Effects on ALT normalization in the first month of treatment by Sofosbuvir/Ribavirin therapy versus Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir therapy in HCV infected individuals

Objective: To evaluate the effects on ALT normalization in first month by SOFOS/RIB therapy versus SOFOS/DAC therapy in HCV infected individuals in Pakistan Study Design: Cross sectional comparative study Material and Methods: In a cross sectional analysis in a total of 200 Hepatitis c infected patients, sex, H/O diabetes mellitus, prior interferon therapy, decrease in hemoglobin >2 gm/dl in 1st month and rise in serum bilirubin in 1st month were the qualitative variables and the quantitative variables were age, weight, baseline hemoglobin, baseline bilirubin at week 4 of treatment. The statistical relation of the mentioned variables was checked using SPSS version 15 on the basis of data collected. Results: Out of total 200 patients, 47% (94) were males, 53% (106) were females, 28% (56) patients were diabetic & 44.5% (89) patients had history of prior interferon therapy, 28.5% (57) patients were having low hemoglobin levels before starting above mentioned treatment. Both the groups completed the treatments A & B for 24 &12 weeks respectively & collected data showed the superiority of treatment B to treatment A as no decrease in hemoglobin (p=0.000), & no rise in serum bilirubin(p=0.000) during 1st month of treatment while ,serum bilirubin was 93 % in treatment B and 73 % in treatment A. Conclusion: The results concluded that treatment B (Sofosbuvir / Daclatasvir for 12 weeks) is superior anti hepatitis C therapy as compared to the treatment A (Sofosbuvir / Ribavirin for 24 weeks) in order to achieve ALT normalization in first month of therapy in Pakistani population. Ribavirin should be avoided to prevent hemolytic anemia as well. Keywords: Hepatitis C, Alkaline Phosphatas

The Psychological and Socio-economic Status of the Clientele: Its impact upon the sale’s value of the product.

In the present corporate culture, the socio-economic status coupled with the psychological approach of the consumer is the defining indicators in determining the sale value of every product. The selection and the purchase of any product reflect the social and the psychological profile of the customer. Presently, in the economic perspectives, the society is bifurcated in different Statas. The ultra-rich class, the rich, the middle class and last but not the least there is a class of the society who visits the market rarely. Every class among the mentioned prefers to purchase the product according to their lifestyle. Accordingly, even the outlet of different brands bears different price tags in the different markets. In this regard, it has been observed that the customers opt for that market which matches his/her lifestyle. This entire phenomenon manifests the socio-economic status and ultimately the behavior of the clientele. Keywords: Consumer Buying Behavior (CBB), Psychological & Socio-economic factor

The Impact of Emotional Intelligence upon the Team Effectiveness

The emotional intelligence is a kind of professional skill which an individual attain during the course of his/her career. The leadership regarding their emotions must be synchronized with their team members. They must be well tempered and must comprehend the whims and wishes of their subordinates. The emotional intelligence only can lead towards the maximum output by exercising the assigned authority. The effectiveness of the team is a multi-dimensional phenomenon which is based upon the qualities of the leadership alone. To some social scientists, this kind of intelligence is intrinsic (by birth), but to others it is acquired. When the leadership exercises his/her authority intelligently, its result is not only team effectiveness rather it is cost effective as well. On the part of the leadership, emotional intelligence is a collective phenomenon, whose cumulative impact on the project regarding the team effectiveness has been discussed in the present wor

HPLC profile of phenolic acids and flavonoids of Ocimum sanctum and O. basilicum

This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC), as well as the phenolic profile of two species of O. sanctum (OS) and O. basilicum (OB). The TPC, TFC, and cultivated sanctum's phenolic profiles were similar. The TPC of OS and OB produced 386 and 383 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) per 100 g, whereas 201 and 203 mg quercetin equivalent (QE) per 100 g of the extract was obtained during the TFC assay. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was determined by scavenging of DPPH radicals with an inconsiderable difference. HPLC techniques separated the individual phenolic acids and flavonoids. Phenolic acids (gallic, caffeic, ferulic, sinapic, and syringic) and flavonoids (quercetin, luteolin, rutin, apigenin, and kaempferol) were commonly identified and quantified in the chromatogram of OS and OB. The maximum gallic acid and quercetin content were found among phenolic acids and flavonoids. The maximum yield of quercetin was analyzed in both extracts

Cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of the Pregnancy Experience Scale-Brief version (PES-Brief) in Pakistani women with antenatal anxiety symptoms.

BackgroundPregnancy experiences influence fetal and birth outcomes. There is scarcity of locally validated tools to assess pregnancy experiences. We aimed to validate the Pregnancy Experience Scale-Brief (PES-Brief) in pregnant Pakistani women with anxiety symptoms.MethodsA two-step process was used including 1) adaptation via translation/back-translation followed by cognitive interviewing with 10 participants and 2) factor analysis and validation with 605 women in Rawalpindi Pakistan who had mild-moderate symptoms of anxiety, attended the antenatal clinic, and were ≤22 weeks of gestation and ≥18 years old. We calculated internal consistency and reliability and conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.ResultsCultural adaptation led to inclusion of one item of the hassles subscale and exclusion of one item in the uplifts subscale, resulting in 9 uplifts and 11 hassles. Exploratory factor analysis supported a two-factor structure, with the adapted items exhibiting loading values of ≥0.24 for their respective factors. Internal consistency was demonstrated for uplifts (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89) and hassles (Cronbach's alpha = 0.85) subscales. Uplift intensity was moderately correlated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety subscale (r = 0.54, 95% CI:0.30-0.77).ConclusionThe Urdu PES-Brief is a reliable and valid tool for use in Pakistani pregnant women with antenatal anxiety. Future studies on its validity are needed on women without symptoms anxiety

Resistance of Bacillus cereus and E. coli Towards

Abstract: In present study, drinking ground water of different sectors of Islamabad was analyzed. Twenty-three water samples were collected in sterile bottles from different tube wells located in various sectors of Islamabad. These water samples were observed microbiologically for total viable count (TVC) and coliform count by heterotrophicplate count and MPN method, respectively. Different pathogenic bacteria were isolated and identified. Water samples of tube well number 101 and 138 were found to be contaminated and showed the presence of E.coli while the all other tube wells were contaminated with B. cereus. These bacterial species were isolated and then the tolerance of these isolated strains were checked in the presence of metals like Pb, Cu, Fe, Mn and As at different concentration (from 0.5 to 10 ppm). Results revealed that these bacteria successfully survive in these toxic conditions. As shown in results that E.coli has the ability to survive at 10 ppm of As but B. cereus can survive at 10 ppm of Mn and As. While no growth of E.coli and B. cereus was observed at 10 ppm of other metals like Pb, Cu and Fe. Key words: Pathogenic bacteria, E. coli, B. cereus, toxic metal

Titanium plate fixation of flail chest

Introduction: We present short and long term outcomes of titanium rib plating in two pediatric patients with traumatic flail chest. Cases: Patient 1 is a 12 year old male ATV driver with left thorax handlebar impalement with a flail segment of ribs 4–8. He was unable to wean from the ventilator by hospital day (HD) 4 and had titanium plating of ribs 4–7. He was extubated on postoperative day (POD) 1 and discharged home on POD 5. He returned to contact sports at 6 months. Patient 2 is a 13 year old male dirt bike rider with fractures of left ribs 8–12, including a 9–10 flail segment. He was unable to wean from the ventilator by HD 3 and had titanium plating of ribs 8–10. He was extubated on POD 2 and discharged on POD 11. After 4 months of therapy, he returned to full activity. Conclusions: In these two patients, flail chest resulted in failure to wean from the ventilator. Plating of the flail segment allowed ventilator weaning, improved pain control, and return to normal activity with minimal symptoms. Long-term outcomes show excellent cosmetic and functional results with symmetric chest wall growth (Table 1) Level of evidence: IV

Size- and Shape-Dependent Antibacterial Studies of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized by Wet Chemical Routes

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) of different shapes and sizes were prepared by solution-based chemical reduction routes. Silver nitrate was used as a precursor, tri-sodium citrate (TSC) and sodium borohydride as reducing agents, while polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was used as a stabilizing agent. The morphology, size, and structural properties of obtained nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Spherical AgNPs, as depicted by SEM, were found to have diameters in the range of 15 to 90 nm while lengths of the edges of the triangular particles were about 150 nm. The characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peaks of different spherical silver colloids occurring in the wavelength range of 397 to 504 nm, whereas triangular particles showed two peaks, first at 392 nm and second at 789 nm as measured by UV-VIS. The XRD spectra of the prepared samples indicated the face-centered cubic crystalline structure of metallic AgNPs. The in vitro antibacterial properties of all synthesized AgNPs against two types of Gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli were examined by Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility method. It was noticed that the smallest-sized spherical AgNPs demonstrated a better antibacterial activity against both bacterial strains as compared to the triangular and larger spherical shaped AgNPs