD8+ TRM persisting between lesions may control asymptomatic shedding through interferon-gamma secretion, although this has been more clearly shown for CD8+ T cells. The exact role of the CD4+/CD8+ TRM axis in the trigeminal ganglia and/or cornea in controlling recurrent herpetic keratitis is unknown. In HIV, CD4+ TRM have now been shown to be a major target for productive and latent infection in the cervix. In HSV and HIV co-infections, CD4+ TRM persisting in the dermis support HIV replication. Further understanding of the role of CD4+ TRM and their induction by vaccines may help control sexual transmission by both viruses.

The internet has presented marketers with diverse methods to interact with their target market, and viral marketing is one of those low-cost methods. The purpose of this study is to explore how viral marketing impacts purchase intentions through customer-based brand equity (CBBE) on the basis of models proposed by Aaker and Keller. Social media is one of the essential indicators that influence customers to purchase intensions. However, brand loyalty, one of the important components of CBBE, is studied in terms of customers' purchase intentions. This study focuses on identifying the role of viral marketing in developing positive brand equity in customers' mindsets. A comparison of previous and present CBBE models are also presented in this study.

Objectives: The objective of this research was to elucidate some of the major relation of thyroid dysfunctions, keeping in view the various selected demographic details of included patients. Methods: This study was approved by the ethical committee of Services hospital, Lahore and was conducted in Services hospital, Lahore. The blood samples were collected, followed by their analysis for triiodothyronine (T3), tetraiodothyronine (T4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Results: The results obtained regarding the demographical aspects of the patients revealed that female gender has categorically significantly high percentage of occurrence of thyroid abnormality as compared to male gender (75.8% vs. 24.2%). Results regarding locality distribution of the patients depicted that majority of those belonged to the local population of Lahore and Faisalabad region. Conclusion: In Pakistan especially Punjab, thyroid diseases are more common in females as compared to males. The most probable causes could be lactation and pregnancy.

Background and Objective: Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and is initiating an overburden in developing countries. A grave illness, such as cancer, not only affects lives of patients, but also the lives of their caregivers. A caregiver nurtures continuous support, responsibility, concern and care hence, undergoes immense psychological distress because of the fear of losing their loved one, thus affecting their own quality of life (QOL). The study aims to assess the QOL of caregivers of cancer patients by using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL BREF) Questionnaire. Methods: This cross-sectional study of caregivers of cancer patient’s was carried out at INMOL, Mayo Hospital, Jinnah Hospital and Children Hospital Lahore within 6 months in 2017. Interviews of 267 caregivers of diagnosed cancer patients were taken using WHOQOL BREF Questionnaire. Information was collected regarding QOL of caregivers and socio-demographic variables. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used for data compilation and analysis hence taking P-value ≤0.05 as significant. Results: The study results suggest that several conditions obtain an impact on the QOL of caregivers. For all measures the higher the score calculated the better the QOL. The caregivers of cancer patients reported the lowest mean score (6.89 ± 1.56) in general health and QOL. Caregiver’s low educational status, married stature, along-with their own current illness and health problems described lowest mean scores in QOL. Conclusion: The results of this study provided information that caregivers revealed a low QOL. Therefore understanding of several aspects affecting the QOL of caregivers may assist in improving their ability to care for patients and themselves. Initiation of patient care training programs for caregivers would be helpful.

The desire to be proud of something is a natural emotion. However, the marketing and behavioural science disciplines have yet to catch up with the powerful intrinsic feeling of pride. Hence, our article aims to better understand brand pride, a less studied construct, by considering the literature on branding, consumer–brand relationships, brand pride and its behavioural outcomes. Based on the literature, we identify several research themes: (a) the nature of the construct brand and the construct pride, (b) from consumer to brand pride and (c) context of brand pride as emotion and outcomes of brand pride. We recommend future research directions to enhance further the literature based on the review.

Wideband noise cancelling LNAs reported in recent literature consume very large power because of the additional stages required for noise cancelling. This makes them inappropriate for portable applications. Based on this fact, the design of a low power, noise cancelling, wideband LNA is presented in this paper. To demonstrate the proposed circuit, novel use of popular current reuse LNA architecture in combination with the noise cancellation technique is presented. The current reuse architecture aids in obtaining necessary phase difference between signal and noise while providing power optimization. This paper presents detailed mathematical analysis of the modified input impedance, gain and noise figure. The proposed LNA is designed for UWB applications using 130 nm IBM CMOS process. The simulation results demonstrated 3 dB bandwidth of 2.35–9.37 GHz with maximum forward gain (S21) of 10.3 dB and achieved minimum noise figure (NFmin) of 3.68 dB. The simulated input referred third order intercept point (IIP3) and 1 dB compression point (P1dB) are found to be −4 dBm and −12.55 dBm respectively. With a power supply of 1.3 V, the proposed circuit consumes 9.97 mW only.

The synthesis of nano-sized ferromagnetic iron oxide nano-particles by dissolving ferric salts in citric acid by sol-gel technique is reported. X-ray diffraction has confirmed the synthesis of hematite phase. Optical band gap of iron oxide nano-particles annealed at 1000 ˚C is found to be 2.72 eV. The magnetic behavior is characterized by magnetization measurements. Saturation magnetization is 0.026 emu/g and coercivity is 1738 Oestered.

Land cover analysis and land use transformations, which are mainly associated with population growth, are considered as essential elements for studying the relationship between population growth, land use conversions and environmental consequences. Most cities of the world are becoming urbanized with every passing day and human induced land cover changes are modifying the pattern of land use in urban areas. Currently, Pakistan is standing at an influential place with regard to the size of its population, occupying sixth position among the world countries. Almost all its administrative entities have experienced unprecedented population growth throughout its entire life. Its urban areas are expanding more rapidly than their rural counterparts due to both by natural increase and by rural-urban migration. Study area for the current research, Bahawalpur is one of the fastest growing cities of Pakistan ranking twelfth among the cities of Punjab Province. This study aims at to examine the historical population growth of the city since last fifty years correlated with changing land use pattern and urban area expansion. Study is based on secondary data analysis using urban expansion indices for measuring the rate of urban change with increasing population growth. Application of regression model also verifies the increasing rate of urban area with population size and indicates an alarming situation for urban and city planners. Trend of urban growth in Bahawalpur shows that city is moving promptly towards highly urbanized cities of Pakistan. Its unprecedented and unplanned expansion may cause serious urban problems. Thus, it needs a serious look and attention of city planners. This study can also be helpful in providing some base line information.

Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles are synthesized chemically by sol-gel method. The nanoparticles have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermo gravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis-differential scanning calorimetry (TGA/DTA-DSC), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). XRD results identify hematite phase of iron oxide nanoparticles. The average crystalline size of the nanoparticles increased from 34 to 36.7 nm when the annealing temperature increased from 400 °C to 1000 °C. FTIR technique also confirmed XRD results. Phase transformation temperatures were determined by DSC-TGA. The exothermic peak at 720.2 °C is attributed to the phase change from y Fe 2 O 3 (low temperature phase) to α Fe 2 O 3 (high temperature phase). The annealing temperature also affects the optical properties since the measured band gap increased from 2.4 to 2.7 eV when the annealing temperature increased from 400 to 1000 °C.

In this paper, a novel architecture for wideband input impedance matching consisting of two common gate (CG) transistors is presented. One CG transistor is placed on top of the other in a current reuse fashion such that both transistors appear in parallel at the input. As a consequence, the transconductance requirement for input matching from each NMOS transistor is reduced to half compared to a simple CG LNA without effecting the total gain. The proposed input matching technique achieves a large bandwidth and high gain with comparatively small power consumption. The designed UWB LNA is simulated using IBM 130nm CMOS process with Spectre RF. Post Layout simulation results depict S11 and S22 better than −6.5 dB and −15 dB respectively. The gain and 3 dB bandwidth are 15 dB and 2.1 GHz, respectively. The LNA demonstrates minimum NF of 3.7 dB at 3.53 GHz in the passband, input referred 1dBCP of −15.32 dBm with IIP3 of −10.5 dBm. The proposed LNA consumes only 2.6 mW with Vdd of 1.4 V.