LEARNING AND EARNING:EXPLORING THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN

This paper inspects the role of educational achievement, both on an aggregate and disaggregated level on economic growth in Pakistan. Diversity in literacy rates will produce different outcomes. As many individuals with higher education get higher returns from their education level. Investment in education produces skilled and efficient manpower making it approachable for any country to achieve economic objectives i.e. sustainable economic growth and development. Data for the empirical analysis has been taken from 1976-2020 on annual basis. Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Approach to Cointegration was applied for the analysis and it was concluded that middle and higher education levels produce a higher return to the economy as a whole. So, the investment must be made to enhance the overall economic gains

Utilization of indigenously isolated single strain starter cultures for the production of sourdough bread

Sourdoughs were prepared with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (T0) and indigenously isolated starter cultures i.e Lactobacillus brevis (T1), Lactobacillus fermentum (T2) and Lactobacillus plantarum (T3). Breads were prepared from all sourdoughs samples in triplicate and analyzed for pH, Total Titratable Acidity (TTA), loaf volume, microbial characteristics (total plate count and fungal count) and sensory profile (internal and external) in triplicate. The breads prepared from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (T0) exhibited the highest pH with the lowest TTA while T1 showed the lowest pH with the highest TTA. The T0 breads got the highest values for loaf volume followed by T1. The breads produced with the addition of hetero-fermentative starter cultures (T1 and T2) showed resistance against the growth of the contaminating microorganisms. In the sensory evaluation, the breads produced with T1 ranked the best for color (crust and crumb), taste, aroma, texture and overall acceptability by the panelists.Â

Comparative analysis of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and derived neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio with respect to outcomes of in-hospital coronavirus disease 2019 patients: A retrospective study

Introduction and objectivesIn patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), several abnormal hematological biomarkers have been reported. The current study aimed to find out the association of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and derived NLR (dNLR) with COVID-19. The objective was to compare the accuracy of both of these markers in predicting the severity of the disease.Materials and methodsThe study was conducted in a single-center having patients with COVID-19 with a considerable hospital stay. NLR is easily calculated by dividing the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) with the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) {ANC/ALC}, while dNLR is calculated by ANC divided by total leukocyte count minus ANC {ANC/(WBC-ANC)}. Medians and interquartile ranges (IQR) were represented by box plots. Multivariable logistic regression was performed obtaining an odds ratio (OR), 95% CI, and further adjusted to discover the independent predictors and risk factors associated with elevated NLR and dNLR.ResultsA total of 1,000 patients with COVID-19 were included. The baseline NLR and dNLR were 5.00 (2.91–10.46) and 4.00 (2.33–6.14), respectively. A cut-off value of 4.23 for NLR and 2.63 for dNLR were set by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Significant associations of NLR were obtained by binary logistic regression for dependent outcome variables as ICU stay (p < 0.001), death (p < 0.001), and invasive ventilation (p < 0.001) while that of dNLR with ICU stay (p = 0.002), death (p < 0.001), and invasive ventilation (p = 0.002) on multivariate analysis when adjusted for age, gender, and a wave of pandemics. Moreover, the indices were found correlating with other inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and procalcitonin (PCT).ConclusionBoth markers are equally reliable and sensitive for predicting in-hospital outcomes of patients with COVID-19. Early detection and predictive analysis of these markers can allow physicians to risk assessment and prompt management of these patients

DataSheet_1_Correlation of ERCC5 polymorphisms and linkage disequilibrium associated with overall survival and clinical outcome to chemotherapy in breast cancer.docx

PurposeERCC5 is a DNA endonuclease and nucleotide excision repair gene; its mutations lead to a lack of activity by this enzyme, causing oxidative DNA damage. This study aimed to assess the role of four selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ERCC5 and their linkage disequilibrium associated with survival analysis and clinical outcomes in breast cancer.Patients and methodsFour SNPs (rs751402, rs17655, rs2094258, and rs873601) of the ERCC5 gene were analyzed using the PCR-RFLP technique, followed by sequencing in 430 breast cancer (BC) cases and 430 cancer-free individuals. Statistical analysis was performed using MedCalc 17 and SPSS version 24, while bioinformatic analysis of linkage disequilibrium was performed using Haploview software 4.2.ResultsMultivariate analysis showed that the rs751402 and rs2094258 polymorphisms were significantly associated with an elevated risk of BC (P 0.001). Survival analysis revealed that rs751402 and rs2094258 had longer overall survival periods (P ConclusionThe current results suggest that variations in ERCC5 may contribute to BC development and that their genetic anomalies may be associated with cancer risk and may be used as a biomarker of clinical outcome.</p

Breast Cancer: Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Survival Analysis in the Pakistani Population

Objective: To find out the association of genetic, reproductive and socio demographic factors with breast cancer in Pakistani women along with the sur- vival percentage of patients having breast cancer. Methodology: A case control study was carried out for a period of 3 years. Data were collected from different hospitals in Pakistan and the survival rate was determined by having direct contact with patients through telephone calls. For the estimation of survival probability Kaplan-Meier curve was used. Association of various demographic and epidemiological factors with breast cancer occurrence was estimated by using the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Various tests used to find out the significance of results included student t-test, chi-square test, Fisher exact test and ANOVA. A statistical tool SPSS version 22 was used to analyze the data and results orientation. Results: The mean age for breast cancer diagnosis 47.3±11.8 years of age was found as mean age for breast cancer diagnosis. Higher BMI was the major contributing factors in developing breast cancer (OR=3.5, 95% CI=2.6-4.5). Significant risk factors found to be associated with the breast cancer included long reproductive period (menarche to menopause), family history of disease and habit of passive smoking (P<0.05). Out of 448 married patients, 23% were nulliparous and 26% of patients did not have a lactation history. Chemotherapy along with radiotherapy and surgery have been found to be effective methods for breast cancer treatment (80% survival). Conclusion: Present study concluded that age, body mass index, oral contraceptives usage, lactation duration, reproductive duration and marital status of the female are significant factors in developing breast cancer in Pakistani women. Keywords: Breast Cancer, Nulliparous, Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy

Breast Cancer: Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Survival Analysis in the Pakistani Population

Objective: To find out the association of genetic, reproductive and socio demographic factors with breast cancer in Pakistani women along with the sur- vival percentage of patients having breast cancer. Methodology: A case control study was carried out for a period of 3 years. Data were collected from different hospitals in Pakistan and the survival rate was determined by having direct contact with patients through telephone calls. For the estimation of survival probability Kaplan-Meier curve was used. Association of various demographic and epidemiological factors with breast cancer occurrence was estimated by using the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Various tests used to find out the significance of results included student t-test, chi-square test, Fisher exact test and ANOVA. A statistical tool SPSS version 22 was used to analyze the data and results orientation. Results: The mean age for breast cancer diagnosis 47.3±11.8 years of age was found as mean age for breast cancer diagnosis. Higher BMI was the major contributing factors in developing breast cancer (OR=3.5, 95% CI=2.6-4.5). Significant risk factors found to be associated with the breast cancer included long reproductive period (menarche to menopause), family history of disease and habit of passive smoking (P<0.05). Out of 448 married patients, 23% were nulliparous and 26% of patients did not have a lactation history. Chemotherapy along with radiotherapy and surgery have been found to be effective methods for breast cancer treatment (80% survival). Conclusion: Present study concluded that age, body mass index, oral contraceptives usage, lactation duration, reproductive duration and marital status of the female are significant factors in developing breast cancer in Pakistani women. Keywords: Breast Cancer, Nulliparous, Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy

Interactive effect of trivalent iron on activated sludge digestion and biofilm structure in attached growth reactor of waste tire rubber

<p>Waste tire rubber (WTR) has been introduced as an alternative, novel media for biofilm development in several experimental systems including attached growth bioreactors. In this context, four laboratory-scale static batch bioreactors containing WTR as a support material for biofilm development were run under anoxic condition for 90 days using waste activated sludge as an inoculum under the influence of different concentrations (2.5, 6.5, 8.5 mg/l) of trivalent ferric iron (Fe³⁺). The data revealed that activated sludge with a Fe³⁺ concentration of 8.5 mg/l supported the maximum bacterial biomass [4.73E + 10 CFU/ml cm²]; besides, it removed 38% more Chemical oxygen demand compared to Fe³⁺ free condition from the reactor. Biochemical testing and 16S rDNA phylogenetic analysis of WTR-derived biofilm communities further suggested the role of varying concentrations of Fe³⁺ on the density and diversity of members of Enterobacteria(ceae), ammonium (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria. Furthermore, Fluorescent <i>in situ</i> hybridization with phylogenetic oligonucleotide probes and confocal laser scanning microscopy of WTR biofilms indicated a significant increase in density of eubacteria (3.00E + 01 to.05E + 02 cells/cm²) and beta proteobacteria (8.10E + 01 to 1.42E + 02 cells/cm²), respectively, with an increase in Fe³⁺ concentration in the reactors, whereas, the cell density of gamma proteobacteria in biofilms decreased.</p

Structural and magnetic studies of Ce-Zn doped M-type SrFe12O19 hexagonal ferrite synthesized by sol-gel auto-combustion method

Structural and magnetic studies of Ce-Zn doped M-type SrFe12O19 hexagonal ferrite synthesized by sol-gel auto-combustion metho

Posaconazole-hemp seed oil loaded nanomicelles for invasive fungal disease

Abstract Invasive fungal infections (IFI) pose a significant health burden, leading to high morbidity, mortality, and treatment costs. This study aims to develop and characterize nanomicelles for the codelivery of posaconazole and hemp seed oil for IFI via the oral route. The nanomicelles were prepared using a nanoprecipitation method and optimized through the Box Behnken design. The optimized nanomicelles resulted in satisfactory results for zeta potential, size, PDI, entrapment efficiency, TEM, and stability studies. FTIR and DSC results confirm the compatibility and amorphous state of the prepared nanomicelles. Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that the optimized nanomicelles penetrated the tissue more deeply (44.9µm) than the suspension (25µm). The drug-loaded nanomicelles exhibited sustained cumulative drug release of 95.48 ± 3.27% for 24 h. The nanomicelles showed significant inhibition against Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans (22.4 ± 0.21 and 32.2 ± 0.46 mm, respectively). The pharmacokinetic study on Wistar rats exhibited a 1.8-fold increase in relative bioavailability for the nanomicelles compared to the suspension. These results confirm their therapeutic efficacy and lay the groundwork for future research and clinical applications, providing a promising synergistic antifungal nanomicelles approach for treating IFIs