Role of ICT in promoting Adolescent Menstrual Health

Adolescent is an important phase in the life of both females and males. Menstruation is a critical phase in adolescent girl’s life which needs special care and attention. However, one of the important challenges for adolescent girls in this phase seems to be the lack of information and awareness concerning the menstruation. Since the last two decades, the embedment of ICT’s in our lives has been increasing including our health care. Adolescents are more attracted to the ICT’s and their applications in different forms. Thus, over the past many years, many attempts have been made by different stakeholders like government, NGO’s and community to promote adolescent menstrual health through the application of such technologies. These technologies can actively involve adolescent girls through different platforms and provide valuable information on menstruation. This paper examines the utility of many ICT’s and other associated technologies that can foster adolescent well being during menstruation and also promote their health during this phase. This paper has highlighted some of these platforms like internet, social media networks, augmented reality, mobile applications, and gaming modules etc. that have a significant role in promoting adolescents’ menstrual well-being

A Study Of Attitude Of University Students Of M.A /M.Sc Towards Teaching Profession

This article is based on a part of study conducted in 2010. The major aim of study was to analyse the attitude of university students of M.A./M.Sc. towards teaching profession. For this purpose, all the students of Master level (1st and 2nd year) were included in the population. Out of the whole population of the students, ninety three (93) students were selected randomly by using simple random sampling technique. To gather data, questionnaire was developed. The questionnaire comprised twenty five (25) items including both, positive and negative statements. The questionnaire was analyzed on the basis of five point Likert scale.  For statistical analysis of data, the arithmetic mean, percentage and z-score were calculated. On the whole, it was found that the responses of the M.A./M.Sc students were varied. Female students had more positive attitude towards teaching profession than male students. The attitude of male and female students was found to be same towards university teaching

Efficacy of intravenous hydration versus amino acid infusion in idiopathic oligohydramnios

Objective: To compare the efficacy of intravenous hydration and amino acid infusion in cases of isolated oligohydramnios.Methodology: A single blind randomized clinical trial conducted in Dept of Obs/Gynae, Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital, Gujrat, from 12-06-2019 to 11-12-2019. A total of 104 mothers having isolated oligohydramnios were randomized into two groups for administration of 6 drips of normal saline (group-A) or amino acid infusion (group- B). The AFI was measured before and after the infusions. The sum total of these four values was AFI in centimeter. The normal AFI in term gestation is taken as 12.9±4.6cm. The rise in AFI was studied and analyzed.Results: In group-A vs group-B, the mean maternal age was 32.1±4.4 vs 31.0±5.5 yrs, Mean Gestational age was 29.1±2.9 vs 29.0±3.1 wks, mean BMI was 34.6±9.7 vs29.1±5.7 Kg/m2. In both groups majority was multigravida. Mean AFI at first presentation was comparable in both groups (3.78±0.56 vs 3.73±0.36). Mean AFI after six drips was significantly higher in group-B. (4.79 ±0.65 vs 6.82±0.62; p<0.001). Similarly, change of AFI showed significant increase in group-B when compared with group-A (1.0±031 vs 3.09±0.70; p<0.001). Stratification for age, gestational age, BMI and parity was also carried out.Conclusion: Intravenous amino acid is an effective therapy for improving AFI and is beneficial in management of isolated oligohydramnios

The Diagnostic Value of Biochemical Cardiac Markers in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. The role of cardiac markers in the diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment of patients with chest pain is vital. Patients with elevated cardiac troponin levels but negative CK-MB who were formerly diagnosed with unstable angina or minor myocardial injury are now reclassified as non–ST-segment elevation MI (NSTEMI) even in the absence of diagnostic ECG changes. CK-MB is both a sensitive and specific marker for myocardial infarction. Cardiac troponin T is a cardio-specific, highly sensitive marker for myocardial damage. Cardiac troponin I is a contractile protein exclusively present in the cardiac muscle. The absolute cardiospecificity of cTnI allows the diagnosis of myocardial infarction distinct from muscle lesions and non-cardiac surgery. In 2000, the European Society of Cardiology and the American College of Cardiology redefined AMI with a particular advocacy on troponin. The 2002/2007 American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) Guideline Update for the management of these patients strongly recommend to include cTnI. Specifically, with rare exception, the diagnosis cannot be made in the absence of elevated biomarkers of cardiac injury

Changes in thyroid function status of suicidal patients

Background This study was carried out at Punjab Institute of Mental Health and Centre for Nuclear Medicine Mayo Hospital, Lahore. It is aimed at the possible association of thyroid malfunctioning with suicide attempts of patients. Objective Determination of thyroid function status of suicidal psychiatric patients and their comparison with psychiatric patients without suicide attempt or ideation. Methods Total 54 patients with either past history of suicide attempt or current suicidal ideation were selected for analysis of their thyroid function status (age 15-55 years). Age matched 50 non-suicide psychiatric patients were included for comparison. Results Two patients with suicide attempt had overt thyroid dysfunction. Remaining patients had serum FT4, FT3 and TSH level within normal range. Suicide attempter patients had lower FT4 but increased FT3 and TSH levels compared to suicidal ideation patients. Serum FT4 and TSH levels in suicidal patients were not different from psychiatric patients. Serum FT3 in suicidal patients was lower than psychiatric patients (3.7 ± 0.8 vs. 4.3 ± 0.5; p < 0.05). Female suicidal patients had lower FT3 levels compared to male patients (3.4 ± 0.6 vs. 3.9 ± 0.8 pmol/L; p < 0.05). Discussion Local suicidal patients have higher incidence of overt thyroid disorder and lower FT3 levels compared to non-suicidal psychiatric patients

Application of glucose oxidase for the production of metal gluconates by fermentation

The present study deals with the application of glucose oxidase (GOX) for the production of metal gluconates by fermentation method. It provides a method for the conversion of glucose into gluconic acid and its derivatives using the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOX). Due to the presence of calcium carbonate in fermentation medium the gluconic acid is converted into calcium gluconate. Conditions like concentration of substrate, temperature, pH, fermentation period and different phosphate sources were optimized during fermentation. The maximum GOX activity was observed at 35°C (pH 5.5) after 44 h of incubation at 100 rpm. At the maximum enzyme activity, the percentage yield of gluconates are also maximum; both go side by side. Sulphuric and oxalic acids method were employed for the production of gluconic acid. Derivatives of gluconic acid that is, calcium lactate gluconate, sodium gluconate, potassium gluconate, zinc gluconate and copper gluconate were formed by using double displacement and direct methods. The direct method gave the better yield. The percentage yields were 73, 89.63, 81.93, 92.86 and 81.53%, respectively. Keywords: Glucose oxidase (GOX), metal gluconate, double displacement

Synthesis of green metaloxide nanoparticles using aloe-barbadensis leaf extract (Acid Red 28) for dye removal applications

The present study focuses on the synthesis of stable metal oxide nanoparticles (MO-NPs) using Aloe Vera Barbadensis leaf extracts via a green route approach. The MO-NPs were synthesized by the interaction of Aloe-Barbadensis leaf extract with metaloxide salt and its azodye (Congo red). These NPs were then characterized using SEM (surface morphology), XRD (Crystallography structure, peaks of MO-NPs), UV-Vis (Absorption spectrum) and FTIR (presence of functional group). The SEM images revealed the surface morphology of nano sized powder while the XRD results showed that the particle size ranged between 5-30 nm. The UV-Vis absorption spectrum revealed that the MO-NPs are iron and copper oxide respectively. FTIR data, on the other hand, indicated the hydroxyl (OH) functional group stretching due to the presence of alcohols and phenolic chemicals in the extract. Moreover, the effect of physical properties such as solution concentration, their PH and MO-NPs adsorbent dosage on percentage of dye degradation was also determined. As per results, the NPs removed about 70-80% of Congo red dye solution at optimum condition of reaction factors. The dynamics of pseudo-second order was followed in the adsorption process by MO-NPs

Synthesis, characterization of flavone, isoflavone, and 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-3-carboxylate and density functional theory studies

We describe the oxidation of flavanones by employing phenyliodonium diacetate to form the flavone (15), isoflavone (8) and 2,3-dihydrobenzofurane (18) in this study. The oxidative method was found to be regioselective and dependent on the substitution pattern present on the two aromatic rings of the starting flavanone. The structures of products obtained were fully characterized by using IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and Mass spectrometry. X-ray crystallography further confirms the structures of flavones and isoflavone. The density field theory calculations have also been performed to get more insight about the structures, electronic and spectroscopic properties of synthetic flavonoid derivatives. The geometrical parameters such as bond lengths and angels showed a good correlation with the values obtained through X-ray crystallography. Moreover, the theoretically simulated vibrational and UV-vis spectral values are in agreement with the experimental results

Molecular analysis of six factor xiii-a-deficient families in Southern Pakistan

Factor XIII deficiency is a severe autosomal recessive bleeding disorder which is commonly due to absence of the A subunit protein. Molecular studies have shown that factor XIII-A deficiency is genetically heterogeneous and over 40 mutations have been described in the A subunit gene. We have recently performed genetic analysis on six apparently unrelated families with inherited factor XIII-A deficiency from the Southern region of Pakistan. In five families, affected individuals were shown to have an identical homozygous splice site mutation – a single nucleotide substitution (G→A) of the last base of exon 14. This mutation, which has been previously described in two Caucasian patients in the UK, results in exon skipping of exon 14 and a truncated mRNA transcript ( Anwar et al, 1995 ). Further analysis using the HUMF13A01 short tandem repeat (STR) marker closely linked to the A subunit gene ( Polymeropoulos et al, 1991 ) showed that 9 of the 10 alleles with the exon 14 G→A mutation were associated with an identical (AAAG)5 repeat. The level of consanguinity in the Pakistan population is high and this observation would suggest a founder effect (i.e. inheritance of a common ancestral gene mutation). One patient, however, was heterozygous for the (AAAG)5 allele and an (AAAG)7 repeat. As microsatellite instability is apparently rare in STR sequences with repeat numbers of \u3c 10 and almost invariably involves loss or gain of a single repeat ( Brinkmann et al, 1998 ), it seems likely that the two identical exon 14 splice site mutations in this patient have arisen independently