Oxidative stress and antioxidant vitamins in cataract patients

Background: In Pakistan age related vision disturbances are mainly due to cataract. Various studies have reported relationship of ocular lesion with senile changes and diabetes mellitus resulting in reduced quality of life due to vision. Oxidative stress is an important factor in the process of cataractogenesis. The pathogenesis of the cataract may involve decreased activity of antioxidant scavenging system which includes non-enzymatic natural antioxidants as biomolecules such as carotenoids and vitamins. So, it is planned to investigate the level of serum antioxidant vitamins in diabetic cataract patients and in non-diabetic cataract patients.Methods: The study was conducted at Biochemistry department, Al-Tibri Medical College Karachi from October 2016 to October 2017. Ninety pre diagnosed cataract patients were selected from Al-Ibrahim Eye Hospital Karachi 40 normal control subjects were selected from the same population with same socioeconomic group. The demographic data was analyzed. The random blood sugar, antioxidant vitamins (C, A and E) and malondialdehyde were analyzed in the blood sample of control and cataract patients. The data was analyzed by SPSS version 20.Results: There was no significant difference in the level of vitamin C, A, E and MDA between diabetic and non-diabetic cataract patients, but the blood levels of vitamins of control are higher as compared to the cataract patients. The level of MDA is significantly high in cataract patients as compared to control. Antioxidant vitamin E was negatively correlated with serum malondialdehyde in cataract patients.Conclusions: It is concluded that in diabetic and non-diabetic cataract low level of serum antioxidant vitamins may be a contributory factor for cataractogenesis

Knowledge and attitude towards identification and management of sepsis among resident physicians in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Pakistan

This study was conducted to determine the compliance and knowledge of sepsis guidelines among resident physicians in a tertiary care hospital of a developing country. A self-structured validated questionnaire was prepared to evaluate compliance and knowledge of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) guidelines. A total of 76 resident physicians completed the questionnaire; out of these, 51 (67%) were from Internal Medicine department and 25 (33%) were from Emergency Medicine department of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. A total of 71 (93%) participants claimed to be aware of the SSC guidelines but only 20 (26%) considered themselves very knowledgeable on the subject. Thirty-five (46%) physicians claimed that they were using the guidelines regularly. We concluded that the overall knowledge and compliance of sepsis guidelines was suboptimal. This emphasises the need for increased awareness and teaching of sepsis and SSC guidelines to improve patient outcomes in developing countries

Potential of Jelly as a Matrix in Printmaking

Contemporary printmaking focuses on producing a series of monoprints produced by the alternative printmaking matrix. The primary objectives of this research are to investigate the suitability of jelly as an alternative matrix for printmaking and to create a series of printmaking works based on the marks made by the jelly plate. This project aims to develop a series of artworks composed of the mark-makings generated by the alternative matrix. The process of exploration of the jelly plate making to establish the final consistency of the jelly plate as a potential matrix suitable for producing monoprints. The process of trial and error is practised in finding the right ingredients for jelly plate making. The final matrix will be produced as the consistency of the ingredients is found. Hence, producing mark-making from collected material results in a beautiful pattern-making process. Keywords: Alternative Printmaking; Jelly Plate; Printmaking Matrix; Monoprint eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under the responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians), and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7iSI7.379

Interleukin-18 polymorphism as an inflammatory index in metabolic syndrome: A preliminary study

Aim: To assess circulatory levels of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and determine whether the presence of IL-18 promoter polymorphism influences metabolic syndrome phenotypes.Methods: This study recruited one hundred and eighty individuals divided into three groups with sixty subjects each as: Normal weight (18.0-22.9 kg/m2), overweight (23.0-25.9 kg/m2) and obese (\u3e 26.0 kg/m2) according to South Asian criteria of BMI. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), Lipid profile, insulin, IL-18 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha were measured using ELISA kits, whereas low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and insulin sensitivity (QUICKI) were calculated. The body fat percentage (BF) was measured through bioelectrical impedance analysis; waist and hip circumference were measured. Genotyping of IL-18 -607 C/A polymorphism was performed by using tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system. Student t test, One-way analysis of variance, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, Pearson\u27s chi2 test and Pearson\u27s correlation were used, where a P value \u3c 0.05 was considered significant.Results: In an aged matched study, obese subjects showed higher levels of FBG, cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL levels as compared to normal weight (P\u3c 0.001). Highest levels of IL-18 and TNF levels were also seen in obese subjects (IL-18: 58.87 ± 8.59 ng/L) (TNF: 4581.93 ± 2132.05 pg/mL). The percentage of IL-18 -607 A/A polymorphism was higher in overweight and obese subjects vs normal weight subjects (P\u3c 0.001). Moreover, subjects with AA genotype had a higher BF, insulin resistance, TNFalpha and IL-18 levels when compared with subjects with AC (heterozygous) or CC (wild type) genotypes. However, we did not find any difference in the lipid profile between three subgroups.Conclusion: This preliminary data suggests that IL-18 polymorphism affects IL-18 levels that might cause low grade inflammation, further exacerbated by increased TNFalpha. All these increase the susceptibility to develop MetS. Further studies are required to validate our findings

Mapping Turbidity Levels in the Lake’s Water using Satellite Remote Sensing Technique

Haleji lake, Thatta, Sindh, has been affected by water pollution in the past decades. This study focuses on mapping water pollution at Haleji lake using turbidity as the pollution indicator. In this study, an algorithm was developed by correlating satellite reflectance data and in-situ turbidity measurements using regression analysis. The determination coefficient R2 of the developed algorithm showed a value of 0.83 that is evidence of a good correlation between field-based and mapped turbidity. Moreover, a temporal analysis was carried out using the same algorithm for the years 1999 and 2011. Results of temporal analysis confirmed that the turbidity levels in Haleji lake have increased from below 5 NTU to around 15 – 30 NTU. This is a clear sign of lake pollution in the interim of the past twelve years

Jaw-Closing Oromandibular Dystonia Induced by Speaking in a Patient with Systemic Sclerosis

Oromandibular dystonia is a rare form of focal dystonia caused by involuntary spasms of masticatory, lingual and pharyngeal muscles. Here we describe a 53-year-old edentulous woman with systemic sclerosis who presented with dysarthria due to bilateral contraction of her masseter muscles during speaking. An anticholinergic medication was prescribed instead of botulinum toxin injection. Her condition markedly improved after medication. We suspected that edentulosity caused an impairment of proprioception in the oral cavity leading to subsequent development of dystonia

The role of green recruitment on organizational sustainability performance: A study within the context of green human resource management

In light of the increasing recognition among modern business communities regarding the importance of implementing environmentally sustainable practices, this study thoroughly examines the concept of green recruitment (GR) and its subsequent impact on organizational sustainability performance (OSP). Situated within the shift from conventional to contemporary organizational frameworks that prioritize capacity, this study emphasizes the crucial importance of integrating sustainability into recruitment processes. This alignment ensures that human resource practices are in line with both environmental and organizational goals. The primary purpose emerges as a thorough examination and identification of sixteen critical factors that intersect GR and OSP, using insights from both the current literature and expert viewpoints, so this fills a crucial gap in the existing research. This study utilizes an integrated ISM-DEMATEL strategy to systematically reveal the hierarchical and relational patterns that are inherent in the connections between GR and OSP variables. This technique allows for a thorough comprehension of how these variables interact with each other. The findings highlight several important variables, emphasizing the complex network of interdependencies among the elements studied. The suggested model in this research encapsulates its originality, as it not only sheds light on the interdependent interactions for policy- and decision-makers but also establishes a foundation for future research in this field.</jats:p

Factors Predicting the Recurrence of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis in Patients with Cirrhosis

Objective: To evaluate the frequency of recurrence of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with end stage liver disease and the factors responsible for it. Study Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from November 2008 till November 2009. Methodology: Patients with cirrhosis who were admitted at AKUH with diagnosis of SBP during the study period were included. Any episode of SBP after resolution of the first index case of SBP within one year was considered as recurrence. Results: Out of 238 cirrhotic patients, 157 (66%) had single, while 81 (34%) had recurrent episodes of SBP. History of using proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and diuretics was found in 113 (47.5%) and 139 (58.4%) patients respectively. Only 58 (24.4%) patients were on prophylactic antibiotic therapy. Univariate analysis revealed that the female gender (52%), and presence of porto-systemic encephalopathy (PSE, 31%) were statistically significant (p=0.03) among those who had recurrent SBP. On multivariate analysis bilirubin level of \u3e 1.0 mg (OR=7.03; 95%CI=1.55-32), protective factor of hepatitis B (OR 0.31; 95%CI=0.13-0.70) and presence of urinary tract infection (UTI) (OR=2.24; 95%CI=0.99-5.09) were significant in patients with recurrent SBP. Conclusion: Recurrent SBP was noticed in 34% patients. Serum bilirubin level of \u3e 1.0 mg, protective factor of HBV and presence of UTI were significant factors present in patients with recurrent SBP