Impact of Microfinance on Poverty Reduction: A Case Study of District Faisalabad

The micro - finance program extends small loans to very poor people for self-employment projects that generate income, allowing them to care for themselves and for their families. Micro-finance enables an entrepreneur to build a business or expand the existing business and create a better change in their lives. The micro-financing institutions (MFIs) provide the opportunity for the people who are living under the poverty lines by investing the affordable funds/capital and somehow by providing their management expertise. This study shows the effect of micro-financing of small business and the implications for poverty reduction. The respondents are the clients of Khushhali Bank Ltd, District Faisalabad. The data were collected with the help of well-designed and structured questionnaire, which will be analyzed by applying FGT techniques. The results showed that the poverty has been reduced by financing the peoples. Keywords:Micro finance, poverty, FG

A Potential Approach to Enhance the Seebeck Coefficient of UHMWPE by Using the Graphene Oxide

Thermoelectric materials have been a competent source for the production of energy in the present decade. The most important and potential parameter required for the material to have better thermoelectric characteristics is the Seebeck coefficient. In this work, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites were prepared by mechanical mixing by containing 10000ppm, 50000ppm, 70000ppm, 100000ppm, 150000ppm, and 200000ppm loadings of graphene oxide. Due to the intrinsic insulating nature of UHMWPE, the value of Seebeck for pristine UHMWPE and its nanocomposites with 10000ppm & 50000ppm of GO concentration was too low to be detected. However, the Seebeck coefficient for composites with 70000ppm, 100000ppm, 150000ppm, and 200000ppm loadings of GO was found to be 180, 206, 230, and 235 µV/ K, respectively. These higher values of Seebeck coefficients were attributed to the superior thermal insulating nature of UHMWPE and the conductive network induced by the GO within the UHMWPE insulating matrix. Although, the values of the figure of merit and power factor were negligibly small due to the lower concentration of charge carriers in UHMWPE/ GO nanocomposites but still reported, results are extremely hopeful for considering the composite as the potential candidate for thermoelectric applications

Ultrasound Assisted Pleural Biopsy with Abram Needle is a Valuable Tool in diagnosing Exudative Lymphocytic Pleural Effusions

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of US assisted pleural biopsy using Abram Needle. Study Design: A non-randomized prospective study. The study was approved by Ethical Board of Gulab Devi Chest hospital Lahore. Methodology: The study was conducted at the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Gulab Devi Chest Hospital Lahore. 141 male patients with undiagnosed, unilateral, exudative, lymphocytic pleural effusion were included in the study during Jan. 2014 to Nov. 2015. Pleural biopsy was performed with Abram needle after an informed consent, having localized the biopsy point by chest radiographs & sonography.  Tissue samples underwent histopathological evaluation. Diagnosis was made on histopathology reports. Statistics was applied. Results: Six samples were inadequate while 135 were adequate.  31.11% cases were malignant while 68.88% were nonmalignant. Out of 93 nonmalignant cases, 7.52 % were normal pleurae, 46.23% were caseous granulomatous inflammation, 25.80% were chronic nonspecific pleuritis, 10.75 % cases were chronic pleuritis with fibrous thickening, 9.67 % cases were acute pleuritis. Biopsy success rate was 95.74%. All patients tolerated the procedure well. No serious complication occurred. Conclusions:  Abram needle pleural biopsy using ultrasound assistance is very safe and excellent diagnostic tool in diagnosing exudative lymphocytic pleural effusions.  &nbsp

Incidence of COVID-19 in random trauma patients at DHQ Teaching Hospital, Rawalpindi, measures to prevent its spread among patients and health care workers

Background: The objective of the study was to see the incidence of COVID-19 positive, in random trauma patients received in the emergency of abdomen or chest may be penetrating or blunt. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in the Accident and Emergency department of District Head Quarter Hospital, Rawalpindi. All trauma patients of abdomen or chest either penetrating or blunt admitted from 1-3-20 to 10-6-20 were included, irrespective of age, gender, comorbidities, and COVID-19 status at the time of admission to hospital. Also to see steps of preventive measures taken in the emergency department, operation theatres, and inwards. Results: Total number of trauma patients received in the emergency department of District Headquarter Hospital Rawalpindi during this period was 163. Total male patients: 116. Total female patients:47. Penetrating injuries (firearm or stab wounds): 93. Blunt injuries: 70. All the penetrating injuries were operated as an emergency. Among blunt injuries, 51 were operated 19 were treated conservatively. Preoperatively none of the patients’ COVID-19 test was performed because none of them showed any symptoms likely of COVID-19 such as chest infection, flue, malaise, or fever. After the second postoperative day, 12 of the patients developed respiratory distress and their COVID-19 test was sent. Out of 12 patients, 7 turned out to be COVID-19 positive. Other on the second or third postoperative day 7 patients had fever without chest symptoms and underwent COVID-19 testing. 3 turned out to be COVID-19 positive. So a total of 11 patients were found to be positive for COVID-19. The percentage became 6.7% which is quite high. Conclusion: From this study, its clear in acute trauma patients where you can’t go for the COVID-19 test even then we have to operate may be positive. So every trauma patient should have suspected COVID-19 positive and preventive measures should be taken starting from the emergency department till operation theatres

Rota virus diarrhea in hospitalized children

Objective: To determine the frequency and clinical features of Rota virus diarrhea in children presenting in a tertiary care hospital. Study Design: A cross-sectional, observational study. Place and Duration of Study: National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, from January to June 2007. Methodology: A total of three hundred children of either gender aged 1 month to 5 years, who presented with diarrhea of \u3c 7 days as a primary illness were enrolled. Children with bloody diarrhea or nosocomial gastroenteritis acquired duringhospitalization for other disease were not included. Detection of Rota virus in stool was done by enzyme linked immunoassay. Results: Out of 300 children, 188 (63%) tested positive and 112 (37%) tested negative for Rota virus. Positive Rota virus cases in 7 – 12 months of age was (n = 34, 18.08%). Overall, 151 (80.3%) children with Rota virus were less than 3 years old. 182 (60.7%) had fever, 118 (39.3%) had vomiting and 156 (82.9%) children had both fever and vomiting. Conclusion: This study shows that Rota virus is a common organism causing diarrhea in children less than 3 years of age. There is a need to incorporate Rota virus vaccine in the national EPI program to decrease the disease burden as highlighted in this study