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Several studies have demonstrated global climate change, which has happened worldwide; it significantly impacts terrestrial ecosystems. Studying vegetation phenology can provide insight into the impact of climate changes on ecosystems. Alashan Plateau Semi-Desert is located between the Tibetan Plateau and the Gobi Desert and has an arid continental climate. This area consists of highlands, and the sensitivity of natural vegetation to temperature and climate change is very high. This study aims to identify climate trends in forest cover indices using weather (meteorological) data from 1982 to 2019 across the Alashan Plateau Semi-Desert. Based on this, 13 variables that affect climate change were selected, and the possible effect of climate factors on vegetation indices was predicted using MATLAB. The results showed that over the past 38 years, three forest cover indices, LAI, FAPAR, and NDVI, decreased by about 6-10, 6-7, and 19-20 percent correspondingly, and it can be assumed that this decline is due to climate change. In general, it can be said that climate changeshave adverse effects in hot and dry regions and highlands. With the current climate change trends, such as increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall, reducing the dynamics of vegetation indices in these areas can be seen dramatically.

The present study was conducted to assess woody species diversity, composition and natural regeneration status of Jorgo Wato Natural Forest across different vegetation types and altitudinal gradients. A forest was stratified into three vegetation categories including Tree grass land (TGL), High forest (HF) and Dense wood land (DWL). The altitudinal gradients in each vegetation type were classified in to three ranges from the bottom to the top of the forest. A three parallel transect lines were laid down vertically in each vegetation type along altitudinal gradients. A total of 36 nested quadrats having 20 m x 20 m and 1 m x 1 m sub-plots were laid down following altitudinal gradients along the transect lines to collect vegetation data, parameters like diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height (H) and counting seedlings. The finding of the present study identified a total of 39 woody species that belong to 35 genera and 30 families in the forest. The total number of woody species recorded from the three vegetation types (TGL, HF and DWL) was found to be 26, 26 and 21 in the respective order. The overall mean stem density/ha, species richness/plot, Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index (H') and evenness (J) were 1087.5 plants/ha, 8.09, 1.715 and 0.81, respectively.The lower diversity index value of woody species (1.715), show that the woody species diversity among vegetation types was not significantly different. The species richness, Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index and evenness significantly varied (p0.05) among vegetation type. Therefore, the best way and design to protect forest regarding natural vegetation categories need to be applied to enhance and expand the benefits of ecosystem services, mainly the potential of carbon storage in climate change mitigation.

Aeshna mixta (Latreille 1805) is added to the Anisoptera fauna of Pakistan by reporting it from district Neelum of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Geopolitically the study area lies in an area facing uncertain ground conditions since inception of Pakistan. It is a hard to reach valley between India and Pakistan, very close to the line of control. Out of twenty sampling sites, specimens of Aeshna mixta were found from fifteen localities of the district. With the addition of this taxon, Anisoptera fauna of Pakistan now count 74 species. The area under district Neelum represents many lush green valleys with lots of natural water bodies that support a broad complex of Odonata. More surveys in the area are suggested to unveil more important records from the area.

Hepatitis C is a global health issue. Pakistan is among the prevalent countries for hepatitis C virus (HCV). Due to poverty, unemployment, low literacy rate, unawareness and poor health facilities, Pakistani population are susceptible to HCV transmission. As blood transfusion is a potential source of HCV; therefore, this study was designed to determine the recent seroprevalence of HCV among the healthy blood donors of Karachi, Pakistan. For this purpose, 536 blood donors were screened for antiHCV antibodies by 3rd generation ELISA. The seroprevalence of HCV observed is 2.99% among healthy blood donors. Male predominance is noticed with seropositivity of 2.62%; however, only 0.37% female blood donors were reactive for anti-HCV antibodies. This study concludes that HCV frequency has been increased in the natives of Karachi, Pakistan when compared to the past studies. Therefore, it is recommended that the healthcare authorities should play a vital role in enforcing preventive measures for HCV transmission.

A soft drink or a carbonated drink is a non-alcoholic drink that commonly contains water, a sweetener, carbon dioxide, acidulants, colorings, preservatives, antioxidants, and/or foaming agents, and a flavoring agent. A total of 200 adult patients of low socioeconomic status, aged 18-35 years, were selected to participate in the study. A questionnaire with 26 closed ended questions was designed for the present study which consists of questions regarding knowledge, attitude and practice of consumption of sweetened carbonated beverages. One hundred and ninety nine (99.5%) of the subjects enjoyed drinking soft drinks. Out of 200 subjects only 8 (4%) responded that they will stop drinking soft drinks. The present study results showed that all the target population heard about soft drinks but very few of them were aware of the ill effects on general health and on teeth. So there is a need to spread awareness among people about the adverse effects of the carbonated beverages consumption and thus there is a need to plan health education programs.

Hypertension is one of the well-studied risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and the oldest class of hypertensive drugsisthe calcium channel blockers.Amlodipine besylate (ADB) belongsto the dihydropyridine family and is known as an effective initial treatment for hypertension and angina. It has a gradual onset of action and is administered in concomitant diseases with minimal side effects. Its basic mechanism of action is the blockage of calcium ions influx into cardiac muscles and vascular muscles. The physical appearance of ADB is white crystalline with a molecular weight of 567.1. Its 6.9 mg is equivalent to 5 mg of amlodipine (AM) free base. This review focuses on all the basic aspects of ADB which is one of the initial treatment regimens for cardiovascular diseases since last two decades

Isolation of operating site from saliva and other oral fluids prior to commencing a restorative or endodontic procedure via rubber dam is considered as standard healthcare protocol. Numerous studies have been globally conducted including Saudi Arabia to assess use or non-use of this magnificent method of isolation by dental clinicians. To the best of our knowledge, no such study is available about attitude of dentists working in Ha’il i.e. Northern region of Saudi Arabia. This study has been planned to fill the gap by assessing the dentists’ attitude towards the use of this imperial isolation technique. A meticulously prepared and prepiloted questionnaire was used as survey tool. It was distributed among licensed public sector dentists participating in various continuing dental education programs. The young dentists between 24–35 years of age were found using rubber dam in majority (74%) whereas the 75% senior dentists (age above 35 years) responded as not using rubber dam isolation. The most responded reasons for non-use of rubber dam were difficulty in placement and time consumption

The trend of formulation development of controlled release (CR) matrix drug delivery system has been increased to many folds during the last few years. Such CR dosage forms are now considered to be more effective than conventional immediate release dosage formulations due to avoidance of frequent dose administration with precise drug release over an extended time period. A properly formulated matrix based system also offers targeted delivery to a selected organ/tissue where the drug release is controlled at a specific rate. Development of matrix-based tablets with persistent drug release has always been a challenge to the pharmaceutical manufacturers owed to various biological, physicochemical and release limiting factors. In this review, different types of matrix-based systems are discussed in detail. Parameters that greatly influence the release of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) from the matrix design and would eventually affect the overall performance of such products are also been highlighted

Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an x-linked disorder that consequently causes the hemolysis of red blood cells (RBCs) when exposed to certain triggering factors like medications, food or disease. The current study aims to determine the awareness and knowledge level of the Saudi community in Riyadh city. A random sample of 86 participants was asked to fill a pre-designed questionnaire examining the awareness and knowledge level about G6PD deficiency. Results of the study indicated that the Saudi community had a poor knowledge level about G6PD deficiency, especially in the pattern of inheritance, symptoms, and factors triggering this disorder. The study also recommends that there is an urgent need to carry out campaigns to increase awareness level in the Saudi community regarding G6PD deficiency

Aspirin (ASA) and aspirin-caffeine dosage forms are widely used as analgesic drugs. In the present study specific stability-indicating two- and three-component spectrometric methods have been developed for the assay of ASA and its degradation product, salicylic acid, in the presence and absence of caffeine (CF). The methods have been validated with respect to different parameters such as linearity, range, accuracy, precision, reproducibility, limit of detection, limit of quantification and specificity. The results indicated that the proposed methods are linear in the range of 0.00050.005 mg%, highly accurate (99.0100.1%), precise (

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) or more commonly known as hydatid cyst is a zoonotic infection caused by Echinococcus granulosus. Although the two most common locations of hydatid cyst are liver and lungs, it may appear in any other part of the body and therefore clinical presentation of the infection largely depends on the site and size of the lesion. In the present study, a 65 years old Afghan ex-smoker male diagnosed with tuberculosis was presented with the symptoms such as cough, hemoptysis, chest pain, shortness of breath on exertion and low-grade fever. The antituberculous treatment was stopped with no benefit and then the patient was treated with albendazole at a dose of 15 mg/kg/day in divided doses for three months. The treatment was stopped at three months time with a 14 days drug-free period following which the treatment was restarted. The treatment continued for three cycles each lasting for three months with a 14 days drug-free period. The patient treated with albendazole was discharged in healthy condition. However, surgical resection of cysts is another safe alternative to avoid the rupture and consequent anaphylaxis

Plague is a disease of rodents carried to man by fleas and is non-existent in Pakistan. It represents a typical example of the evolution of human disease from an infection, originally confined to wild animals. Due to the closeness of Pakistan with India, the danger exists where it can become entrenched in the wild animals. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients who lives in the endemic area or have exposure to animals known to harbor the vector. An attempt has been made in this review to understand the bionomics, clinical findings, diagnosis, epidemiology and prevention of the disease

The recent outbreak of primary meningoencephalitis caused by free-living amoebae (FLA), Naegleria fowleri, has gained increasing attention due to their confirmed fatality. It is caused by the entrance of contaminated water into nasal passage mainly by ablution practices. The symptoms include severe headache, nausea, vomiting along with fever finally leading to death. FLA other than N. fowleri such as Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia species are also harmful because they are vectors of many bacterial pathogens including Vibrio, Pseudomonas, Legionella, Enterobacter and Mycobacterium species which help them to feed and colonize in environments, thus contributing to their pathogenesis and transferability to their hosts. Pakistan, being an underdeveloped country, faces long-term shortfalls of electricity resulting in serious water scarcity leading to public dependence on stored water resources, which are breeding hubs for FLA. The rationale of the present review is to highlight the importance of N. fowleri and primary meningoencephalitis and to investigate the recent outbreak in Pakistan.

The photoinitiated polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) (1–3 M) using camphorquinone (CQ) / triethanolamine (TEOHA) system has been studied in the pH range 6.0–9.0. The kinetics of the reaction has been evaluated during the initial stages causing about 5% HEMA conversion to avoid the effects of any variation in the volume of the solution. The change in the concentration of HEMA during polymerization has been determined by a UV spectrometric method at 208 nm with a precision of ±3%. The apparent first-order rate constants (kobs) for the polymerization of HEMA by CQ in the presence of 0.01 M TEOHA, carried out up to 100 s, range from 3.35–7.78 (1 M), 2.72–6.78 (2 M) and 2.33–5.89×10–4 s –1 (3 M). The second-order rate constants for the interaction of TEOHA radicals with HEMA (1–3 M) range from 2.33–7.78×10–2 M–1 s –1 at pH 6.0–9.0 indicating an increase in the reactivity of TEOHA radicals with an increase in the pH of the solution. There is a linear relation between kobs (1–3 M HEMA) and inverse of solution viscosity suggesting the quenching of CQ excited state with an increase in the viscosity of the medium

Wound healing is a process of the body replacing devitalized and/or missing tissue in order to fill a cavity and repair damaged skin. The process typically occurs in a coordinated manner taking up time depending upon the nature of the wound. During this time wounds are vulnerable to repeated trauma and breakdown and should be protected where possible. Generally, wounds are healed by four phasestermed as vascularization, inflammation, proliferation, and maturation. A number of factors such as age, weight, nutritional status, immune response, dehydration, inadequate blood supply to the wound, chronic disease, radiations, surgery etc. greatly influence the process of wound healing

Cotton buds are commonly used for a variety of purposes such as to clean the ears, remove wax, in case of itching in the ear, aural toilet in discharging ears and some time as a habit. The current study aims to explore the level of awareness and knowledge among the Saudi community regarding the hazards associated with using cotton buds for ears cleaning. A cross-sectional descriptive survey has been performed over a two weeks period on a sample composed of 93 individuals where a pre-designed questionnaire was filled by the participants. The results showed that there is a significant lack of knowledge and awareness among the community members regarding the hazards and further complications that could result from using cotton buds for ears cleaning. Moreover, findings of the study show that there is a weakness in providing the correct information and guidelines about the risk of using cotton buds. It is concluded that Saudi community has poor awareness and knowledge levels regarding the hazards associated with the use of cotton buds. Therefore, it is recommended that intensive awareness campaigns are needed to educate people and increase their knowledge level.

Ear cleaning and removing the available wax out of them is one of the most widely spread habits among the different populations despite the harmful effect and consequences that could result. Ear wax is useful and protective for the human ears, and in normal cases it exists in healthy amounts inside the ear canal. Current study aims to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of ear care among Saudi community members through studying a sample composed of 200 participants from both rural and urban populations. A self-administered questionnaire consisted of 15 items have been administered to the study groups. Findings of the study showed that there is a lack of knowledge and a high practice of incorrect habits, besides to the low awareness level among the rural population regarding ear care compared to the urban population. Study recommends that there is a need to perform more studies and increase the awareness of the community members towards the correct and healthy way of ear care

Limited mouth opening, which is also known as trismus or lockjaw, has a number of abeyant issues and its treatment depends on the major cause. The objective of this study is to figure out the common causes of limited mouth opening in Karachi and to ascertain the management approach for a patient with trismus. The level of awareness and skill amongst clinicians with reference to the management of patients with trismus has also been evaluated. About 300 dental clinicians were asked a group of questions by the help of a questionnaire. The survey was conducted amongst the public and private dental OPDs in Karachi. The questions have been asked to evaluate the level of awareness, diagnostic approach, and quality of management and care offered to the patients having trismus. The three most common causes of trismus according to the present study came out to be oral submucosal fibrosis (26.7%), infections (24.0%), and trauma (15.0%), respectively. The dentists have chosen different management approaches according to their field of specialization and case dependence such as physiological mouth opening exercises (50.7%), prescribing medications specially muscle relaxants (24.3%), incision on contracted oral mucosa (12.7%), correction of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or bone deformity (7.7%), and intralesional corticosteroid therapy (4.7%). The study concluded that trismus can turn into a potentially life-threatening situation if misdiagnosed and managed improperly; therefore, special attention should be given to patients coming with any of the above-mentioned symptoms.

Boron and its related compounds are found in abundance in nature such as soil, water, and plants. Use of borates dates back to the time of Babylonians and Egyptians, some 4000 years ago, for gold refining and mummifying the dead. It was later discovered as a useful laboratory and industrial agent along with an effective antiseptic and insecticidal compound. In combination with other compounds, boron complexes showed a positive effect as an anticancer agent. Currently, borates are extensively employed in the field of medicine, dentistry, cosmetology, nuclear, aeronautical fuels, weaponry, agricultural, chemicals, etc. Moreover, they are also used in industrial processes as abrasives, refractories, flame retardants, glazes, frits, enamels, and metallurgy. The various characteristics of borates including its application are discussed and reviewed in this article, which may be beneficial for researchers in the development of various scientific and technological fields.

Child development is basically the changes that occur in children from various aspects. The development is influenced by both internal factors (such as genetics and hormonal) as well as environmental and parental stimulation as an external factor. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of nutrition and parenting style on child development in Wilayah Puskesmas Social District of Palembang. The study included 107 children of age 35 years. The children were selected with purposive sampling technique using simple random sampling method and the data was analyzed statistically. The results of the study indicated that there is an influence of parenting style towards child development whereas there is no influence of nutritional status on child development. The study concluded that non-authoritative parenting style may lead to doubting the development of a child six times greater than the authoritative parenting style

Placental vessels contain one-third of newborn blood volume termed as umbilical cord blood (UCB). It is an enriched product with many benefits but unfortunately, it is usually discarded as waste. Since the identification of its benefits, many countries have established Cord Blood Banks using UCB for transfusion and transplantation. Despite having a high fertility rate, no such facility is currently present in Pakistan. UCB is used as autologous blood and can also be used as a homologous source. In this study, 200 UCB units (250 ml blood bags; anticoagulant volume adjusted) were collected, volume obtained was calculated and correlated with gestational age and birth weight. Pearsons correlation coefficient has been applied on means that showed a strong positive relationship. In addition, different hematological and biochemical parameters (storage lesion parameters) were measured and mean values were calculated in order to provide baseline values. The study concluded that UCB can be collected in blood bags. More the gestational age and birth weight more will be the blood volume collected. It is recommended to conduct large-scale studies regarding the collection, storage and transfusion of UCB to provide a platform for the establishment of Cord Blood Banks in Pakistan.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is widely consumed as food preservative and flavor enhancer. MSG administration in rats has been reported to induce oxidative stress causing damage to ovarian histological structures by affecting number of follicles and production of reproductive hormones. Polyphenols in green tea are suggested as powerful antioxidants that inhibit free radicals responsible for causing oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the effects of various doses of green tea on the Graafian follicles and serum 17b-estradiol levels in rats exposed to MSG. The design of this study was the post test only control group experiment. A total of twenty-five white female rats (Rattus norvegicus) were divided into 5 treatment groups. MSG in a dose of 0.7 mg/g body weight (BW) and green tea extract (Camellia sinensis) in doses of 0.7, 1.4, and 2.8 mg/day were administered orally over 30 day period starting after the rats proestrus phase. Graafian follicles were counted using light microscope while serum 17b-estradiol level was measured using ELISA kit and the data was statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA. A significant difference of Graafian follicles number (p

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the principal cause of death globally. To decrease this mortality rate, a wide-ranging program from hospital discharge to highly structured and monitored exercise therapy is required. Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) purposes to decrease risks, disability, augment emotional welfare, to implement and follow healthy behavior, thus adopting a healthy life style. This study was aimed to determine the factors that affect adherence of post coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patient`s to Cardiac Rehabilitation. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 255 Post CABG patients with age 30 years above. Patients in Phase II and III of CR were interviewed through self-designed structured questionnaire. After taking the informed Consent during their hospital visit in eight hospitals in Karachi. Questioner was self-design structured questions with responses on Likert Scale. Patients in phase I of CR, patients in fitness program, pregnant females, Patients with disability, severe functional impairment and co-morbidities that limit CR participation were excluded. The collected data were entered in and analyze by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0 Software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois). Frequencies and percentages were taken out for all qualitative variables and presented in tabular form. Most patients were referred for CR by the cardiologist (51.0%). A major factor that leads to non-adherence were distance to CR facilities (83.75%), fatigue (83.55%), lack of time (67.8%), lack of transport (62.7%). Other significant factors were illiteracy (42%), financial issues (63.9%), low self-efficacy (64%), lowlevel of physical fitness (39.6%). Adherence to Phase-II- CR was 52.2%, with no significant differences between men and women. Adherence was observed in patients who have accepted their condition (81.1%), learned to cope with the limitations (76.8%), were comfortable with exercise regime (67.4%), believed that exercise will decrease the deconditioning (74.9%) and will improve physical fitness (20.8%). Major

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the periodontal disease status among adult population of private dental clinic of outpatient department Karachi. It was descriptive cross sectional study. A brief study protocol was explained and verbal Informed consent was obtained from each study participants before the oral examination. The examination of oral cavity was carried out according to the World’s Health Organization oral health survey form (1997) using an examination instruments and CPITN probe under proper light source. The data was analyzed by using statistical package for social sciences SPSS 20 version. A total of 104 study participants. The mean age was 2.09 and standard deviations showed 0.837, along with the three age groups were 20-25 (30.8%), 26-35 (29.8%), and 36-45 (39.4%). However, the individuals were doing private job were 44.2%, governments job peoples was 14.4%, businessman persons were 1.9%, jobless individuals were 4.8%, those women’s are housewives were 32.7% and other jobs doing participants like tailor, labor-man, shopkeepers etc., were 1.9%. According to the community periodontal index (CPI) the patients who had diagnosed with bleeding gums were 22.1% this result showed that gingivitis was seen in this rural community of Gadap town, likewise, those patients who attended the dental hospital OPD that have a poor oral hygiene noticed that plaque and calculus deposition was seen during the oral examination were 52.9%. A few personnel who attended the dental clinic in the hospital they had a periodontal pocket depth 4-5mm and gingivitis were 3.8%.

The object of present study is to analyze the various oils used in the preparation of herbal formulations and available in the market. However, it is uncertain whether these raw materials comply with the standards prescribed in the pharmacopeias. Methods In this study three oils of plant source i.e.Syzygium aromaticum, and .have been obtained from the market and various quality control tests including Physico-chemical characteristics, thin layer chromatography (TLC), spectrophotometric assay (British Pharmacopoeia) have been performed to determine their compliance with the officials standards. The TLC has been used for the identification of the active ingredients on comparison of their RF values with the reference standard. Result The qualitative and quantitative evaluation has been carried out on the selected herbal oils. Some of them were found to comply with official standards while some did not comply probably due to adulteration or being spurious or substandard raw material. Though this type of study provide useful data that would be helpful for manufacturer in the authentication of these oil obtained from plant sources for formulation purpose.

Introduction: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common micronutrient deficiency that has affected more than 1.5 billion individuals worldwide. IDA in Pakistan is quite prevalent. Usually IDA treatment is undertaken per oral but in certain cases a refractory state of anemia develops. This state is usually not taken seriously by clinicians and is overruled. Current study was done to see a prospect of refractory anemia (IDA) in light of malabsorption; one of the major causes of IDA. Material and Methods: IDA diagnosis was carried out by performing CBC along with serum ferritin and serum iron. A total of 100 patients were selected (IDA patients) and were administered with oral FeSO4 stat along with ascorbic acid. Another sample from each IDA patient was taken 2 hours after the dose administration. Individuals showing no elevation in serum iron levels after FeSO4 administration were labelled as patients suffering from malabsorption. Results: A total sum of 100 IDA patients were selected in the study. Among them 95% (n=95) showed response to oral iron administration, while 5% (n=5) showed no response to oral iron and therefore, were suffering from IDA due to malabsorption. Conclusion: This study revealed that a substantial number of IDA patients suffer from malabsorption. Keeping this figure in mind, clinicians should be cautious and should shift to parenteral iron as soon as a refractory anemia is suspected.

To compare the effectiveness of Cryotherapy therapy and Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation in the Management of knee osteoarthritis. This Quasi experimental study was carried out at Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi. Total 60 Individuals with complain of painful knee osteoarthritis fulfilling inclusion criteria were selected on voluntarily basis. Selected patients were evenly divided and randomly allocated into two groups with age and gender matching. The group (A) received Cryotherapy along with exercises and (B) Group received a high frequency stimulation of TENS along with exercises. Individuals were treated four days per week for five consecutive weeks. Outcome was analyzed in both groups, on initialÊsession and on last session using Numeric pain rating Scale. The results of this study shows that both interventions helped in reduction of pain. On numeric pain rating scale lesser values were for cryotherapy as compare to that of TENS. The results it is suggest that cryotherapy is more effective than use of TENS and also the use of ice in Cryotherapy is much more cost effective procedure as compared to TENS

Background:The concept of assessing that, the knowledge and awareness of the subject of tooth morphology among the final year BDS students and house officers is helpful in their clinical practice. Methodology:The study was conducted among the final year BDS students and house officers. Data was collected by a predesigned proforma. The sample size calculated was 310 by keeping proportion 52% and confidence interval 95% and margin of error 5% in open epi. 3.01. Results:Results of the survey and feedback revealed that the technical difficulties had been faced during clinical practice in different fields of dentistry due to the lack of basic knowledge of the subject. Conclusion:Knowledge and awareness of the subject lays the foundation headed for a skillful dentist and an assertive clinician.

Objective: The objective of the study was to find the prevalence of risk of kyphotic posture in Laptop user usingAcademicians using the Occiput Wall Distance Test. Methodology: An observationalstudy was conducted. The simple random technique was used to select 100 participants. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic information of participants and Occiput Wall Distance was used to evaluate the severity of kyphoticKyphotic posture. Chi-square test was applied to analyzeanalyse the association between occiput wall test and age, gender, BMI and hours of laptop use. Results: The result showed the presence of kyphosis in academicians. Total laptop usersOut of were 100 participants in which 63 % of participants had mild kyphosis, 26 % of participants had moderate kyphosis and 11 % had severe kyphosis. There is wasno association betweenacademicians’ gender and hours of laptop use was found inOcciput Wall Distance testwhereas, there isa significant association was found between academicians’ age and BMIwith occiput wall distance test was observed. Background: There is a misconception about Kyphotic posture which concludes that it’sit’s probably being a gender biased phenomenon or depending depends upon the number of hours a person spendst on laptop, the greater the time, the more the chances of it. Whereas in actual, it is dependent upon the age and the actual BMI of an individual. Conclusion: The greater the age and BMI the greater the chances of Kyphotic posture, however one with growing age can certainly minimize the risk of Kyphotic posture by maintaining their BMI with the growing age as the old saying goes that obesity is the mother of all problems therefore one should definitely keep an eye on their BMI to overcome the risks of all the risks in life.

Introduction:The Rh blood group system is one of the most polymorphic and immunogenic blood group systems in humans. The expression of its antigens is complex, among that Rh-D antigen is the most important antigen because of its high immunogenicity. Molecular genetic of RHD gene revealed that weak D antigen is a Rh-D phenotype that possesses less numbers of D antigen epitopes on surface of red cells. These individuals usually labeled RhD -ve by conventional testing but when transfused to RhD –ve person, it can elicit antibody production. Variableincidence of weak D worldwide,lack of awareness, proper data & multi-ethnic population of our country propelled to analyze it. Material and Methods:A cross-sectional study conducted from August 2012 to August 2014. Around 48,228 healthy blood donors were tested for RhD factor. Commercially available monoclonal anti-D sera were used to detect Rh-D factor status. Individuals found negative with saline anti-D, were further investigated for weak D antigen by using indirect Coomb’s technique (IAT). Results:Among 48,228 healthy blood donors, 44853 (93%) were Rh-D factor positive while 3375 (7%) were Rh-D factor negative. Among these, 3375 Rh-D factor negative individuals 27 (0.8%) were found to be weak D positive. Conclusion: Although frequency of weak D does not came high among our donors but is still significant enough to advocate testing of weak D in routine for all Rh –ve donors & pregnant women in order to avoid consequences of anti-D allo-immunization which can lead to serious hemato-pathological problem.

Objective: To determine the effect of analgesia postoperatively when bupivacaine is used alone and in combination with tramadol as caudal block anesthesia in pediatric infra-umbilical surgeries Subject and Methods: A study conducted in Pediatric Surgery Department of Civil Hospital Karachi, Dow University of Health Sciences. This is a Randomized trial which includes a total of 60 children undergoing infra-umbilical surgeries. Patients got randomly allocated into 2 groups, 30 in (Bupivacaine-Tramadol) group A, which were given 0.5ml/kg 0.25% bupivacaine & 1mg/kg tramadol while 30 patients in group Bwho received 0.5ml/kg 0.25% bupivacaine as caudal block anesthesia respectively. Hemodynamic status was monitored. The end point of the study was onset of pain in patient if Baker-Wong FACES Pain Rating Scale Score >4. The time frame of our study was six months from 1st July – 31st December 2015. Results: The mean age was 4.66±1.79 years. Mean duration of postoperative analgesia was significantly prolonged in group A as compared to group B (p =0.0005). Conclusion: Tramadol when added with bupivacaine in caudal analgesic block has an additive and long-lasting effect and there was a decreased need to provide rescue analgesia after surgery

The purpose of this article writing was to go through the prominent changes and associated safety in diabetic patients during the Islamic month of fasting. Various researches have been conducted upon physiological changes in a diabetic patient during the period of Islamic fasting, but still there is no variation perceived pathologically influencing the body weight, blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin, fructose amine, Cpeptide, cholesterol or triglycerides ranges. In the suggestive portion of the following articles, the diabetic patients were advised to carry on with their regular routine. The pre-eminent point noted was that the patients adjusted their drug regimen especially by those with type I diabetes mellitus. Adjusting of drug regimen along with control over the diet and daily activities composed a Ramadan 3D Triangle through which a proper supervision and education came in to being concluding that few of the type I and most of the type II diabetes mellitus patients who wanted to fast could carefully manage it.

Vitamins are essential micronutrients required for normal growth and biochemical functions. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) is a water-soluble vitamin present in dairy products, vegetables, wheat, egg yolk, and meat. A number of techniques have been used for the analysis of riboflavin alone and in mixtures including UV and visible spectrometry, mass spectrometry, fluorimetry, chromatography and electrochemical methods. This article presents a mini review of the analytical methods that are used for the determination of riboflavin (vitamin B2) in pharmaceutical products, food materials, and biological samples. These methods are based on spectral and electrochemical characteristics of riboflavin.

Background: The non-medical use of dependence-producing drugs is not a new phenomenon and is strongly related with the global health burden. This study was conducted to ascertain the usage of different types along with risk assessment and the need for intervention of substance/ drug use among the medical students across Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: This cross – sectional study was performed at four medical colleges (two public and two private) across Karachi, Pakistan from July 2018 to January 2019. A total of 445 participants who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were inducted in present chosen for this study. A self administered self-administered screening questionnaire designed by World Health Organization ASSIST (i.e. (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test) for assessing various levels of substance abuse was used to collect the information, which was then noted and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Out of 445 respondents, 273 (61.3%) had never used any psychoactive substance, 97 (21.8%) had tried at least one, 34(7.6%) had used at least two, 23(5.2%) had tried three, while 18 (4%) had tried four or more psychoactive drugs in their life time. Nearly 26.3% respondents reported Tobacco consummation, was reportedly consumed by approximately 26.3% respondents, where in which 82% were found with at low risk/no intervention, 17.1% having moderate risk/brief intervention and 0.9% had high risk/intensive treatment category. Use of psychoactive drug was significantly higher among private medical college male students. Conclusion: As illustrated by this study, the wieldiest most commonly abused substance was tobacco-containing compounds followed by sedatives. The aforementioned trend occurrence was largeliest larcenist noted in private colleges where male students were remained as major contributors, mostly seen among male medical student belonging to the private sectors as compared to females and public sector colleges.

Background: Physical activity (PA) plays an important role in prevention of obesity in children and adolescents. Current evidence provides useful visions to better understand how they just rely on each other. The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between obesity and PA in children. Material & Methods: This study was conducted on 100 children, fourth to eight class, and aged between 9- 14 years. Body Mass Index and PA were measured in 49 females and 51 males. Physical activity was measured using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children and for BMI, height was measured by inch tape and weight was measured by weight machine. Pearson’s correlation co-efficient was used to determine the correlation between PA and obesity. Results: This study showed that out of 100 participants only 12 were participated in low physical active. Mostly children 45 participate in low-moderate level of physical activity, 32 children participated in moderate, 11 were high-moderate and 0% participated in high level of physical activity on a weekly basis and BMI interpretation was only 9 were underweight, 53 were normal, 7 were overweight, 31 were obese. Results showed a moderate negative correlation between BMI and physical activity (r = -0.3325, P =0.3173). Conclusion: It has become a combined social responsibility of parents, caregivers, educators and health professionals to aware children about the negative effects of obesity and helps them in implementing strategies to prevent its development.

OBJECTIVE: To know the duration of analgesia of right-sided transversus abdominis plane block versus local anaesthetic infiltration around incision site after open appendicectomy. METHODS: A double blind, randomized controlled study conducted in the operation theatre of a private hospital, during 8 months period from January 2017 till August 2017. Patients aged 60 years, presented with American Society of Anaesthesiologist (ASA) I or II, who had to be planned open appendectomy were enrolled. Two groups were classified, Group T (transversus abdominis plane block) group, infiltrating anaesthetic drug in the skin 2” cephalad towards the iliac crest using a “double-pop” technique and Group I (surgical incision) group in which patients received infiltration into the surgical incision. Both groups were infiltrated with the 0.6ml/kg of 0.25% bupivacaine anesthesia, at their respected defined site. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients in group T was 27.32 +10.16 years while mean age in group I was 26.06 ±8.38 years (pvalue 0.683). There were 181 (61.1%) males and 115 (38.9%) females. Mean analgesia in group T was 106.66 ±2.91 minutes duration and that in group I was 38.88 ±2.85 minutes (p-value 0.001). CONCLUSION: Transverse abdominis plane block to be a patient friendly technique, rendering patients pain free for a longer period of time after open appendicectomy, as compared to the surgical incision infiltration block.

Introduction : Le diagnostic bactériologique différentiel entre Mycobactéries du complexe tuberculosis et Mycobactéries non tuberculosis essentiel pour un suivi thérapeutique approprié, n’est pas toujours fait dans les pays en voie de développement. La mise en évidence rapide de l’Ag MPT64, protéine spécifique au complexe tuberculosis peut être utilisée pour cette différentiation. Objectifs : Evaluer le test rapide immunochromatographique SD Bioline MPT64 dans notre contexte. Méthodologie : Nous avons identifié par le test SD Bioline MPT64 les Mycobactéries isolées de patients référés pour antibiogramme et sur des Mycobactéries d’origine bovine. Les résultats d’identification par le test rapide, ont été confirmés par l’identification morphologique, par le Genprobe et le spoligotyping et par les tests biochimiques, catalase thermolabile et nitrate réductase. Résultats : Une souche a été identifiée comme non tuberculosis par le test rapide alors qu’elle avait toutes les caractéristiques morphologique et biochimique en faveur du complexe tuberculosis. Nous avons évalué respectivement la spécificité et la sensibilité de ce test à 100% et à 99%. Conclusion : Ce test plus simple que les méthodes biochimiques, moins couteux que les tests moléculaires peut constituer un moyen diagnostique rapide et efficace dans les zones d’endémie tuberculeuse où les moyens diagnostiques sont limités. Les résultats négatifs doivent être cependant confirmés par une autre forme d’identification, notamment l’identification morphologique beaucoup plus abordable.

Shape, size, and structures are fundamental elements for species identification. While phenotypic variability among species of the same populations usually occurs. To understand this phenomenon modern techniques like geometric morphometrics were employed to distinguishbody shape differences. This study aimed to investigate the phenotypic variability of Glossogobius guiris with notes of physicochemical parameters in Lake Mainit, Caraga, Philippines. A total of 75 samples (35 males and 35 females) of the same size were collected and subjected to Symmetry and Asymmetry Geometric Data (SAGE) Software. Results showed that the physico-chemical parameters are within the standard levels suggested by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in the freshwater category. It implied that the condition of the water in the Lake was suitable for all aquatic life. On the other hand, Procrustes ANOVA indicated a significant difference (P

Flea beetles (Phyllotreta spp.) are among the most significant pests of canola, causing damage during the early growth stages, particularly in the seedling or cotyledon stage. Chemical control, including seed disinfection and foliar spray, is considered one of the primary strategies for managing this pest. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of seed disinfection with imidacloprid (Gaucho(R)) on different canola cultivars and foliar spray with imidacloprid (Confidor(R)) and cypermethrin for controlling flea beetles. The experiment was conducted in a factorial arrangement as a randomized complete block design in a canola field in Behshahr, Mazandaran province. The treatments included seed disinfection with Gaoucho(R) at a rate of 14 g/kg of seeds for the cultivars Hyola 50, Delgan, and RGS, and the infection coefficient was determined for each treatment. The Henderson-Tilton equation was used to calculate the percentage of insecticide efficiency for imidacloprid and cypermethrin. The results showed that the highest efficiency, with an infection coefficient close to 10%, was observed in the seed-disinfected Delgan cultivar, followed by Hyola cultivars (13.21%) after one week. The evaluation of insecticide efficiency also revealed that cypermethrin had the highest efficiency at approximately 90% after seven and three days of spraying, while the lowest efficiency was observed for Confidor(R) at around 60% three days after spraying. Comparison of the infection coefficients of the sprayed treatments with seed disinfected Hyola cultivars after four weeks indicated that foliar spray with cypermethrin exhibited the best efficiency with an infection coefficient of 15.18%. Based on the results of this study, the Delgan cultivar with seed disinfection and cypermethrin as the most effective insecticide is recommended for controlling flea beetles in canola.

Arthropods importance can be assessed for beneficial use especially in reducing dependence on scarce animal protein source especially fishmeal in aquaculture nutrition. Biochemical composition of African giant millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas) was conducted according to standard methods for proximate, phytochemical, mineral content, fatty acid and amino acid profile. Nutritional content analysis of millipede revealed crude protein of 63.24±0.05%, ether extracts 11.70±0.09% and metabolisable energy (kcal/kg) 3711.22±6.75. Phytochemical composition for phytate, saponin and chitin was high in millipede. Micro mineral content (mg/kg) indicated presence of manganese 36.00, iron 219.50, copper 9.30, zinc 20.60 while macro mineral (%) showed phosphorus 0.036, calcium 0.022, magnesium 0.204, potassium 0.810 and sodium 0.072 to be present in appreciable quantity. The fatty acid profile indicated palmitic and oleic acid to be high with least presence of butyric acid. The essential amino acid revealed high lysine 6.18 (g/100g) content and least tryptophan 0.68 (g/100g); while the non-essential amino acid glutamic acid 11.05 (g/100g) was high and cystine 1.21 (g/100g) least in millipede. The composition of millipede meal revealed potential use in fish nutrition.

Background: Anemia does not only have a deleterious effect on the physical growth of children but also impairs mental development and slows down memory, cognitive functioning, and academic performance. The study aimed to assess the association between video gaming, iron deficiency anemia and school performance in children 5-16 years of age. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 306 children 5-16 years of age between grades 1 and 10 in various schools in Sikandarabad for one academic year. The iron deficiency, screen time along with past health records were noted. School assessments were analyzed for academic achievements, and class concentration and Intelligent Quotient (IQ) tests were done multiple times. Hemoglobin was checked to establish an association with learning difficulties. Multivariate logistic regression was done to see the association of electronic gaming with academic performance. p-value

Background: The oral cavity has four 3rd molars, commonly termed wisdom teeth. These molars may erupt in an appropriate anatomical place and become functional, or they may erupt partly or non-functionally, in which case they are known to as impacted. Therefore, the study aimed to measure the frequency of distal caries of 2nd molars in the presence of mesio-angular impacted 3rd molars and its association with the other type of impactions among patients. Methods: It was a retrospective cross-sectional study done at the Oral Medicine and Diagnosis Department of Ziauddin University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. The study comprised 201 radiographs of individuals aged 21 to 45 years, of both genders, who visited a dental OPD between 2017 and 2020 and had erupted 2nd molar teeth and impacted 3rd molar teeth in the same quadrant. Patients with inadequate diagnostic quality and distortion on their OPGs were excluded from the research. All collected data were analyzed using SPSS 25. Results: The frequency of distal caries of 2nd molars was observed to be 122 (60.7%). A total of 103 of the 201 subjects had mesio-angular impaction causing caries in the 2nd molars (84.4%). There was a statistically significant relationship between impaction type and distal caries of 2nd molars (p=0.001). The type of impaction also showed a significant association with gender (p=0.048). Conclusion: Higher frequency of distal caries of 2nd molars in the presence of mesio-angular impacted 3rd molars was observed. This was also significantly associated with the type of impaction (p

Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological illness around the world characterized by abnormal electrical activity in the brain manifesting itself as seizures.

Background: The emergence of antibiotic resistance among pathogens causing urinary tract infections (UTI) has made treatment options limited. The use of fosfomycin along with other drug combination can significantly address this problem. Our study aimed to identify the rate of resistance among uropathogens and their susceptibility patterns to fosfomycin along with other antibacterial agents. Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at Jinnah Sindh Medical University in collaboration with Dr. Tahir Laboratory, Karachi. A total of 146 urine samples were included which were processed for antibacterial susceptibility testing by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method and rate of resistance for antibacterial agents especially fosfomycin were recorded. The statistical analysis was performed by using Chi squared tests and p>0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study reported lowest rate of resistance for fosfomycin among Escherichia coli 3(5.3%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 7(14%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 9(22.5%) in comparison with ampicillin, which showed resistance in 43(76.8%), 41(82%) and 39(97.5%) cases of E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa respectively. The subgroup carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) producers were seen noticeably high in P. aeruginosa. Overall, the female to male ratio was 1.4:1 (87/59), showing female preponderance (p=0.02). A majority of patients belonged to adult age group (61.6%) followed by senior adults (23.2%, p=0.05). Conclusion: High levels of resistance to commonly used antibiotics were observed. The increasing rate of resistance among Enterobacteriaceae to cephalosporin and ampicillin is an alarming situation. In this context, fosfomycin is an interesting alternative option in treatment of complicated and uncomplicated urinary tract infections. Keywords: Antibiotic Resistance; Enterobacteriaceae; Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase; Fosfomycin; Urinary Tract Infection.

The global pandemic of Covid-19 has affected people of all age groups. Where the adults have shown specific signs and symptoms of the disease, the clinical spectrum and manifestations in Pediatric patients have not been clearly defined. An association between Covid-19 and Kawasaki disease was first speculated in United Kingdom in April 2020 when a child who previously tested positive for Covid-19 presented with features of Kawasaki disease. Following this, several other cases emerged linking a Kawasaki-like multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) with Covid-19. Since the exact pathophysiology is not known, children with MIS-C require aggressive treatment and close follow-up after discharge. The aim of this case series was to highlight this association with the help of four cases each of which showed symptoms of Kawasaki disease along with a history of Covid-19 infection. This will help in increasing awareness of the Pediatricians for early management to prevent morbidity and mortality. Keywords Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome; Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome; MIS-C; SARS-COV-2.

Background: Wilms tumour, also called nephroblastoma, is the most common renal malignancy in children, presenting, mostly as an abdominal mass. Chemotherapy and surgery are the mainstays of treatment depending upon the histopathology, risk group and stage of treatment. The aim of the study was to determine the treatment outcome of Wilms tumour in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Methods: A Prospective cohort study was carried out at the Department of Pediatric Oncology, CMH-Rawalpindi, Pakistan. A cohort of patients with Wilms tumour, less than 16 years was followed prospectively from January 2012-2019. Statistical data were analysed by Chi-squared test and p-value

Nigella sativa (N. sativa) is an annual flowering plant, which belongs to the family Ranunculaceae. Both the seeds and oil of N. sativa have been researched extensively in the past few years due to the variety of its chemical ingredients and biological properties. N. sativa seeds contain many components including Thymoquinone (TQ), di-thymoquinone, fixed oils, alkaloids, flavonoids, proteins, fatty acids, saponins, and alpha-hederin. TQ is the most pharmacologically active component among all the constituents. The important properties exhibited by TQ are anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, analgesic, anti-oxidant, anti-hypertensive and anti-diabetic activities. Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the oral cavity, which has a multifactorial etiology. Areca nut consumption in the form of quid is considered as the most important factor in the development of the disease. It has a malignant transformation rate of 7-30%. A large number of researches have been conducted to investigate the outcome of using N. sativa and its active constituent TQ in various inflammatory conditions. This article is aimed at reviewing the literature available on various databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, and Online Journals) and to conclude if N. sativa can also be utilized as a potent anti-inflammatory agent for reducing the signs and symptoms of OSMF. Keywords: Nigella sativa; Oral Submucous Fibrosis; Inflammation.