Comparing twice versus four times daily insulin in mothers with gestational diabetes in Pakistan and its implications

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common medical problem associated with maternal and fetal complications. Good glycaemic control is the cornerstone of treatment. Objective: Compare outcomes between four times (4x) and twice daily (2x) regimens. The morning dose of the 2x regimen contained two thirds of the total insulin comprising one third human regular insulin and two thirds human intermediate insulin; equal amounts in the evening. Methods: 480 women at > 30 weeks with GDM with failure to control blood glucose randomly assigned to either regimen. Results: Mean time to control of blood glucose significantly less and glycaemic control significantly increased with 4x regimen. Operative deliveries, extent of neonatal hypoglycaemia, babies with low Agpar scores and those with hyperbilirubinaemia significantly higher in 2x daily regimen. Conclusion: 4x daily regime associated with improved fetal and maternal outcomes. Consequently should increasingly be used in Pakistan, assisted by lower acquisition cost

Investigating Critical Success Factors of Project Management in Global Software Development: A Work in Progress

Global software development (GSD) business model has gained recognition over the years for achieving competitiveness in the global market. However, its implementation is not easy due to its complex nature and the various challenges it faces. Project management is a vital area in software development with significant impact to the GSD process. Companies adopt GSD without knowing its implications which lead to failure of their project management processes. Existing project management practises do not address the core issues of GSD, which makes the process more intricate. This research paper investigates the project management practices in GSD and identifies its critical success factors with the development of a framework that will facilitate software companies to implement GSD successfull

Transfusion transmitted malaria in three major blood banks of Peshawar, Pakistan

Malaria is one of the most important transfusion associated infections in many parts of the world, particularly the developing countries where it is endemic. This study estimates the risk of acquiring malaria from a single unit of blood in North of Pakistan. A prospective study was conducted to investigate transfusion transmitted malaria in three major blood banks of Peshawar, Pakistan. A total of 1558 (1534 males and 24 females) healthy volunteer blood donors were screened for the presence of malarial parasites in thick and thin smears using microscopy. Nine donors (0.577%) were found positive for malarial parasite, with trophozoites and gametocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum (1) and Plasmodium vivax (8). Majority of the donors (82.09%) belonged to age group 15 - 30 years. Donors who suffered from malaria in recent years were 28 in number and 3 of them were found positive for malaria in the present study. The results of the present study indicated that transfusion transmitted malaria is a risk in malaria endemic regions like Pakistan. Further research on this aspect using more sophisticated and advanced diagnostic techniques like enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are required for proper assessment of actual situation and control of transfusion transmitted malaria in Pakistan.Keywords: Transfusion, malaria, blood-borne infections, screening, microscopy, blood banksAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 9(33), pp. 5445-5449, 16 August, 201

Green inspired synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Silybum marianum (milk thistle) extract and evaluation of their potential pesticidal and phytopathogens activities

Background The green approaches for the synthesis of nanoparticles are gaining significant importance because of their high productivity, purity, low cost, biocompatibility, and environmental friendliness. Methods The aim of the current study is the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using seed extracts of Silybum marianum, which acts as a reducing and stabilizing agent. central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM) optimized synthesis parameters (temperature, pH, reaction time, plant extract, and salt concentration) for controlled size, stability, and maximum yields of ZnO-NPs. Green synthesized ZnO-NPs was characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy and Zetasizer analyses. Results The Zetasizer confirmed that green synthesized ZnO-NPs were 51.80 nm in size and monodispersed in nature. The UV-visible results revealed a large band gap energy in the visible region at 360.5 nm wavelength. The bioactivities of green synthesized ZnO-NPs, including antifungal, antibacterial, and pesticidal, were also evaluated. Data analysis confirmed that these activities were concentration dependent. Bio-synthesized ZnO-NPs showed higher mortality towards Tribolium castaneum of about 78 ± 0.57% after 72 h observation as compared to Sitophilus oryzae, which only displayed 74 ± 0.57% at the same concentration and time intervals. Plant-mediated ZnO-NPs also showed high potential against pathogenic gram-positive bacteria (Clavibacter michiganensis), gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas syringae), and two fungal strains such as Fusarium oxysporum, and Aspergillums niger with inhibition zones of 18 ± 0.4, 25 ± 0.4, 21 ± 0.57, and 19 ± 0.4 mm, respectively. Conclusion The results of this study showed that Silybum marianum-based ZnO-NPs are cost-effective and efficient against crop pests

Harnessing Desert Flora: Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles from Desert Plants Combat Bacterial Infections and Biofilm Formation

In this study, we harnessed the properties of desert plants to synthesize silver nanoparticles to explore potential antimicrobial solutions. Chrozophora plicata and Heliotropium curassavicum extracts were used as green reducing agents to transform silver ions into nanoparticles. Our findings revealed novel properties of C. plicata, which have not been reported before. Surface plasmon resonance peak at 453.6 and 431 nm for C. plicata and H. curassavicum, respectively, via ultraviolet (UV) spectral analysis evidenced the successful fabrication of silver nanoparticles with particle sizes ranging from 4.3–8 and 3.1–6.97 nm respectively, which was validated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the crystal structure of these nanoparticles had a face-centered cubic geometry. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry of the plant extract showed strong signals corresponding to carbohydrates, proteins, and phenolics. Antibacterial assays of the silver nanoparticles from C. plicata displayed zones of inhibition at 5 and 4 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. Meanwhile, the silver nanoparticles from H. curassavicum exhibited zones of inhibition against both pathogens at 10 and 7 mm, respectively. The test samples were substantial inhibitors of S. aureus and E. coli biofilm formation since these displayed IC50 values in the range of 8.88–10.57 mg/mL, which is as potent as the reference ciprofloxacin. Consequently, the silver nanoparticles derived from these desert plants can be potential drug candidates for treating respiratory and digestive tract infections alone or in combination with existing antibiotics

Thyroid Dysfunction in Non-Interferon Treated Hepatitis C Patients Residing in Hepatitis Endemic Area

Background. Association of thyroid dysfunction (TD) with interferon treatment of HCV is well known to clinicians. However, a few studies have highlighted the role of hepatitis C virus per se in the development of TD. The aim of this study was to know the prevalence of TD in non-interferon treated HCV infected patients referred for thyroid function testing. Patients and Methods. Among 557 ELISA-positive HCV patients 446 (341 females, 105 males) were selected for this study. Serums FT4, FT3, and TSH were determined by radioimmunoassay method. Results. TD was detected in 15.2% of patients: 9.0% hypothyroidism and 6.3% hyperthyroidism. In increasing order subclinical hypothyroidism, overt hypothyroidism, overt hyperthyroidism, and subclinical hyperthyroidism were found in 4.7%, 4.3%, 3.6%, and 2.7% patients, respectively. Overall TD was more common in female than in male HCV patients but the difference was not significant (16.1% versus 12.4%; p=0.648). Hyperthyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism were slightly more common in female and overall hypothyroidism and overt hypothyroidism in male patients but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The incidence of TD was relatively high in patients above 36 years (median age) but the difference was not statistically significant either collectively or in gender base groups (p>0.05). Conclusion. Prior to interferon treatment, HCV infection itself causes biochemical thyroid dysfunction in 15.2% of local HCV patients

Synthesis of new steroidal oxazoles and thiazoles

2872-2874The reaction of 5α-bromocholestan-6-one 1, its 3β-acetoxy 2 and 3β-chloro 3 analogues with urea and thiourea, separately, in ethanol under reflux affords 2'-amino-5α-cholest-6-eno [6,5-d] oxazole 4, 3β-acetoxy-2'-amino-5α-cholest-6-eno [6,5–d] oxazole 5, 3β-chloro-2'-amino-5α-cholest-6-eno [6,5-d] oxazole 6, 2'-amino-5α-cholest-6-eno [6,5-d] thiazole 7, 3β- acetoxy-2'-amino-5α-cholest-6-eno [6,5-d] thiazole 8, 3β-chloro-2'-amino-5α-cholest- 6-eno [6,5-d] thiazole 9, respectively. The structures of the products have been established on the basis of their chemical analytical and spectral analysis. &nbsp