Gazed representation: Analysis of gender portrayal in Hindi and English music videos

The study based upon content analysis, mainly compares genderrepresentations through male gaze, framing, and camera lens inIndian and European music videos from year 2009 to 2013 It is ananalysis of sixty music videos, thirty from each industry,comprising the top six chart busters from each year of thechosen time frame. The theoretical framework of this research isembedded in the nexus of Laura Mulvey's male gaze and"lookedatness".. It observes the sexual depiction of leadcharacters through dressing style, onscreengender presenceas well as gender representation in popular music videos.Findings reveal that Hindi songs were shot with strongermale gaze slant as compared to American/British songs andmore screen time was given to females in both music industriesyet individually, Hindi songs were more centralized on femaleleads. Both Indian and European music videos featuredfemales in provocative sexual apparels while displayingseductive behaviors, while majority of singers/heroines werebarely or semicladyet males were usually fully dressed in almostall observed songs. Results also reveal that most of the songs weresung by male singers/leads but the focus of the videos remainedprimarily on female characters and their bodies. This studyprovides an important approach for future researchers, as themanufactured reality of gender through the contemporary Easternand Western music industry is strikingly different from the realgender trends and practised culture in the respective societies,which needs to be further investigated in the context ofglobalization

Validation of Vanillylmandelic Acid (VMA) with Plasma Metanephrine and Normetanephrine for Screening Adrenal Medullary Disorders

Objective: To validate urinary Vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) for screening adrenal medullary disorders, taking plasma-free Metanephrine as the gold standard. Study Design: Cross-sectional validation study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemical Pathology and Endocrinology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology,Rawalpindi, in collaboration with Armed Forces Institute of Urology, Rawalpindi from Pakistan, Jan 2020 to Mar 2021. Methodology: One hundred and thirty (130) symptomatic hypertensive patients with adrenal masses on ultrasound were selected Urine and blood samples were collected under specified conditions after taking necessary precautions and subsequently analyzed. Taking plasma Metanephrine as a reference, sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were calculated at predefined cut-off values. Results: In a young population with a mean age of 28.55±5.54 years, headache, palpitations and sweating were the predominant symptoms having a frequency of 130(100%), 116(89.2%) and 111(85.4%), respectively. Twenty-four hours urinary Vanillylmandelic acid had lower sensitivity (66.3%) than a random urinary VMA/cr ratio (72.1%) but similar specificity(97.7%). On the other hand, plasma-free Normetanephrine had 100% sensitivity but lower specificity (93.2%). ROC curve was plotted, and AUC for 24 hours urinary VMA, urinary VMA/cr ratio and plasma-free Normetanephrine were 0.820, 0.849 and0.966, respectively. Conclusion: Plasma-free Metanephrine could be used for screening pheochromocytoma and other adrenal medullary disorders like paraganglionoma. In addition, VMA/cr ratio can be used for biochemical confirmation of the disease owing to the high specificity found in our study

Clinical Utility of N-Terminal Prohormone B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Levels in Patients of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Heart Failure

Objective: To evaluate the effect of type 2 diabetes mellitus on plasma N-terminal prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide levels in patients with heart failure and correlate it with glycosylated haemoglobin levels. Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemical Pathology in collaboration with the Department of Cardiology,Combined Military Hospital, Multan Pakistan, from Feb to Sep 2021. Methodology: We assayed plasma NT-pro BNP levels in 194 individuals with established heart failure, (98 non-diabetics, and 96 patients with diabetes). Plasma NT-pro BNP levels were compared between groups in addition, the correlation of glycosylated haemoglobin with plasma NT-pro BNP levels was explored. Results: The mean plasma NT-pro BNP values were higher in patients with diabetes (15826.08 ±8143.434pg/mL) than in nondiabetics (12534.06±6323.92pg/mL) with a p-value 0.02. When NT-pro BNP was compared there was no significant found difference between the non-diabetic group and the Controlled Diabetes-Group (p-value 0 .882), but it was significantly higher in the Uncontrolled Diabetes-Group (p-value<0.001). A moderate positive association was found between NT-pro BNP and glycosylated haemoglobin (r=0.541, p-value<0.001). Conclusion: Although obesity has an inverse relation with plasma natriuretic peptides level and most patients with diabetes are overweight, the plasma NT-pro BNP is still a very informative tool and holds its significance as a diagnostic and prognosis marker in diabetic patients with heart failure

Nephroprotective effects of Datura metel extract in gentamicin induced mice model: biochemical and histological evidences.

Datura metel is traditionally used as a remedy for renal toxicity. However, the nephroprotection has not been scientifically validated yet. To evaluate the nephroprotective like effect of methanolic extract of D. metel in gentamicin induced mice model, mice of either sex were divided into groups. One group received normal saline as negative control. The 2nd group received gentamicin 100mg/kg for 8 days as positive control, 3rd group received 50mg/kg silymarin as standard, while the reaming groups received 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg of MEDM and gentamicin 100mg/kg, for 8 days. The blood and urine samples were collected on 9th day, animals were then dissected and whole kidneys were removed and preserved in formalin for later histological examinations. The level of serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, urine creatinine and urine urea were significantly (P<0.05) elevated and the renal MDA level was also elevated significantly (P<0.05) by gentamicin in mice. After the treatment of test animals with MEDM, the elevated level of serum and urine biomarkers by gentamicin were reversed by MEDM. The nephroprotective effect was found in dose dependent manner. As the MEDM significantly protected the nephrotoxicity via its antioxidant effect. The findings of our study thus proved the scientific background for the nephroprotective effect of MEDM

Enhancement of solubility and dissolution rate of ebastine fast-disintegrating tablets by solid dispersion method

Purpose: To investigate the efficiency of different solubilizing agents in improving solubility as well as dissolution rate of ebastine (a BCS class II drug) by incorporating prepared solid dispersion into fast disintegrating tablets.Method: The solubility of ebastine was determined in distilled water, lipids and solubilizing agents. Subsequently, the binary solid dispersions were prepared by kneading method using varying weight ratios of ebastine and solubilizing agents. The solid dispersions were then incorporated into fast disintegrating tablets (SD-FDT). Central composite rotatable design (CCD) was used to determine the impact of super disintegrating agents on disintegration time and friability of tablets. The solubility and dissolution rate of developed SD-FDT were compared with a marketed brand. The solid dispersion particles were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder x-ray diffraction (P-XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).Results: The saturated solubility of pure ebastine in water was 0.002 ± 0.041 mg/ml while the aqueous solubility of EBT/poloxamer solid dispersion SET3 (P) was 0.018 ± 2.510 mg/ml; on the other hand, EBT/soluplus solid dispersion SET1(S) has an aqueous solubility of 0.242 ± 1.390 mg/ml. Within 30 min, drug release was 14.00 ± 1.77, 78.00 ± 2.31 and 98.70 ± 2.54 % from pure EBT, SET3 (P) and SET1(S), respectively.Conclusion: The solubility and dissolution rate of ebastine has been successfully enhanced by incorporating its solid dispersion in fast-disintegrating tablets (SD-FDT). Keywords: Ebastine, Solid dispersion, Poloxamer 188, Soluplus, Solubility, Dissolutio

Convergence results for cyclic-orbital contraction in a more generalized setting with application

In the realm of double-controlled metric-type spaces, we investigated obtaining fixed points using the application of cyclic orbital contractive conditions. Diverging from conventional approaches utilized in standard metric spaces, our technique took a unique route due to the unique features of our structure. We demonstrated the significance of our outcomes through exemplary cases, clarifying the breadth of our results through comprehensive investigations. Significantly, our work not only improved and broadened earlier findings in the literature, but also offered unique notions that were discussed in our explanatory notes. Towards the end of our inquiry, we used insights obtained from previous discoveries to develop a second-order differential equation. This equation was an effective tool for dealing with the second class of Fredholm integral problems. In conclusion, this investigation extended our examination of double-controlled metric type spaces by providing new insights on fixed point theory, expanding on prior debates and building a substantial road towards solving a class of integral equations

SELF-REPORTED MULTI-MORBIDITY WITH TUBERCULOSIS:DATA FROM THE KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA INTEGRATED POPULATION HEALTH SURVEY (KPIPHS) IN PAKISTAN

Background: With the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in a country that is already facing high tuberculosis (TB) burden, TB multi-morbidity is likely to pose a significant public health challenge in Pakistan. Data were analysed to determine the prevalence of TB and explore the distribution and determinants of multi-morbidity associated with TB in the population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -a province of Pakistan. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of data gathered as part of the KPIPHS survey conducted in 2016-17 in both the rural and urban areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data, from adults, on demographics, education and socioeconomic status, physical and mental health, reproductive health, child health, health-related quality of life, and self-reported cardiometabolic diseases including Diabetes, hypertension, renal disorders, cardiac failure, angina, and stroke. Results: A total of 20,715 participants were recruited in the survey including 52.8% (n=10,943) males and 47.2% (n=9,772) females with a mean age of 41 (13.1) years. Data on TB status was available for a total of 14452 participants. The prevalence of TB in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was found to be 0.49% (n=72) including an almost equal number of males and females [48% (n=34) vs 51% (n=36)], respectively. The mean age of the patients with TB was 47.5 (11.6) years. A higher proportion of people with TB had cardiometabolic diseases compared to people without TB (45.9% vs. 30.9%). Amongst the cardiometabolic disorders, self-reported hypertension (OR: 1.81, 95% CI 1.08–3.02, p=0.02), Diabetes (OR: 3.99, 95% CI 1.95-8.18, p=<0.002), and angina (OR: 3.88 95% CI 1.20–12.49, p=0.02) were positively associated with the occurrence of TB. In the adjusted analysis, only self-reported Diabetes was positively associated with the occurrence of TB (OR: 3.33, 95% CI 1.61-6.88, p=0.001). Conclusion: There is a higher burden of self-reported cardiometabolic diseases among people with TB, suggesting that this high-risk group should be screened for cardiometabolic diseases, especially Diabetes

Ethnopharmacological uses of fauna among the people of central Punjab, Pakistan

IntroductionThe utilization of fauna and fauna-based byproducts in ethnomedicinal usages has been a longstanding human activity, practiced across various cultures worldwide. This study focuses on investigating the utilization of animal-based traditional medicine by the people of Pakistan, specifically in the Gujranwala area.MethodsData collection took place from January to September 2019 through interviews with local communities. Ethnomedicinal applications of animal products were analyzed using several indices, including Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), Relative Popularity Level (RPL), Folk Use Value (FL), and Relative Occurrence Percentage (ROP).ResultsThe study identified the use of different body parts of 54 species of animals in treating various diseases and health issues. These include but are not limited to skin infections, sexual problems, pain management (e.g., in the backbone and joints), eyesight issues, immunity enhancement, cold, weakness, burns, smallpox, wounds, poisoning, muscular pain, arthritis, diabetes, fever, epilepsy, allergies, asthma, herpes, ear pain, paralysis, cough, swelling, cancer, bronchitis, girls’ maturity, and stomach-related problems. Certain species of fauna were noted by informers with high “frequency of citation” (FC), ranging from 1 to 77. For instance, the black cobra was the most frequently cited animal for eyesight issues (FC = 77), followed by the domestic rabbit for burn treatment (FC = 67), and the Indus Valley spiny-tailed ground lizard for sexual problems (FC = 66). Passer domesticus and Gallus gallus were noted to have the highest ROP value of 99.DiscussionThe findings of this study provide valuable preliminary insights for the conservation of fauna in the Gujranwala region of Punjab, Pakistan. Additionally, screening these animals for medicinally active compounds could potentially lead to the development of novel animal-based medications, contributing to both traditional medicine preservation and modern pharmaceutical advancements