Conservation of Sulaiman Markhor and Afghan Urial by Local Tribesmen in Torghar, Pakistan

Chapter 1 of the book Lessons Learned: Case Studies in Sustainable Use. This chapter describes the events that led to the creation of STEP (Society for Torghar Environmental Protection), its achievements, and outlines its future plans. The paper demonstrates that by involving local communities in conservation projects, both wildlife and communities benefit. Torghar lies in the district of Killa Saifullah within the province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The Pathan tribe, the largest of the Kakar group, have been living in this area for several generations. Several sub-tribes exist for whom hunting is a tradition. Before the Afghanistan War began in 1979, primitive weapons and the scarcity of ammunition limited the number of animals killed. As the pace of the war increased, automatic weapons and ammunition became readily available. Seasonal migrants and local residents began hunting indiscriminately and population numbers of wild animals dwindled rapidly. Populations of Sulaiman Markhor (Capra falconeri jerdoni) and Afghan Urial (Ovis orientalis cycleros) -- keystone species in the area -- became critically low. In 1984, representatives of the North America-United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) arrived in Balochistan to explore opportunities for wildlife conservation. Tribesmen from Torghar expressed an interest in wildlife conservation and a self-supporting conservation programme was established: The Torghar Conservation Programme (TCP), later the Society for Torghar Environmental Protection (STEP), whose design was based on the principles of sustainable use, local tribe involvement, and conservation biology. Today the numbers of Sulaiman Markhor and Afghan Urial have increased significantly. The capacities of local tribes have also increased and the economic and social infrastructure of the area has developed positively

Brain abscess caused by lactococcus lactis in a young male

Lactococcus lactis cremoris is one of the gram positive cocci, not known to be pathogenic in humans. We report a case of brain abscess due to lactococcus lactis in an adolescent. An 18-year male with congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries and dextrocardia was admitted with fever, headache and right-sided numbness. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a well circumscribed irregular heterogeneous abnormal signal intensity lesion in left temporo-parietal lobe having central area of diffusion restriction and peripheral wall enhancement on post-contrast images. He underwent mini-craniotomy for abscess drainage. Pus culture revealed growth of lactococcus lactis. He was treated with ceftriaxone and remained disability-free on six month follow-up. To our knowledge, this is one of the few reports of brain abscess caused by lactococcus lactis. Key Words: Brain abscess, Lactococcus lactis, Adolescent

Information needs and Information-seeking behavior of undergraduate students: A remote area perspective

Nowadays it is the prerequisite of the libraries to know the information-seeking behavior of the users and provide the services according to their needs. The prime purpose of the current study is to examine the information needs, information sources, information-seeking behaviors. As well as find out the challenges the undergraduate face while using the library. The survey research method was used to collect the data. With the help of a structured questionnaire, the data was collected and a random sampling method was used for this purpose. The results of the study revealed that 220(62%) undergraduates need information for their semester work and 102 (29%) need job-related information. Moreover, 155 (44.2%) undergraduates used social media to get their needed information, and 130(37.1%) followed by a discussion with friends. 80 (22.85%) of undergraduate students visit the library for study purposes, 70(20%) visit the library for reading newspapers and for political information. While seeking the needed information, undergraduate students have reported different barriers such as poor internet connectivity, lack of ICT facilities, not being aware of the usage of OPAC, and ICT knowledge limitation. The findings of the current study will be helpful for librarians towards the restructuring of information literacy programs to enhance the current information-seeking behavior of undergraduate students. It may inform the higher authorities about the obstacles faced by the undergraduate students in information-seeking and thus stimulate them towards the up-gradation of internet and ICT facilities in the institutions. This study addressed the gap in the literature on information-seeking behavior in the Context University of Balochistan. It uncovered characteristics that both limit and enhance undergraduate students’ use of the library. To assist their learning, the insights could lead to the creation of a stable information literacy program at the University of Balochistan

Primary pulmonary plasmacytoma presenting with rare IgG lambda monoclonal gammopathy

Extramedullaryplasmacytoma (EMP) represents a peculiar and typically progressive malignancy that can originate outside the bone marrow. Primary pulmonary plasmacytoma (PPP) is a rare subset of EMP, confined to the lung. A 55-year-old man, diabetic, non-smoker presented to our clinic with a right chest wall swelling. A routine chest radiograph showed a well-circumscribed opacity in the right upper lung zone. A CT of the chest revealed a large right upper lobe mass with extensive local infiltration. Biopsy and immunohistochemical evaluation led to a diagnosis of PPP. Screening for multiple myeloma was negative. Serum immunofixation showed an IgG lambda monoclonal gammopathy, found in a minority of PPP patients. In view of disease extent, treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy was initiated. The patient is currently in out patient follow-up and has shown a favourable response to the treatment with a considerable decrease in serum IgG levels

Clinical Presentation and Surgical Management of Brain Abscess

Objectives:  To determine the clinical presentation, surgical management and outcome of patients with Brain Abscess in our locality. Study Design:  Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study:  Bolan Medical complex, Sandeman Provincial Hospital and Akram Hospital, Quetta. Duration from January 2003 to July 2004. Subject and Methods:  Study conducted on twenty patients with Brain Abscess confirmed on CT Scans. Patients of both gender and all age group were included in the study. Those managed conservatively were excluded from the study. Results:  Surgery was performed on all patients with the mortality rate of 20% (4) in this study. Conclusion:  Appropriate microbial coverage and surgical management of Brain Abscess reduced the mortality and neurological deficits. Key Works:  Brain Abscess, Neurological deficit, Mortality

Anticonvulsant, Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities of Berberis calliobotrys Aitch ex Koehne (Berberidaceae)

Purpose: To evaluate the anticonvulsant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of Berberis calliobotrys.Methods: The powdered plant material (10 kg) was extracted thrice with methanol (3 × 12 L) by dipping for seven days. The methanol extract was concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure, and then successively fractionated with solvents of different polarity, including n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. The anticonvulsant effect of the extract and fractions (at oral doses 500 and 1000 mg/kg) was studied against picrotoxin-, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)- and strychnine-induced seizures in Swiss albino mice of either sex divided into 12 groups (n = 6). Diazepam was used as standard drug. Antimicrobial activity of the extract against Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus as well as against Candida albicans, Penicillium notatum was conducted by disc diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Cytotoxicity of the extract/fractions was analyzed by  haemolytic method while the phenolic compounds present in the ethyl acetate fraction of the plant were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Results: The extract and its ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions showed maximum response against drug-induced convulsions and provided 100 % protection to animals at both doses. They also showed zones of inhibition of 27.00 ± 2.51, and 22.00 ± 2.51 mm against all bacterial and fungal strains, respectively, especially Staphylococcus aureus. The methanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction also showed high MIC against all bacterial and fungal strains. Cytotoxicity data from hemolytic assay indicate that the extract/fractions are safe. The highest amount of phenolic found was chlorogenic acid (84.44 ± 0.06 ppm).Conclusion: The plant is thus a potential source of new lead compounds for the development of new clinically effective anticonvulsant and antimicrobial compounds.Keywords: Berberis calliobotrys, Anticonvulsant, Antimicrobial, Haemolytic, Phenolics, Chlorogenic aci

Lessons Learned: Case Studies in Sustainable Use, Conclusion

The conclusion of Lessons Learned: Case Studies in Sustainable Use summarizes the overarching lessons learned from the case studies provided in the volume. 1. Sustainability of uses of renewable natural resources is dependent on the existence of a 'sustainable society'at the local, national and global levels. 2. Successful biological conservation is a function of equity and democracy. 3. To achieve greater sustainability of uses of natural resources will likely require modification of the roles of organizations and government agencies in authority. 4. The current conservation paradigm of Protected Areas (including as applied to the 'biodiversity hotspots'concept) may not be economically viable in many developing countries, simply because the opportunitycosts often exceed the value local people receive from their existence. National and international agencies and organizations realize most of the value from designation of protected areas and 'hotspots'. 5. It is not possible to transpose directly the combination of factors that influence one case to another site, and expect the same impact or result.6. Donor agencies and/or central government policies need to consider management requirements beyond project cycles in order to promote long-term sustainability of resource uses.7. External factors such as war and natural disasters can have an over-riding influence on the sustainability of resource use. 8. Interventions on key resources by external institutions often pressure transformation of local governance systems. The impact of these changes is often overlooked. More specific observations of common features. Furthermore, the conclusion provides lessons related to policy, social processes, institutions, and information

Mitigation of power quality issues due to high penetration of renewable energy sources in electric grid systems using three-phase APF/STATCOM technologies: a review.

This study summarizes an analytical review on the comparison of three-phase static compensator (STATCOM) and active power filter (APF) inverter topologies and their control schemes using industrial standards and advanced high-power configurations. Transformerless and reduced switch count topologies are the leading technologies in power electronics that aim to reduce system cost and offer the additional benefits of small volumetric size, lightweight and compact structure, and high reliability. A detailed comparison of the topologies, control strategies and implementation structures of grid-connected high-power converters is presented. However, reducing the number of power semiconductor devices, sensors, and control circuits requires complex control strategies. This study focuses on different topological devices, namely, passive filters, shunt and hybrid filters, and STATCOMs, which are typically used for power quality improvement. Additionally, appropriate control schemes, such as sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) and space vector PWM techniques, are selected. According to recent developments in shunt APF/STATCOM inverters, simulation and experimental results prove the effectiveness of APF/STATCOM systems for harmonic mitigation based on the defined limit in IEEE-519

Surgical Management and Outcome of Lumbosacral Disc Herniation (Study of 100 Cases)

Objective: To discuss the surgical management and outcome of lumbosacral disc herniation. Material and Method: The study was conducted in BMCH and Akram Hospital Quetta from April 2005 to November 2006, 100 patients of both gender included in study. Age range was 30-25 yrs. MRI lumbosacral spine done in all cases. Results: Excellent result was observed in 80% of patients while fair result in 12% and results were same in 6% of patients. Poor result in 2%