Correlation of serum sodium with severity of hepatic encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis patients presenting at Dr. Ruth K.M. Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi.

Introduction: Cirrhotic patients suddenly or insidiously develop hepatic en-cephalopathy. Approximately three-fourth of the patients usually die within 3 years of onset of their first episode of hepatic encephalopathy. Hypo-natremia, a multifactorial phenomenon in cirrhotic patients may lead to cer-ebral edema and astrocytes swelling.Objective: To determine the correlation of serum sodium with severity of hepatic encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis patients presenting at tertiary care hospital, Karachi.Methodology: This prospective cross-sectional study conducted at Depart-ment of Medicine, Civil Hospital, Karachi between October 31, 2019 till April 4,2020. Data collected from 138 patients after taking written consent; pre-sented as was as mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentages. Effect modifiers were controlled through stratification to see the effect of these on the outcome variable taking p-value of ≤0.05 as significant.Results: Among 138 patients 92 (66.7%) were male and 46 (33.3%) were female. Mean age, duration of symptoms, height, weight and serum sodium in our study was 51.14±4.49 years, 12±7.21 hours, 161±6.78 cm, 85.2±8.54 kg and 132.7±6.32 mEq/L. Out of 136 patients, 28 (20.3%), 35 (25.4%), 54 (39.1%) and 21 (15.2%) patients belonged to sodium quartile 1, 2, 3 and 4; while 21 (15.2%), 41 (29.7%), 28 (20.3%) and 48 (34.8%) belonged to hepatic encephalopathy severity grade 1, 2, 3 and 4. Hepatic encephalopathy severi-ty showed correlation with rising sodium levels.Conclusion: Hyponatremia was found with increased frequency in patients with cirrhosis of liver having a correlation with frequency and severity of hepatic encephalopathy.Key words: Encephalopathy, Liver Cirrhosis, Hyponatremia

Morphometric analysis of soldier cast of Odontotermes obesus (Rambur) and Microtermes obesi (Holmgren) (Blattodea: Termitidae; Macrotermitinae) from three localities of Potohar region, Pakistan

A great diversity of termite species is found all over the world, among these 53 species are identified from Pakistan. The knowledge about morphological features in soldier cast of termites is proved to be a technical tool for taxonomy and identification. In the present studies, the morphometric variations of external morphology in soldier caste of Odontotermes obesus (Rambur) and Microtermes obesi (Holmgren) from three different areas i.e. Gujar Khan (A), Rawalpindi (B) and Islamabad (C) were studied. About 36 characters like body, thorax, abdomen, from head to mandible tip, head, pronotum, postmentum, mandible, antenna (scape, pedicle, flagellum), and legs parts were used for morphometric measurements. The data were statistically analyzed for significant differences in their mean, standard deviation, standard error, 95% confidence interval, coefficient of variability and analysis of variance. “Student t-test” was used for the comparison of mean values using Minitab version 16. The results of the present study revealed no significant differences among the population samples collected from various localities. However little variations were observed in a few characters like antennal segments (pedicle, scape) and legs (trochanter, tibia) among the soldier cast which are adaptive in nature to survive in the environment

Prevalence and determinants of Asthma in adults in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory respiratory disease that is caused by biological and environmental factors. These factors can be in the form of dust, chemicals, smoke, allergens, and viruses. Approximately, 315 million people are affected with asthma worldwide. This study is designed to determine the prevalence of asthma in adults of different ages and its symptoms and main determinants in the Mardan and Peshawar districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar and Bacha Khan Medical Complex Mardan from May 2020 to March 2021. Data were collected from 1,400 individuals, and the prevalence of asthma was reported to be 22.57% (n=316). Asthma prevalence was reported to be more in men (55.7%) compared to women (44.3%) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Asthma was most common between people aged 18-27 years (31%). The majority of asthma patients were obese (53.8%) compared to non-obese (46.2%) patients. The most common symptoms of asthma were respiratory infections including the common cold, flu and pneumonia (89.87%), followed by chest pain, dyspnea (88.6%) and wheezing (83.54%). %). Risk factors for asthma include allergens exposure to dust mites, pollen, animal dander and cold air, family history of the disease, smoking, consumption of food containing sulphites and preservatives and use of certain medications including beta-blockers and aspirin in the KPK province of Pakistan. The government should conduct awareness campaigns in various cities, where proper lung function tests and other drugs using corticosteroids should be used to control the spread of the disease.  

In Vitro Supplementation of Glycine Improves Quality of Cryopreserved Bull Semen

The extender supplementation of glycine on quality of cryopreserved bull sperm was reported in current study. Three adult Sahiwal bulls was used for semen collection by artificial vagina having 42°C (three weeks) (replicates; n=18)). Collected semen was quickly shifted to laboratory for initial evaluation. Qualified semen ejaculates (>60% motility, >1mL volume, >0.5billion/mL cons.) was diluted in tris extender having 0 (control), 5, 10 and 15 and 20mM of glycine. Cooling of extended semen to (4℃) was done in 2 hours and kept for 4 hours for equilibration. French straws were used for filling at (4℃), liquid nitrogen used for freezing. Highest percentages of post thaw sperm progressive motility and acrosome integrity were observed in extender containing 5mM of glycine compared to other treatments and control (P<0.05). However, glycine supplementation in extender didn’t affect viability, chromatin integrity and plasma membrane integrity of bull sperm. In conclusion, glycine addition at 5 mM in extender improves quality of cryopreserved bull semen

Community structure and seasonal distribution of intertidal macrofauna from two rocky shores of Karachi coast

Rocky shores are considered heterogeneous environments due to their composition and structure. Therefore, they support numerous habitats for flora and fauna. Organisms found on rocky shores are facing intense physicochemical conditions during tidal changes from upper to lower intertidal zones. Total (N=1888) specimens were collected on seasonal basis from intertidal zone during low tide from two rocky sites of Karachi coast, Buleji and Sunehri during January 2017 to December 2017. The highest number of individuals (N=1041), were recorded from Buleji than Sunehri (N= 847). The seasonal abundance in Mollusca were measured as (36.84%), (63.67%), (25.08) and (40.38%) from Buleji while from Sunehri (45.16 %), (46.01%), (48.65) and (42.79 %) during pre-monsoon, south-west monsoon, post monsoon and north-east monsoon season respectively. Group Arthropoda, Mollusca and Echinodermata were shows the highest abundance of the species at both sites as compare to other groups. The highest diversity index from Sunehri (H'=0.64) was measured in north-east monsoon season meanwhile, (H'=0.61) was measured in post monsoon season from Buleji coast. Evenness index (J'=0.25) in pre-monsoon season from Buleji and (J'=0.28) in south-west monsoon season from Sunehri coast. Season shows the great abundance of species as compare to other seasons. No significant correlation was observed in between seasons, water temperature and salinity with macrofauna groups at both sites

'I once wore an angry bird t-shirt and went to read Qur’an': asymmetrical institutional complexity and emerging consumption practices in Pakistan

This article brings together theories of institutional logics and the exploration of the lives of tweens in Pakistan to understand how emerging consumption practices fit within Pakistani children’s daily lives, and how institutional complexity that includes the dominance of religion under Pakistani Islamization is negotiated to separate and maintain the differences between them. We identify resolutions to asymmetrical institutional complexity in the consumption of character T-shirts: spatial–temporal practices, visual practices, symbolic substitution practices and single logic practices. We contribute to an understanding of how consumption happens in an Eastern Muslim culture, and how multiple institutional logics shape the consumption practices of children, by articulating how halal consumption practices, far from being essentialist, or presented as market segmentation, form from negotiations and reflections at the boundaries where Islam and Market logics meet

Schemas Mediate the Link Between Procrastination and Depression: Results from the United States and Pakistan

The current study extended the Procrastination-Health model by examining a multiple mediation model, with two cognitive schemas (defectiveness; insufficient self-control) serving as mediators. The models were as follows: procrastination → defectiveness → depression; procrastination → insufficient self-control → depression. Participants included 412 (271 women, 141 men) United States (US) and 240 (107 women, 133 men) Pakistani college students, who responded via self-report questionnaires. In the US sample, results revealed a non-significant direct effect between procrastination and depression after consideration for the two cognitive schemas, suggesting the schemas completely mediated the model. Both defectiveness and insufficient self-control schemas were significant individual mediators. In the Pakistani model, results revealed a significant direct effect and indirect effect through the two cognitive schemas, indicating partial mediation. Only the indirect path through defectiveness schemas was significant in the Pakistani model. Given slight differences in the two models, a moderated-mediation model was analyzed to determine if the strength of the direct and indirect effects varied by nationality. The strength of the direct and indirect effects was not moderated by nationality. Overall, this is the first study to identify cognitive mediators in the procrastination-depression relationship. Such findings represent a significant extension of the Procrastination-Health model and offer some unique cognitive insights into culturally sensitive conceptualizations and treatments for depression

Influence of Bacterial Contamination and Antibiotic Sensitivity on Cryopreserved Sperm Quality of Indian Red Jungle Fowl

Aims: Bacterial contamination may occur in feces during collection and processing of semen. Bacteria not only compete for nutrients with spermatozoa but also produce toxic metabolites and endotoxins and affect sperm quality. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of antibiotic supplementation on the sperm quality of Indian red jungle fowl, estimation and isolation of bacterial species and their antibiotic sensitivity. Materials and Methods: Semen was collected and initially evaluated, diluted, and divided into six experimental extenders containing gentamicin (2.5 μg/mL), kanamycin (31.2 μg/mL), neomycin (62.5 mg/mL), penicillin (200 U/mL), and streptomycin (250 μg/mL), and a control having no antibiotics were cryopreserved and semen quality was evaluated at post-dilution, post-cooling, post-equilibration, and post-thawing stages (Experiment 1). A total aerobic bacterial count was carried out after culturing bacteria (Experiment 2) and subcultured for antibiotic sensitivity (Experiment 3). Results: It was shown that penicillin-containing extender improved semen quality (sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity, viability, and acrosomal integrity) compared with the control and other extenders having antibiotics. The bacteria isolated from semen were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., and Bacillus spp. Antibiotic sensitivity results revealed that E. coli shows high sensitivity toward neomycin, kanamycin, and penicillin. Staphylococcus spp. shows high sensitivity toward streptomycin, neomycin, and penicillin. Bacillus spp. shows high sensitivity toward kanamycin and penicillin. Conclusions: It was concluded that antibiotics added to semen extender did not cause any toxicity and maintained semen quality as that of untreated control samples, and penicillin was identified as most effective antibiotic. It is recommended that penicillin can be added to the semen extender for control of bacterial contamination without affecting the semen quality of Indian red jungle fowl.Peer reviewe