Hydro Politics in Pakistan: Perceptions and Misperceptions

Water is essential for sustaining the life on earth. Achieving the food supply and improving the quality of life totally depend on the availability of fresh water. The decreasing quantity and increasing demand of fresh water widen the gap between its availability and demand. This gap could be fulfilled by constructing additional water reservoir. There is continuous rift over water among all provinces of Pakistan. The province Punjab is emphasizing in the construction of Kalabagh dam for better use of 38 million acre feet water dropping to sea. The three other provinces, Sindh, K.PK and Baluchistan are opposing the Kalabagh dam for royalty related issues. Sindh also objects that the storage of Indus water would seriously affect her delta ecosystem. Provinces are in fear of losing their share of water, blaming each other without knowing the reality and prefer their own interests over national interest. Furthermore, this study finds that Pakistan has failed to have any comprehensive and consolidated national water policy. The institutional arrangements are fragmented as each institution deals with the specific and narrow dimension of the water sector. The present per capita availability of water in Pakistan is about 1000m3 that clearly depicts water scarcity in Pakistan. This alarming water shortage calls for political vision, pragmatic policies and affective river regulations in Pakistan.&nbsp

Efficacy of transvaginal sonohysterosalpingography for evaluation of infertile women

Background: Women with infertility may be benefitted from sonohysterosalpingography (SHSG), a transvaginal ultrasound procedure that uses a contrast medium to assess the endometrial cavity and tubal patency. It could be a safer and more viable alternative to radiographic hysterosalpingography (HSG). The aim of the study was to evaluate the uterine cavity and fallopian tube patency in infertile women by SHSG using transvaginal ultrasound.Methods: The prospective comparative study was carried out in a total of 35 cases of infertile women between the reproductive age of 20-40 years following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, from July 2016 to June 2017. Detailed history and physical examinations were carried out and appropriate management was instituted as per the needs of the individual patient.Results: In the present study, 41.2% of the women belonged to the age range of 25-29 years. Out of 35 women, 50% women were in the state of primary infertility and remaining were in a secondary infertility state. Holding the SHSG both tube blockage as positive findings the sensitivity of SHSG was found at 100%, specificity was 96.88% and accuracy was 97.14%, while positive predictive value was 80.49% and negative predictive value was 100%.Conclusions: Transvaginal SHSG as a first-line method for evaluation of endometrial cavity and tubal patency is effective and time convenient. Before going to the more invasive gold standard methods, i.e. Hysteroscopy and Laparoscopy, this may be a simple, safe, and well-tolerated technique with a low risk of adverse effects and severe complications

Use of ebastine a mast cell blocker for treatment of oligozoospermia

Background: Global infertility prevalence rates are difficult to determine, due to the presence of both male and female factors which complicate any estimate which may only address the woman and an outcome of a pregnancy diagnosis or live birth. Although overall male fertility does not appear to have declined, there is evidence for decline in sperm quality. Sperm count below 15×106 sperm/ml is called oligozoospermia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of ebastine on sperm count of oligospermic infertile men.Methods: This was a longitudinal clinical trial study and was conducted in the infertility unit outdoor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka. Bangladesh during the period from January 2015 to December 2015. This study was conducted among the male patients and followed purposive sampling technique. Finally, 334 cases were enrolled in this study.Results: From the total 334 patients in group I, mean sperm count was 10.32±2.71 million/ml in pretreatment and 18.87±9.56 million/ml in post treatment. The difference was statistically significant (p0.05). 63.9% oligospermic male showed improvement in sperm count in ebastin group and 18.1% in placebo group.Conclusions: Sperm count had significantly improved after three months’ treatment period with ebastin than placebo. Therefore, this study suggested that mast cell blocker ebastine can be helpful than placebo to improve the patients’ sperm count with oligospermia

A Dynamic Analysis of the Relationship among Human Development, Exports and Economic Growth in Pakistan.

This study investigates the econometrically empirical evidence of both the short-run and long-run interrelationships among human development, exports and economic growth in an ARDL framework for Pakistan. This study also examines causal linkages among the said variables by applying the Augmented Granger Causality test of Toda-Yamamoto (1995). By using data on Pakistan’s real GDP, real exports and Human Development Index (HDI) for the period 1970-71 to 2008-09, three models have been estimated. The results show cointegration between economic growth, physical capital, real exports and human development when human development is taken as dependent variables. Furthermore, unidirectional Granger causality running from real GDP to real exports has been found in Bivariate, Trivariate and Tetravariate causality framework. The inclusion of HDI as a measure of human development reduces the physical capital share in real GDP whereas it improves the robustness of the regression model. Real GDP seems to provide resources to improve human development in only the long-run while human capital accumulation does not seem to accelerate real GDP both in the short-run and the long-run. The empirical results of the study do not support ‘export-led growth hypothesis’ and human capital-based endogenous growth theory in case of Pakistan, however, it does support ‘growth-driven exports hypothesis’ in case of Pakistan. JEL classification: O11 Keywords: Human Development, Exports, Economic Growth, ARDL, Causalit

Laparoscopic ovarian drilling in clomiphene resistant polycystic ovarian syndrome: clinical response and outcome

Background: Laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) is an alternative method for ovulation induction in clomiphene citrate (CC) resistant polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients instead of gonadotropins. Objective were to identify the changes in clinical and biochemical profiles and the ovulation and pregnancy rate following LOD in CC resistant PCOS patients.Methods: It was an interventional study infertility unit, department of obstetrics and gynecology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib medical university, Dhaka, between from July 2014 to June 2015. Changes of the above-mentioned parameters were recorded during follow up of patients after LOD. The information is collected and recorded in the preset questionnaire.Results: The characteristics of study population were same before LOD and following LOD. Before LOD, infrequent menstruation was present in 83.3% patients whereas regular menstruation was found in 58.3% patients after 6 months following LOD. Endometrial thickness ≤8 was found in 100.0% in before LOD and endometrial thickness >8 was found in 70.0% after 6 month following LOD. Ovulation was found in 25.0% in after 3-month LOD and was found in 70.0% after 6 months following LOD. Pregnancy was found in 20.0% after 3 months following LOD and 50.0% in after 6 months following LOD. Ovulation and pregnancy outcome was significantly higher in after 6 months following LOD.Conclusions: LOD produces long-term improvement in menstrual regularity and reproductive performance. A sustained improvement observed in acne and BMI. Ovulation and pregnancy were found in 70% and 50.0% respectively after 6 months following LOD

Resistance pattern and molecular characterization of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains isolated in Bangladesh

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a common cause of bacterial infection leading to acute watery diarrhea in infants and young children as well as in travellers to ETEC endemic countries. Ciprofloxacin is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent nowadays used for the treatment of diarrhea. This study aimed to characterize ciprofloxacin resistant ETEC strains isolated from diarrheal patients in Bangladesh.A total of 8580 stool specimens from diarrheal patients attending the icddr,b Dhaka hospital was screened for ETEC between 2005 and 2009. PCR and Ganglioside GM1- Enzyme Linked Immuno sorbent Assay (ELISA) was used for detection of Heat labile (LT) and Heat stable (ST) toxins of ETEC. Antimicrobial susceptibilities for commonly used antibiotics and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin and azithromycin were examined. DNA sequencing of representative ciprofloxacin resistant strains was performed to analyze mutations of the quinolone resistance-determining region of gyrA, gyrB, parC and parE. PCR was used for the detection of qnr, a plasmid mediated ciprofloxacin resistance gene. Clonal variations among ciprofloxacin resistant (CipR) and ciprofloxacin susceptible (CipS) strains were determined by Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).Among 1067 (12%) ETEC isolates identified, 42% produced LT/ST, 28% ST and 30% LT alone. Forty nine percent (n = 523) of the ETEC strains expressed one or more of the 13 tested colonization factors (CFs) as determined by dot blot immunoassay. Antibiotic resistance of the ETEC strains was observed as follows: ampicillin 66%, azithromycin 27%, ciprofloxacin 27%, ceftriazone 13%, cotrimaxazole 46%, doxycycline 44%, erythromycin 96%, nalidixic acid 83%, norfloxacin 27%, streptomycin 48% and tetracycline 42%. Resistance to ciprofloxacin increased from 13% in 2005 to 34% in 2009. None of the strains was resistant to mecillinam. The MIC of the nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin of representative CipR strains were 256 μg/ml and 32μg/ml respectively. A single mutation (Ser83-Leu) in gyrA was observed in the nalidixic acid resistant ETEC strains. In contrast, double mutation in gyrA (Ser83-Leu, Asp87-Asn) and a single mutation in parC (Glu84-Ly) were found in ciprofloxacin resistant strains. Mutation of gyrB was not found in either the nalidixic acid or ciprofloxacin resistant strains. None of the ciprofloxacin resistant strains was found to be positive for the qnr gene. Diverse clones were identified from all ciprofloxacin resistant strains by PFGE analysis in both CF positive and CF negative ETEC strains.Emergence of ciprofloxacin resistant ETEC strains results in a major challenge in current treatment strategies of ETEC diarrhea

Association of kisspeptin in patients with poly cystic ovarian syndrome

Background: Poly cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a complex multifactorial disorder, affecting millions of women worldwide. Kisspeptin, a hypothalamic peptide encoded by the KISS1 gene, is widely reported as a key factor in the regulation of luteinizing hormone (LH)/follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion, which may be potentially involved with the development of PCOS. The aim of the study was to estimate the serum kisspeptin level in PCOS patients and evaluate the association of kisspeptin with other biochemical, and hormonal parameters in women with PCOS. Methods: This case-control study was conducted at the department of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh from August 2020 to July 2021. A total of 90 patients between age 18-30 years were enrolled in this study. Data was collected on variables of interest by using the structured questionnaire designed for interview, observation, clinical examination, and biochemical investigation of the patients and analyzed by using the t-test, non-parametric test (Mann-Whitney U test) and chi-square test as appropriate. Results: We found no significant difference between PCOS & control group, but acanthosis nigricans (AN), waist hip (W:H) ratio were statistically significant in PCOS group. We found serum LH (11.98±6.29 mIU/ml), LH: FSH (1.71±0.92), AMH (10.09±3.8 ng/ml), fasting insulin (26.53±28.34 µU/ml), ovarian volume (16.91±4.57), was significantly higher in PCOS patients. Kisspeptin value in PCOS patients was 85.92±56.59 pg/ml and control group was 63.74±43.16 pg/ml. In the PCOS group, there was a positive correlation between kisspeptin and LH, AMH, and ovarian volume. Conclusions: Serum kisspeptin levels were similar in women with or without PCOS but positively correlated with ovarian volume, serum LH and AMH in PCOS patients

Impact of Sensor Networks on Aquatic Biodiversity in Wetland: An Innovative Approach

Aquatic biodiversity is in the central field of environmental conservation issues in a wetland. Yet it determinately faced aquatic conservation authorities the loss of biodiversity as a very important global issue for several years due to misuse wireless sensor technology. The study attempts to re-look at the sensor networks that affect the aquatic biodiversity within and around the Tanguar Haor- wetland study at Sunamganj district in Bangladesh. Key aquatic conservation tools provided at the Tanguar Haor and its challenges with gaps in policies for wetland management practices are highlighted. The study shows the aquatic biodiversity-related rules and regulations amended were apex in Bangladesh from 2010 to 2018. The study represents the impact of processed sensor networks on aquatic biodiversity in a wetland to be compared to larger, medium, and smaller animals in a bright, dark and optimum environment, facilitating the design and misuse of wireless sensor networks within GPS locations. Approximately 64% of the respondents agreed on the development of aquatic biodiversity for managing the wetland at Sunamganj with secure peripheral sensor networks. The research also found that the Tanguar Haor is at risk due to misuse of wireless sensor networks compared to other wetlands in the Sylhet Division. Scientific knowledge is indispensable in wetland resource management but it poorly identified such knowledge while various performances are still below par. The research is unique and represents the innovative idea to improve the existing wetland policy linking with the appropriateness for the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Strateg

Curcumin Enhances Neurogenesis and Cognition in Aged Rats: Implications for Transcriptional Interactions Related to Growth and Synaptic Plasticity

Background: Curcumin has been demonstrated to have many neuroprotective properties, including improvement of cognition in humans and neurogenesis in animals, yet the mechanism of such effects remains unclear. Methodology: We assessed behavioural performance and hippocampal cell proliferation in aged rats after 6- and 12-week curcumin-fortified diets. Curcumin enhanced non-spatial and spatial memory, as well as dentate gyrate cell proliferation as compared to control diet rats. We also investigated underlying mechanistic pathways that might link curcumin treatment to increased cognition and neurogenesis via exon array analysis of cortical and hippocampal mRNA transcription. The results revealed a transcriptional network interaction of genes involved in neurotransmission, neuronal development, signal transduction, and metabolism in response to the curcumin treatment. Conclusions: The results suggest a neurogenesis- and cognition-enhancing potential of prolonged curcumin treatment i