Association of Quality of Life with Depression in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

Objective: The objectives of this study were to evaluate prevalence of depression and extent of disbility among patients with chronic Low Back Pain and to observe the association between the quality of life and depression in these patients. Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study. A convenient sampling technique was used for data collection. One hundred and seventy eight patients suffering from chronic low back pain were selected from study population. Data was collected using two questionnaires. For assessing depression, Beck's depression scale was used and for measuring Quality of Life , the Oswestry Disability index was used. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant and qualitative variables were presented as frequencies and percentages. Results: Seventy-one percent of the patients belonged to female gender. 53.9 % of the LBP patients had moderate disability while 20.8% had severe disability and 2.2% were belonging to the crippled category as measured on Oswestry inventory. The Beck's depression scale revealed that 43.3% of the patients suffered from mild mood disturbance, 10.7% had borderline clinical depression , 13.5% and 1.1% patients suffered from moderate and severe depression respectively. Cross tabulation was done between the Oswestry inventory and beck's depression scale. A significant association (p value =0.001) was revealed between quality of life and depression in LBPpatients. Conclusion: Majority of the chronic Lower Back Pain patients suffered from moderate levels of disability and mild mood disturbances while a significant association was found between quality of life and depression in these patients highlighting the need for better pain management and follow up to mitigate these negative impacts of chronic lower back pain

Medicinal Plants Used for Treatment of Prevalent Diseases in Northern Pakistan of Western Himalayas

In this research study, we have scientifically assessed medicinal species and herbal preparations used by inhabitants of Northern Pakistan to treat joint pain, hypertension, skin diseases and glottis infections. The aim of the study is to document and highlight the ethnopharmacological significance and compare the uses of medicinal herbs for curing prevalent ailments in Northern Pakistan. Ethnomedicinal data were collected from 180 informants using semi-structured interviews and group meetings. A total of 80 plant species in 54 families were reported for the treatment of various health conditions. Heliotropium lasiocarpum, Geranium wallichianum, Parkinsonia aculeata, Rubia cordifolia and Salvadora persica were the favored plants for curing these diseases. Highest RFC was recorded for Neolitsea chinensis (0.956), Rubia cordifolia (0.928). The similarity of the informer’s knowledge about used medicines was found in Aesculus indica and Abies pindrow with high UV. Cuscuta reflexa and Lawsonia inermis had 98–99% fidelity level for management of joint pain, skin diseases, glottis infection and hypertension respectively. In Northern Pakistan, a rich diversity of medicinal plants was used in curing various diseases. The results of this study help us in screening of herbal plants for further phytochemical and pharmacological study which leads to discovery of natural drug and development with global interest for cure of various ailments

Diagnostic Accuracy of Increased Total Leucocyte Count (TLC) And Decreased Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) For Diagnosis Of Neonatal Sepsis Taking Culture Sensitivity As Gold Standard

Objective: To find diagnostic accuracy of increased total leucocyte count (TLC) and decreased absolute neutrophil count (ANC) for diagnosis of neonatal sepsis taking culture and sensitivity as gold standard.Methodology: Samples was collected from all the neonates with suspicion of sepsis admitted to neonatal due to severe bad health condition in the Children Hospital, Lahore. Parents were informed for consent. Total 3.5 cc sample was drawn by venipuncture.2.0 cc in CBC voil containing trisodium citrate, this sample was sent to CBC lab for automated CBC on sysmex KX-21 analyzer and peripheral smear. 1.5 cc was taken in specialized containers for blood culture and was sent to microbiology lab. Neonatal sepsis on TLC, ANC and blood count were be recorded. Patients of sepsis was managed as per hospital protocol. Data was analyzed using SPSS.Results: Neonates in this study was at mean age of 3.86±1.81 days. There was almost equal number of males and females neonates. Male were 155(51.7%) and female babies 145(48.3%). It was noted that 182(60.7%) babies were on term while 118(39.3%) were preterm neonates in this study. Neonatal sepsis was positive on TLC in 101(33.7%) cases. in 115(38.3%) on ANC.It was noted that sensitivity of the TLC was 71% while specificity was 66% with a diagnostic accuracy of 68%. On the other and, ANC sowed a sensitivity as 65%, specificity as 56% and diagnostic accuracy of 65%.Conclusion: Conclusively, TLC and ANC is not a good marker for the taking a neonate for the consideration of neonatal sepsis

Comparative Study of Liquid Biodiesel From Sterculia foetida (Bottle Tree) Using CuO-CeO2 and Fe2O3 Nano Catalysts

This study examined the potential of nanocatalyst CuO-CeO2 and Fe2O3 for efficient conversion of Sterculia foetida seed Oil into biodiesel. S. foetida contains 40% oil content and low free fatty acid value (0.18 mg KOH/g). The synthesized nanocatalyst was characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques. The maximum conversion was achieved (92% yield) using CuO-CeO2 at 0.25% catalyst loading. The optimized reaction was carried out by experimental variables included molar ratio (1:9), temperature (70°C), reaction time (3 h) and stirring rate (600 rpm) using reflux transesterification method. The XRD results showed the size of crystals with order 54.4 nm for CuO-CeO2 and 31.3 nm for Fe2O3. The SEM images of CuO-CeO2 showed spherical structure having an average particle size of 32.3 nm. SEM images of Fe2O3 showed the size ranges from 46.27 to 28.76 nm having regular morphology, including spherical shape. The FT-IR analysis of this nanocatalyst also reinforced the results of this study. Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed the efficient conversion of S. foetida seed oil into biodiesel using prepared nanocatalysts. The prepared nanocatalysts are cheaper, readily available and can be used for industrial scale biofuel production assembly, making it economically feasible and more cost effective

Macroeconomic Determinants of Housing Finance in Pakistan

The concept of human welfare cannot be imagined without housing as it is one of the basic needs of human life. It is alpha and omega for social inclusion and standard of living. The persons need a house for a variety of reasons including protection, security, space and other services and utilities attached with the houses. The people who do not have adequate housing facilities may encounter many pitfalls. This study explains the macroeconomic determinants of housing finance in Pakistan based on quarterly data ranging from 2005Q1 to 2018Q4. Vital factors that influence the housing finance in Pakistan are interest rate, per capita income, urbanization and wholesale price index. Findings expose that the interest rate and wholesale price index are negatively while per capita income and urbanization are positively related to housing finance of Pakistan

Hgfr And Fgr2: Their Roles 1 In Progression And Metastasis Of Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer (EC) is the sixth leading cause of malignancy-related death in the world. The disease is characterized by two types of histologies: esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), which are the most common in the Western world. While alcohol has proven to lead to ESCC, it has not been associated with EAC. Progressive dysphagia (first with solids, followed by liquids) and rapid involuntary weight loss are the two most common symptoms, which make most patients seek medical attention. Most patients have a long period of symptoms before they seek care. At diagnosis, ~50% of the patients already have metastasis. The treatment of gastroesophageal cancers continues to pose significant clinical challenges for various defined reasons. The majority of patients fail intensive and toxic multimodality therapy for locoregional disease, and systemic chemotherapy for metastatic carcinoma gives short-term benefits only. Our understanding of the molecular pathology of gastroesophageal cancers has considerably increased during the recent years, leading to the development of novel targeted therapeutic agents that have proven to be promising in improving the patients’ survival with minimal adverse events. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) play pivotal role(s) in the formation, maintenance, growth, and differentiation of the malignant cells encompassing both histological types of EC. Malignancies treated with chemotherapy/radiation therapy face the challenge of developing resistance and increasing the aggressive nature of cancerous cells leading to undesirable recurrence. In peer-reviewed literature, an array of RTKs have been described in ESCC, and more recently, they are being assessed for their therapeutic utility. Notably, structures of hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR) and fibroblast growth factors receptor 2 (FGR2) are two of the many prominent RTKs studies thus far. In this chapter, we thoroughly discuss the clinical characteristics of the disease and structure-functional aspects of various RTKs with focus on HGFR and FGR2 as it relates to the translational and clinical outcomes of EC

Traditional knowledge on herbal drinks among indigenous communities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

Abstract Background Traditional knowledge about the use of medicinal plants for herbal drinks (HDs) is not well documented in the Azad Kashmir region despite their widespread use. This study highlights the taxonomic diversity and traditional knowledge on medicinal plants used for HDs while examining the diversity of diseases treated with HDs in the study area. Methods Individual discussions were conducted with 255 informants (84 women and 171 men). Data gathered included (i) informant age and gender, (ii) HD species and respective plant parts used, (iii) health disorders treated, and (iv) mode of preparation and utilizations. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices including relative frequency of citation (RFC), informant consensus factor (ICF), and use value (UV) were used for data analyses. Results Altogether, 73 medicinal plants belonging to 40 families and 66 genera were reported to be used in HD preparations, with Asteraceae being the richest family. The average number of HD species cited was 9.09 ± 0.17 per informant and did not vary either by age or gender. In addition, men and women, and adults and the young used the same pool of species (dissimilarity nearly zero). The most used plant parts were leaves (20.00%), roots (17.25%), and fruits (16.47%). Based on UV, the top five most used species were Valeriana jatamansi, Isodon rugosus, Onopordum acanthium, Acacia nilotica, and Viola canescens; and the UV was similar among gender and age categories too. The most utilized herbal preparation forms included decoctions, infusions, and tea. One hundred and eleven diseases grouped into 13 ailment categories were reported to be cured using HDs. The main category of disease treated with HDs was gastrointestinal (GIT) disorders (RFC = 17.43%). Relatively few species were used by a large proportion of informants for each category of ailment (ICF ≥ 0.60). Only one species was used for “glandular disorders” and “eye diseases” (ICF = 1). A novelty of about 22% (16 species) was recorded for HD species in the present work. Conclusion The diversity of medicinal plant species used as HDs and the associated traditional knowledge are of considerable value to the indigenous communities of the Azad Kashmir region. Therefore, there is a need for conservation and preservation of medicinal HD species as well as the wealth of indigenous knowledge. The conservation effort should be high for species in the ailments categories glandular disorders and eye diseases. The therapeutic uses of HDs have provided basic data for further research focused on phytochemical and pharmacological studies and conservation of the most important species

Random mutagenesis of super Koji (Aspergillus oryzae): improvement in production and thermal stability of α-amylases for maltose syrup production

Abstract Background Alpha-amylases hydrolyze 1,4 α-glycosidic bonds of starch and produce malto-oligosaccharides. It is an important enzyme generally applied in textile, food and brewing industries. Enhancement in thermal stability and productivity of enzymes are the two most sought after properties for industrial use. The Aspergillus oryzae (Koji) has Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status and safe for use in food industry. Hence, Koji strain’s development for the screening of potent mutants, hyper producer of thermostable α-amylases, with desired attributes is the need of the time. Results A process has been developed to improve super Koji (A. oryzae cmc1) strain through γ-rays treatment. The doses i.e. 0.60, 0.80, 1.00, 1.20 & 1.40 KGy gave more than 3.0 log kill. Initially, 52 Koji mutants resistant to 1% (w/v) Triton X-100 were selected. 2nd screening was based on α-amylases hyper production and 23 mutants were sorted out by measuring clearing zones index (CI). Afterwards nine potent mutants, resistant to 2-deoxy D-glucose, were screened based on CI. These were further analyzed for thermal stability and productivity of α-amylase under submerged conditions. The mutants’ M-80(10), M-100(6) & M-120(5) gave about four fold increases in α-amylases productivity. The half life of M-100(6) α-amylase at 55 °C was 52 min and was highest among the mutants. Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis confirmed that mutants did not produce aflatoxins. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) of Koji mycelia depicted that exposure to gamma rays increased rigidity of the mycelium. The potent Koji mutant M-100(6) was grown on soluble starch in 10L fermenter and produced 40.0 IU ml-1 of α-amylases with specific activity of 2461 IU mg-1 protein. Growth kinetic parameters were: μ = Specific growth rate= 0.069 h-1, td = Biomass doubling time= 10.0 h, Y p/x = Product yield coefficient with respect to cell mass = 482 U g-1; q p= Specific rate of product formation= 33.29 U g-1 h-1. Conclusion It was concluded that the developed five step screening process has great potential to generate potent mutants for the hyper production of thermostable enzymes through γ-rays mediated physical mutagenesis. The developed thermostable α-amylases of super Koji mutantM-100(6) has immense potential for application in saccharification process for maltose syrup production. Moreover, the developed five step strain’s development process may be used for the simultaneous improvement in productivity and thermal stability of other microbial enzymes

Traditional plant based medicines used to treat musculoskeletal disorders in Northern Pakistan

Introduction: This paper provides significant information about traditional knowledge of medicinal plants to treat musculoskeletal disorders in Northern Pakistan. The study aimed to document data regarding traditional uses of plants in health-care practices among the rural communities of areas which may lead to natural drug discovery development. Methods: In total, 215 informants were interviewed using semi structured questionnaire. Documented ethno-medicinal data is analyzed using quantitative index of frequency citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC), disease-consensus index (DCI), used value (UV), fidelity level (FL), jaccard index (JI), family important value (FIV), Relative popularity levely (RPL) and Rank priority order (ROP) and ethno-medicinal findings were compared with 25 previous published studies to report novel uses of plants against musculoskeletal disorder. Results: A total of 142 plants belonging to 69 families were reported with their medicinal usage to treat musculoskeletal disorders. The most dominant were herbs (57%), decoction was preferred method of utilization (35.2%) and leaves were the most used plant part (44.3%). The highest used category was recorded for rheumatism (44%) and the most used species were Celastrus paniculatus and Cyperus rotundus. RFC ranged from 0.098 to 0.586, Triticum aestivium with highest DCI (0.68) and Salvadoraceae was dominant family in terms of FIV (58.60). Conclusion: This study provides significant information about medicinal plants usage for musculoskeletal disorders among indigenous communities of Northern Pakistan. The baseline findings of this study might be useful in compiling data for future phytochemical and pharmacological screening of plants leading to natural drug discovery and development