Birth Asphyxia - Clinical Experience and Immediate Outcomes

To find out immediate outcome ofneonates with birth asphyxia and its associationwith risk factors.Methods: This cross sectional study included allconsecutive babies admitted with diagnosis of birthasphyxia . Babies with congenital heart disease,congenital malformations and prematurity wereexcluded. Biodata and clinical parameters includingplace of delivery,dai handling,time of arrival inhospital,mode of delivery, grades of hypoxicischemic encephalopathy, outcome in terms ofdischarge and death were recorded.Results: Sixty one patients were included in thestudy. Majority (80.3%) were male..Mothers havingregular antenatal checkup were 65.5%. Eleven (18%)babies were home delivered and 50(82%) in hospitalsetup. In 16.4% babies there was history of daihandling. 60.7% babies were delivered by SVD and39.3 % by C- section. Majority (83.6 %) presentedwithin 6 hours. Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathystage I, II and III was seen in 39.3%, 49% and11.5%respectively. Forty eight (78.7%) babies weredischarged and 13(21.3%) died. No evidence ofassociation was found between outcome at dischargeand time of arrival at hospital (p value=0.33)and daihandling (p value= 0.114). Significant associationwas found between outcome at discharge and placeof delivery (p value=0 .031) and outcome at dischargeand hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy stage (pvalue=0.000).Conclusion: Asphyxiated newborns havesignificant short term mortality in association withhome deliveries and hypoxic ischemicencephalopathy stage II

Loss of function mutations in RP1 are responsible for retinitis pigmentosa in consanguineous familial cases.

PurposeThis study was undertaken to identify causal mutations responsible for autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP) in consanguineous families.MethodsLarge consanguineous families were ascertained from the Punjab province of Pakistan. An ophthalmic examination consisting of a fundus evaluation and electroretinography (ERG) was completed, and small aliquots of blood were collected from all participating individuals. Genomic DNA was extracted from white blood cells, and a genome-wide linkage or a locus-specific exclusion analysis was completed with polymorphic short tandem repeats (STRs). Two-point logarithm of odds (LOD) scores were calculated, and all coding exons and exon-intron boundaries of RP1 were sequenced to identify the causal mutation.ResultsThe ophthalmic examination showed that affected individuals in all families manifest cardinal symptoms of RP. Genome-wide scans localized the disease phenotype to chromosome 8q, a region harboring RP1, a gene previously implicated in the pathogenesis of RP. Sanger sequencing identified a homozygous single base deletion in exon 4: c.3697delT (p.S1233Pfs22*), a single base substitution in intron 3: c.787+1G>A (p.I263Nfs8*), a 2 bp duplication in exon 2: c.551_552dupTA (p.Q185Yfs4*) and an 11,117 bp deletion that removes all three coding exons of RP1. These variations segregated with the disease phenotype within the respective families and were not present in ethnically matched control samples.ConclusionsThese results strongly suggest that these mutations in RP1 are responsible for the retinal phenotype in affected individuals of all four consanguineous families

Pathogenic mutations in TULP1 responsible for retinitis pigmentosa identified in consanguineous familial cases.

PurposeTo identify pathogenic mutations responsible for autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP) in consanguineous familial cases.MethodsSeven large familial cases with multiple individuals diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa were included in the study. Affected individuals in these families underwent ophthalmic examinations to document the symptoms and confirm the initial diagnosis. Blood samples were collected from all participating members, and genomic DNA was extracted. An exclusion analysis with microsatellite markers spanning the TULP1 locus on chromosome 6p was performed, and two-point logarithm of odds (LOD) scores were calculated. All coding exons along with the exon-intron boundaries of TULP1 were sequenced bidirectionally. We constructed a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotype for the four familial cases harboring the K489R allele and estimated the likelihood of a founder effect.ResultsThe ophthalmic examinations of the affected individuals in these familial cases were suggestive of RP. Exclusion analyses confirmed linkage to chromosome 6p harboring TULP1 with positive two-point LOD scores. Subsequent Sanger sequencing identified the single base pair substitution in exon14, c.1466A>G (p.K489R), in four families. Additionally, we identified a two-base deletion in exon 4, c.286_287delGA (p.E96Gfs77*); a homozygous splice site variant in intron 14, c.1495+4A>C; and a novel missense variation in exon 15, c.1561C>T (p.P521S). All mutations segregated with the disease phenotype in the respective families and were absent in ethnically matched control chromosomes. Haplotype analysis suggested (p<10(-6)) that affected individuals inherited the causal mutation from a common ancestor.ConclusionsPathogenic mutations in TULP1 are responsible for the RP phenotype in seven familial cases with a common ancestral mutation responsible for the disease phenotype in four of the seven families

Development and in-vitro Evaluation of Once Daily Tablet Dosage Form of Loxoprofen Sodium

Purpose: To formulate and characterize once daily controlled release tablet of loxoprofen sodium.Methods: Eudragit RS-100, hydroxylpropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and pectin were used as release retarding polymers. All the formulations were prepared by direct compression method. Various precompression studies were carried out to determine Hausner’s ratio, Carr’s index, angle of repose, bulk density and tapped density Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies and also post-compression studies to evaluate hardness, friability, weight variation, drug content, in-vitro drug release were conducted on the tablets. The drug release data were subjected to kinetic models, including zero order, first order, Hixon Crowell, Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas.Results: Compressibility index (7.6 ± 1.32 - 12.5 ± 1.43%), Hausner’s ratio (1.08 ± 0.04 - 1.14 ± 0.03), angle of repose (27.78 ± 0.47 - 30.49 ± 0.46°), hardness (6.25 ± 0.27 - 7.21±0.21 kg/cm2), friability (0.14 ± 0.06 - 0.28 ± 0.0 %), weight variation (249.5 ± 2.09 - 251.35 ± 2.41 mg) and drug content  (97.30 ± 0.28 - 103.70 ± 0.31 %) were within generally accepted limits for the pre-and post-compression formulations, respectively. The tablets having the maximum amount of among the three polymers tested as matrix materials, HPMC, represented by F3 tablets, exerted better sustained release properties after 12 h. Release pattern was more of Fickian diffusion followed by Higuchi mechanism.Conclusion: The release of the loxoprofen sodium was optimized up to 12 h.Keywords: Loxoprofen, Sustained release, hydroxypropyl methylcelluose, Pectin, Eudragit, Matrix tablet

Performance and Attitude of Undergraduate Students of Golestan University of Medical Sciences Towards Cheating in Exams

Background and Objectives: Cheating is a common phenomenon that can undermine the credibility of university tests and certificates. Cheating is a more sensitive issue among medical students. The present study was conducted to investigate the performance and attitude of undergraduate students of Golestan University of Medical Sciences in Iran towards cheating, as well asthe factors that influence cheating. Methods: The present descriptive analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014 on 524 female and male undergraduate students of Golestan University of Medical Sciences. Convenience sampling was used to select the participants. The data were collected using a valid and reliable 64-item questionnaire on performance and attitude towards cheating with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.88. The obtained data were then analyzed using descriptive tests and the χ 2 test. P < 0.05 was set as the level of statistical significance. Results: Demographically, women made up 58% of the study population. In terms of ethnicity, 68.5% of the population wereFars, 24.6% Turkmen, and the rest were other ethnicities. A total of 70.6% of students had negative attitudes towards cheating. In terms of performance, 57.1% of students admitted to cheating. Significant relationships were observed between the attitude and performance of students (P = 0.001). The relationship between gender and occupational status, and attitude and performance was also found to be statistically significant (P < 0.050). Male and employed students had more positive attitudes towards cheating and actually did it more frequently than their female counterparts. Conclusions: The majority of nursing students were against cheating in terms of attitude and performance. Nevertheless, to better understand this behavior and develop coping strategies, further studies should be conducted on the phenomenon of cheating in other academic activities among medical students. Keywords: Cheating, Attitude, Performance, Exam, Student, Nursin

Silene conoidea L.: A Review on its Systematic, Ethnobotany and Phytochemical profile

Silene conoidea L. is a weed commonly grown in subtropical and temperate zone of western Eurasia, and some part of Himalaya. S. conoidea is a small herb height from 20 to 40cm mostly grow as weed in different crops like wheat, barley, mustard, roquette and lentil pea. This is the first attempt to gather utmost information about the species distribution, taxonomy, ethno-medicines, phytochemical analysis, biological activity etc. of Silene conoidea. The present review aim was to collect fragmented information about the species in addition to explore its therapeutic importance in future research opportunities. A total of 100 research articles were reviewed using different sources like; Scopus, web of science, Science direct, google scholar and PubMed. The species are used as multipurpose in different biological activities against microbes, bacteria and as insecticidal. Silene is also important due to high contents of various chemicals compounds. Chemical extracts contain flavones, glycosides, saponins, sterols and glycosides. A research study shows that S. conoidea can be used as an indicator species of gold. Traditional therapeutic values of the species for treating respiratory, antioxidant, anti-diabetic and anticancer are needed to be validated through more research. Ethno-pharmacological and clinical trial research can be subjected for future studies

HEMATOLOGICAL VARIATIONS AND ASSESMENT OF HEAVY METALS IN SINDH SPARROW (PASSER PYRRHONOTUS) AS A BIOINDICATOR IN PUNJAB AREAS OF PAKISTAN

Sindh sparrows, prevalent in Sindh region of Pakistan, are non-migratory birds abundant in human-inhabited areas globally, except Antarctica. Given their close association with human settlements, these birds serve as crucial indicators for biological monitoring in regions affected by pollution. This study focused on assessing the hematological parameters and heavy metal concentrations in various organs of Sindh sparrows in the Punjab regions of Pakistan. The collected blood samples underwent analysis for hematological indices and heavy metal concentrations. The results indicated variability in hematological analysis of sparrows. Fluctuations were observed in the concentrations of different heavy metals, with significant differences in zinc and iron, while chromium, cadmium, and nickel concentrations showed non-significant differences. The patterns of heavy metal accumulation revealed higher concentrations of chromium, nickel, and iron in the liver, contrasting with the cadmium and zinc in kidneys. In conclusion, significant correlations were observed among the concentrations of Zinc, Chromium, Cadmium, Nickel, and Iron in kidney, liver, and muscles of both male and female Sindh sparrows. The findings underscore the need for further comprehensive studies to assess heavy metal accumulation in birds, highlighting the urgency to address environmental pollution that poses risks to avian species and human populations worldwide

Risk of Nosocomial Transmission of Nipah Virus in a Bangladesh Hospital

We conducted a seroprevalence study and exposure survey of healthcare workers to assess the risk of nosocomial transmission of Nipah virus during an outbreak in Bangladesh in 2004. No evidence of recent Nipah virus infection was detected despite substantial exposures and minimal use of personal protective equipmen

Risk Factors for Nipah Virus Encephalitis in Bangladesh1

Patients in Goalando were likely infected by direct contact with fruit bats or their secretions, rather than through contact with an intermediate host