The Development Of Technical Education In Pakistan

The main objectives of this study were to highlight the present profile of technical education in NWFP, Pakistan, to pinpoint the physical facilities problems of technical education, to highlight the academic problems in technical education, and to recommend strategies for the improvement of technical education in Pakistan

Cancer Patterns in Karachi Division (1998-1999)

Objective: A minimal cancer incidence data for Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan, is being presented here, for the years 1998-1999. The city has a population of 9,802,134; males 5,261,712 (52.6%) and females 4,540,422 (47.4%); census 19981. Methodology: A predominantly mixed (passive and active) registration system has evolved in Karachi, the data sources being the hospitals within the Karachi Division. The reported/retrieved cancer data sets at the Karachi Cancer Registry are checked, coded, computerised in an analytical format and analysed. Results: The incident cancer cases registered in Karachi, during the 2-year period, 1st January 1998 to 31st December 1999 were analysed. The age-standardised incidence rate (ASR) of cancer, all sites was 132.4/100,000 for the males. Cancer of the lung 10.8%; ASR 17.3 was the most frequently recorded malignancy, followed by oral cavity 10.5%; ASR 13.2 and larynx 5.0%; ASR 7.4. The age-standardised incidence rate (ASR) of cancer, all sites was 133.0/100,000 in the females. Cancer of the breast, 32.0%; ASR 40.7 was the most frequently recorded malignancy, followed by oral cavity 8.1%; ASR 11.7 and gall bladder 3.6%; ASR 5.5. Conclusion: The present data has been calculated with an estimated 15-20% probable under ascertainment. Tobacco-associated cancers in Karachi were responsible for 38.3% of the tumours diagnosed amongst the males. Two principal cancers, breast and oral cavity were responsible for 40.1% of the cancers in females. A rare finding was the high incidence of gall bladder cancer in the females. At present it is difficult to determine whether this indicates a genuine high risk or a selection bias. A continuous process of cancer registration to study the trends in the incidence and an adequate cancer control program are possible and essential for Pakistan and can be based on the pattern being practiced in Karachi

Reactivities of Mono- & Di-anions of Peroxomonosulphuric Acid towards Benzaldehydes: A Kinetic & Mechanistic Study

427-42

New Thiazole Acetic Acid Derivatives: A Study to Screen Cardiovascular Activity Using Isolated Rat Hearts and Blood Vessels

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the major causes of mortalities worldwide. In the present research, new synthetic derivatives of thiazole were studied using isolated hearts and blood vessels of rats. The heart and thoracic aorta were tested with six new synthesized thiazole acetic acid derivatives (SMVA-10, SMVA-35, SMVA-40, SMVA-41, SMVA-42 and SMVA-60), and the data obtained were statistically analyzed and compared. Isolated rat hearts were used to record the changes in developed tension and heart rate, while thoracic aortas were used to measure the contractile response, before and after treatments. Analysis of the results indicated a significant (p p p < 0.01) reduced. Furthermore, only SMVA-42 induced a dose-dependent contractile response in the isolated blood vessel, which was abolished in the presence of prazosin. Therefore, it can be concluded that some of the new synthesized thiazole derivatives exhibited promising results by raising the developed tension without changing the heart rate or blood vessel function, which could be helpful in failing heart conditions. However, more research is required to fully comprehend the function, mechanism and effectiveness of the compounds

Evaluation of solid-lipid nanoparticles formulation of methotrexate for anti-psoriatic activity

Background &amp; Objectives: Methotrexate (MTX) is commonly used to manage psoriasis. The drug has erratic absorption characteristics and shows several complications. The present study uses different experimental models to evaluate the solid-lipid nanoparticles of MTX (SLN-MTX) for the anti-psoriatic effect. Methods: A prepared SLN-MTX formulation was used and its permeability studies were conducted on Wistar rat abdominal skin. The organ-level distribution of the drug in the formulation was tested in mice and the in-vitro anti-psoriatic activity was determined in CL-177; XB-2 keratinocytes cell lines. The efficacy of SLN-MTX formulation was compared with standard MTX and marketed MTX preparations. The results are analyzed statistically using the student’s t-test. Results: The data suggested that MTX from the formulation was slowly released and completely (80.36%) permeated through the skin. The flux and permeation data were found to be maximum for SLN-MTX compared to marketed and standard preparations. MTX in the formulation was found to be distributed more in the liver (67.5%) and kidney (2.34%). Further, SLN-MTX formulation showed dose-dependent inhibition on the growth of keratinocytes, and the cytotoxic concentration (CTC50) was found to be the least (518 mcg/ml). Interpretation &amp; Conclusion: The findings suggested that MTX in solid-lipid nanoparticles could be a promising formulation for the management of psoriasis since the drug was slowly released, progressively inhibited the growth of keratinocytes, and distributed mostly in organs meant for elimination. More studies in this direction might establish the precise safety and efficacy of SLN-MTX formulation in psoriasis