Association of Physical Activity with Co-morbid Conditions in Geriatric Population

To find out association of physical activity with co-morbid conditions in geriatric population, a cross-sectional study was conducted in different cties of Pakistan in 2015. A total of 114 participants were inducted by non-probability convenience sampling technique. Data was collected after informed verbal consent by a validated questionnaire that is Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA). Participants were categorized into two groups i.e. physically active and physically inactive. Data was entered and analyzed in SPSS version 20. There were 66 (57.9%) males and 48 (42.1%) females with mean age of 57.04±7.348 years. Among hypertensive individuals (n=43, 37.7%) there were 39 (90.7%) physically inactive, among individuals having angina (n=17, 14.9%) there were 15 (88.2%) physically inactive. Out of 37 (32.5%) diabetics, 35 (94.6%) were physically inactive. Among individuals suffering from arthritis (n=40, 35.1%), there were 38 (95%) physically inactive. A significant association was found between physical activity and diabetes and arthritis with p-value of 0.048 and 0.029 respectively. Physical activity is significantly associated with diabetes and arthritis in geriatric population. Adequate physical activity should be performed to reduce the risk of co-morbid conditions and improve the quality of life in geriatric population

Distribution of freshwater turtles in Punjab, Pakistan

A total of 3528 specimens of freshwater turtles belonging to two families viz., Geoemydidae (brown river turtle, Kachuga smithi; Indian saw-backed turtle, K. tecta; Brahminy river turtle, Hardella thurgi; spotted pond turtle, Geoclemys hamiltonii) and Trionychidae (Indian soft-shell turtle, Aspederates gangeticus; peacock soft-shell turtle, A. hurum; narrow-headed soft-shell turtle, Chitra indica; Indian flap-shell turtle, Lissemys punciata) were identified. Kachuga smithi (43.62%) and K. tecta (42.06%) had abundant population status, whereas, Hardella thurgi (0.88%) and Chitra indica (0.54%) were rare. Capturing of turtles for supply to foreigners and export is a major threat to these animals. Fishermen also kill them during fishing. Canal closure and de-silting is also harmful to turtles. It is concluded that it is necessary to provide immediate legal protection/coverage to all turtle species under the Punjab Wildlife Act, 1974, Pakistan; otherwise turtle species will become extinct

Fodder Yield, Nutrient Uptake and Quality of Oats (\u3cem\u3eAvena sativa\u3c/em\u3e L.) as Influenced by Different Agronomic Practices

The green fodder requirement and availability in India does not match and leaves a shortfall of about 63%. There is a little possibility of any tangible increase in fodder area due to competition from other economically competitive agricultural crops (Aulakh et al., 2012). Therefore, there is urgent need to maximize the tonnage and quality of fodder within the existing farming systems. Multicut nature of the crop ensures continuous supply of fodder. Kashmir valley possesses temperate type of climate, with snowfall and harsh conditions in the winter. Behaviour of crop under these conditions is entirely different from rest of country, which can be modified through different agronomic manipulations to derive maximum benefits. Sowing time has great impact on fodder yield. In agronomic techniques fertilizer management is the most important aspect. To improve supply of fodder over a period best cutting management needs to be evaluated. In view of these an experiment was undertaken to study the response of fodder oat to different sowing dates, fertility levels and cutting managements

Antihypertensive Activity of Aqueous-Methanol Extract of Berberis Orthobotrys Bien Ex Aitch in Rats

Purpose: To investigate the hypotensive potential of Berberis orthobotrys Bien Ex Aitch (Family: Berberidaceae) in both normotensive and hypertensive rats.Methods: Aqueous-methanol (70:30) extract of Berberis orthobotrys at doses of 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg/kg was evaluated for its effect on blood pressure and heart rate using non-invasive blood pressure measuring apparatus. After initial screening, 100 mg/kg dose that produced a maximum effect was selected for the antihypertensive study. Median lethal dose (LD50) and sub-chronic toxicity of the extract were also determined. Various biochemical parameters and organ weight were measured usingstandard procedures.Results: The extract produced a significant (p < 0.01) decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean blood pressure (MBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and heart rate of normotensive rats at all test doses with maximum effect at 100 mg/kg. Similarly, a significant antihypertensive and negative chronotropic effect was observed in both hypertensive models. LD50 of the extract was 200 mg/kg in mice. The extract also exhibited a reduction (p < 0.05) in serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), triglycerides and low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels while a significant (p < 0.05) increase in high density lipoproteins (HDL) level was observed.Conclusion: It seems that the aqueous-methanol extract of Berberis orthobotrys possesses active compounds which may be responsible for the antihypertensive and negative chronotropic effects in rats.Keywords: Berberis orthobotrys, Antihypertensive, Egg feed diet, Blood lipid

Feasibility of Non-thermal Plasma Assisted Semiconductor Material Synthesis for Thermoelectric, Photovoltaic and Energy Applications

Silicon being the major component in the semiconductor industry has proved itself very effective in myriad applications that include its use in transistors, energy storage, photovoltaics etc. A boom into its efficiency has emerged with the use of the Nano technology, when the same material is used at Nano scale for the fabrication of the devices in the said applications, it provides promising characteristics. Yet the synthesis techniques for the usage of the silicon as material at Nano scale encounter myriad hurdles, however, still the application of non-thermal plasma at Nano scale has found promising results in this field. It could bring about a huge improvement into its efficiency and can thus become ideal for the vast industrial uses. Yet it encounters several issues that makes this practice economically not feasible, like it needs more time to process such material rather than the conventional methods to synthesize materials on the liquid, solid or gas phases have their own short comings which will result into certain compromises the synthesizers have to deal with based on the properties of the end finished product. On the contras, Non-thermal plasma processing is found cost effective with properties like lack of agglomeration and more efficiency

Epoxidación de ésteres metílicos derivados del aceite de Jatropha: Optimización del estudio

The optimization of the epoxidation reaction of methyl esters obtained from Jatropha oil was appraised. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on a central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was employed for the experimental design. Four reaction variables namely hydrogen peroxide/ C=C mole ratio, formic acid/C=C mole ratio, reaction temperature and reaction time were evaluated. The optimum epoxidation conditions calculated by the quadratic model were 3.12 moles of hydrogen peroxide/C=C moles, 0.96 moles of formic acid/C=C moles, a reaction temperature of 70.0 °C and a reaction time of 277 minutes. A reaction optimized by the proposed process parameters provided a yield of 92.89 ± 1.29 wt.% with relatively improved reaction time. Hydrogen peroxide concentration and reaction temperature were found to be the most significant variables while reaction temperature and hydrogen peroxide showed strong interactions. The epoxidized methyl esters were analyzed using FT-IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR techniques. This study suggested relatively higher molar ratio of formic acid required than was proposed in the literature.Se ha evaluado la optimización de la reacción de epoxidación de ésteres metílicos obtenidos a partir de aceite de Jatropha. Se ha empleado para el diseño experimental una metodología de superficie de respuesta (RSM), basada en un diseño compuesto central giratorio (CCRD). Cuatro variables de la reacción fueron evaluadas: relación molar peróxido de hidrógeno/C=C, relación molar ácido fórmico/C=C, temperatura de reacción y tiempo de reacción. Las condiciones óptimas de epoxidación calculadas por el modelo cuadrático fueron 3.12 moles de peróxido de hidrógeno/C=C moles, 0.96 moles de ácido fórmico/C=C moles, una temperatura de reacción de 70.0 °C y un tiempo de reacción de 277 minutos. Una reacción optimizada mediante los parámetros propuestos del proceso proporciona un rendimiento de 92.89 ± 1.29% en peso con un tiempo de reacción relativamente mejorado. La concentración de peróxido de hidrógeno y la temperatura de la reacción fueron las variables más significativas, además la temperatura de la reacción y la concentración de peróxido de hidrógeno mostraron fuertes interacciones. Los ésteres metílicos epoxidados se analizaron mediante FT-IR, 1H RMN y RMN de 13C. Este estudio indica que se requiere una proporción molar relativamente mayor de ácido fórmico que la propuesta en la literatura

Effect of acute \u3b2-blocker withholding on ventilatory efficiency in patients with advanced chronic heart failure

BACKGROUND: This is the first study to examine the effect of acute (24-hour) beta-blocker withholding on ventilatory efficiency in patients with advanced chronic heart failure (CHF) during maximal incremental treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise test. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seventeen CHF patients were studied either 3 hours after administration of beta-blocker (BB(ON)) or 27 hours after the last beta-blocker ingestion (BB(OFF)). The ventilatory efficiency was measured via the slope of the linear relationship between ventilation (V'(E)) and carbon dioxide production (V'CO2) (ie, V'(E)/V'CO2 slope). Measurements were also made at rest, anaerobic threshold (AT), maximal end-tidal pressure for carbon dioxide (P(ET)CO2max), respiratory compensation point (RC), and peak exercise. Compared with BB(ON), the V'(E)/V'CO2 slope was significantly increased during BB(OFF) (30.8 +/- 7.4 vs. 29.1 +/- 5.4, P = .04). At peak exercise, oxygen uptake (V'O2, 16.0 +/- 2.7 vs. 15.6 +/- 2.8 mL x kg x min) and V'CO2 (1458 +/- 459 vs. 1414 +/- 429 mL/min) were not different between the 2 conditions, whereas V'(E) was higher during BB(OFF) (49.5 +/- 10.7 vs. 46.1 +/- 9.6 L/min, P = .04). No differences were noted at AT and RC in V'O2, V'CO2, V'(E), V'(E)/V'O2, and V'(E)/V'CO2 ratios during the 2 conditions. At P(ET)CO2max, used to noninvasively estimate the CO2 set point, V'(E) was higher (33.9 +/- 7.6 vs. 31.7 +/- 7.3 L/min, P = .002) and P(ET)CO2 was lower (37.4 +/- 4.8 vs. 38.5 +/- 4.0 mm Hg, P = .03), whereas V'CO2 was unchanged (1079 +/- 340 vs. 1050 +/- 322 mL/min) during BB(OFF). CONCLUSION: Acute beta-blocker withholding resulted in decreased ventilatory efficiency mostly from an increase of V'CO2-independent regulation of V'(E) and less likely from a change in ventilation/perfusion mismatchin

Impact of identity politics on education in Pakistan: a comparison between Balochistan and Punjab

This research paper examines the impact of ethnic identity based politics on education in Pakistan through in-depth interviews with young professionals from Balochistan and Punjab. Findings suggest that there is the Punjabi-dominated power structure results in an unequal allocation of financial resources, whereby Balochistan lacks the financial resources to invest in education development. In addition, political instability caused by unprecedented ethnic strife contributes towards poor quality education, which, as a result, adversely impacts a Balochi's future course of life. On the other hand, Punjabis are at an advantage in the public arena because of their robust educational foundation

Graphene oxide incorporated polyether sulfone nanocomposite antifouling ultrafiltration membranes with enhanced hydrophilicity

In this study, the polyether sulfone (PES) based membranes containing various concentrations of graphene oxide (GO), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were synthesized via the phase immersion method. This study aims to evaluate the effect of GO addition on the structural properties and performance of the membranes. The membranes were analyzed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The FTIR-ATR spectra indicated the presence of hydroxyl and carboxylic acid groups on the surface of GO-incorporated membranes, which improved their dispersion in the polymeric matrix and hydrophilicity. The SEM analysis of the GO-containing PES membranes confirmed the formation of a well-defined finger-like porous structure presenting adequate water flux (95 l.m(-2).h(-1)) and salt rejection (72%) compared to the pristine PES membranes (46 l.m(-2).h(-1) and similar to 35%, respectively). In addition, the significantly large wettability and considerably improved antibacterial characteristic (against S. aureus and E. coli strains) of the GO-PES membranes are considered impressive features.National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Research Directorate; HEC; NRPU [6020]6020; Higher Education Commission, Pakistan, HEC; National University of Sciences and Technology, NUS