Prevalence of raised Alanine Amino transaminase (ALT) in pregnant mothers: A Cross-sectional Study

Objective: To determine the prevalence of raised ALT, common causes, and associated fetomaternal morbidity  in pregnant mothers presenting, at cantonment general hospital Rawalpindi Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at cantonment general hospital Rawalpindi from July 2016 till June 2017. Results: Out of 1924 women, 102 were identified with raised ALT making a prevalence of 5.3%. Sixty-one (59.8%) were booked. The hypertensive group which included severe preeclampsia, chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia/eclampsia were 55(53.9%), intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy(ICP) 32(31.7%), acute viral hepatitis 9(8.8%), Acute fatty liver of pregnancy(AFLP) 2(1.96%), and unknown cause in 4(3.92%). Mean ALT levels were 54.1±6.94, 71.28±23.25, 84.22±27.82, 231.5±47.37 respectively. In four cases no definitive cause could be identified with the available tests were labeled as an unknown group, having a mean ALT level of 79.25±10.07. (p=0.01). Term delivery occurred in 71(69.6%), while 31(30.39%) were preterm. There was one termination of pregnancy. Vaginal birth occurred in 42(42.2%), and 53(51.9%) underwent emergency cesarean. There was one peripartum hysterectomy. Meconium stain of liquor was 19(18.6%). The birth weight of most babies 73(71.5%) was between 2-3 kilograms only three were ≤ 1 kilograms. Eight cases of postpartum hemorrhage, three maternal deaths, and six perinatal/early neonatal deaths were observed. Conclusion: Raised ALT in pregnancy leads to increased fetomaternal complications. Severe preeclampsia and obstetric cholestasis were the commonest causes. Women of younger age groups were having acute viral hepatitis. Timely recognition and diagnosis are essential to institute appropriate management strategies

Effects of teachers’ demographic factors towards workplace spirituality at secondary school level

Workplace spirituality is recognised as the inner state of individuals and an aspect of their working life. In the study reported on here we aimed to unearth the effects of teachers’ demographic factors (gender, age, nature of job, academic qualification, marital status, designation, teaching experience, and district) towards workplace spirituality in secondary schools. This study was a descriptive research and a cross-sectional survey research design was applied. The participants were 3,050 secondary school teachers. The participants were selected using stratified proportionate random sampling. The Workplace Spirituality Scale (WPS) developed by Petchsawang and Duchon (2009) was used along with a list of demographic variables to meet the study objectives. Different statistical techniques (t-test, mean, SD, one-way ANOVA and post hoc analysis) were applied for data analysis. The results indicate that teachers were satisfied and agreed with the practices of workplace spirituality in secondary schools. Moreover, the results reveal that the teachers’ demographic factors (gender, designation, nature of job, academic qualification, marital status, teaching experience, and district) had significant effects on their workplace spirituality. From the results we recommend that the management of educational institutions should treat teachers equally and fairly without any discrimination for equal nurturing of workplace spirituality among teachers

Effect of Job Design on Employee Satisfaction (A Study of Fertilizer Companies Listed in Lahore Stock Exchange)

Human is declared as “Better” in all living creation. That is the reason behind the importance of the Human Resource whether in Business Organizations or Non-Business Organization. It is the asset which can neither be copied nor be created. In the past two decades, the importance of Human Resource becomes shinier for the organizations especially for the business sectors. Human Resource Management, now a day, is the most important area for Business Organizations and Vital Topic for the Researchers as well. Achieving target and goals, capturing new markets and niches, acquiring and selling are one dimension of success for the organization, but now organizations are putting a valuable consideration to Human Resource Management and its issues. Job Design, Job Enrichment, Job Enlargement, Employee Satisfaction and Motivation, Brain Drain, Performance and Reward are some factors which captured the attention of the organizations. This Research exist in the orbit of the topic “Effect of job design on Employee Satisfaction” and declare 6 Variables of job design which is Independent Variable and find the relation of these variables with employee satisfaction through correlation and linear regression technique. Through Questionnaire, Primary data is collected and by the use of SPSS and Excel 2007, the results are concluded that there is a strong positive correlation between Job Design and Employee Satisfaction and both of these variables move in the same direction. Keyword: Job Design, Employee Satisfaction, Fertilizer Companies, Lahore Stock Exchang

POST-COVID COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AMONG GENERAL POPULATION OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA: PAKISTAN

OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare the cognitive functioning of post-Covid patient with non-Covid person among the general population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January to May 2021. Sample of 500 community members, including both post-Covid and non-Covid, from population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Male and female with age of 18-64 years were included, age less than 18 years, having any nervous system or psychiatric illness or previous known cognitive impairment were excluded from the study. Validated Cognitive Functioning Self Reporting Scale (CFSS) questionnaire was used. Data was analyzed through SPSS V.25. RESULTS: Out of 600 approached, 500 (83.3%) participants responded to online questionnaire. Mean age of participants was 45±22 years, Majority (n=174: 34.7%) of participants were from 31- 40 years’ age group. Hypertension (n=33; 6.6%) and Diabetes Mellitus (n=30; 6%) were the most common comorbid conditions; while 378 (75.6%) had no comorbidities. Mean CFSS values was 38.4±11.5 and 42.2±12.04 for male (n=230) and female (n=270) participants respectively. Based on standard cut off values of CFSS, mild, moderate and severe cognitive impairment was observed in 46 (24.8 %), 127 (68.6%) and 12 (6.4 %) cases of post-COVID and 19 (20.4%), 73 (78.4 %) and 1 (1.0%) cases of non-COVID participants having no comorbidities. CONCLUSION: Cognitive performance was moderately affected among post COVID patients as compared to non-Covid population, compromising daily executive functioning as well as other elements of mental health such as attention, memory, spatial functioning & inhibition

BREAST CANCER: EARLY DETECTION INITIATIVE IN PAKISTAN

Female breast cancer is currently the most prevalent cancer worldwide, with estimated global figures of 2.3 million new cases (11.7% of all cancer) in 2020. It is the 5th leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, 685,000 deaths.1,2 Exact cause of the breast cancer is not known however, genetic factors like BRCA 1, 2 & p 53 gene mutations play an important role. Other risk factors include female gender, growing age, high estrogen exposure, obesity, lack of exercise, stress, early menarche and late menopause etc.3 Magnitude of the breast cancer patients in Pakistan is undetermined due to absence of the central registry.4 However, an estimated 90,000 women are diagnosed every year with breast cancer in Pakistan out of which 40,000 die every year.5 It’s said that every 9th woman is at risk of breast cancer in Pakistan, nevertheless, being a woman, every woman is at risk.5,6 Recently activities initiated by the first lady, national & international organizations and civil society to raise the awareness about self-examination and early detection in Pakistan has highlighted the importance of this health problem to the masses. Pakistan Atomic energy commission (PAEC) is the prime stakeholder of the cancer care in Pakistan. PAEC cancer registry report 2018-2019 encompassed the data of cancer patients from all over Pakistan including & Afghan refugees. According to this report, breast cancer was the most common cancer (8,816- 23% and 9,827- 24% cases during 2018 & 2019 respectively) among female of Pakistan. Most common age of reporting of the cancer remained 49 years, compare to 62 years in USA.7 The high-risk group was 40-69 years of age, comprising of about 90% of the breast cancer. According to this data every two out of five females were diagnosed with breast cancer in Pakistan. Highest number of breast cancer patients were seen in Punjab (49% in 2018 & 50% in 2019) and Islamabad (45% in 2018 & 46% in 2019), reasons may include urban life, enhanced awareness and availability of the diagnostic facilities in these areas. Rest of the breast cancer statistics include: Sindh (34.6% in 2018 & 34.0% in 2019), KP (31.1% in 2018 & 34.0% in 2019), Baluchistan (28.8% in 2018 & 30.7% in 2019), Jammu and Kashmir (34.1% in 2018 & 35.0% in 2019), Gilgit Baltistan (25.0% in 2018 & 19.2% in 2019) and Afghanistan (29.2% in 2018 & 34.4% in 2019).  According to the data, since 2015, out of 41,673 total breast cancer patients, 939 (2.2%) males mostly from the Pukhtoon ethnicity suffered. This is in contrast to the world data of less than 1%. Majority of the patients presented with advanced stages of the breast cancer (61% and 63% of total cases were in stage III/ IV during the year 2018 & 2019 respectively).8 Breast cancer is still considered a taboo in the conservative society of Pakistan, where female population stands 109,315,131.9,10 Despite the fact that the World Health Organization Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) has set the target to reduce 2% breast cancer related deaths per year worldwide, Pakistan lacks breast cancer control program.1,11 There is a lack of infrastructure and service providers in the endeavors of early detection and referral, especially at the primary health care levels.   Breast cancer early detection initiative model in KP Pakistan in the early phase of establishment of the breast cancer Control model, conducted a distinctive situational analysis during 2021, by the breast cancer subcommittee of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (KP) of Pakistan. It was found that there are only eleven mammography machines for 35.5 million population of KP in contrast to seventy Mammogram machines per million population in developed country like USA.12  Chemotherapy services are available in nine facilities, whereas Radio therapy services are available in only seven facilities of KP.13 Provincial Assembly of KP passed a resolution unanimously on 7th July 2020 and a proposal has been approved for the KP ADP budget of 2022-23 as the flagship program of the “Breast cancer early detection initiative” to enhance the capacity of the province for early detection through availability of the specialized ultrasound, Mammograms and biopsy at the seven divisions of KP in addition to project implementation unit at the Provincial capital. Public Health Association KP with the vision to promote Public health and influence health policies, was the prime non-governmental organization, to start the struggle for breast cancer control program in the province, was joined by PAEC and other high profile health professionals. This model should be adopted by the rest of the provinces to reduce deaths among female of Pakistan.  Future preventive strategies should include further strengthening of the early detection initiative. Beside good planning, implementation and referral mechanisms, addition of cancer registry, genetic testing and screening, continuous research, targeted advocacy activities, social mobilization to promote self and clinical examination will help to decrease morbidity and mortality associated with the breast cancer

Accelerating progress towards the Zero Hunger Goal in cross-boundary climate change hotspots

The most recent 2017 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals progress report highlighted the need to accelerate the pace of progress in order for the Sustainable Development Goals to be fully achieved. Responding to these concerns, the present commen tary proposes four distinct, but interrelated approaches to accelerate the Zero Hunger G oal in transboundary climate change hotspots, regions which suffer from multiple stressors and vulnerabilities, and in which prevalence of food insecurity and malnutrition often remains disproportionately high. These conceptual, programmatic and policy approaches are discussed drawing from a newly developed conceptual framework and referring to specific examples from climate change hotspots around the world

Soil Moisture Measuring Techniques and Factors Affecting the Moisture Dynamics: A Comprehensive Review

The amount of surface soil moisture (SSM) is a crucial ecohydrological natural resource that regulates important land surface processes. It affects critical land–atmospheric phenomena, including the division of energy and water (infiltration, runoff, and evaporation), that impacts the effectiveness of agricultural output (sensible and latent heat fluxes and surface air temperature). Despite its significance, there are several difficulties in making precise measurements, monitoring, and interpreting SSM at high spatial and temporal resolutions. The current study critically reviews the methods and procedures for calculating SSM and the variables influencing measurement accuracy and applicability under different fields, climates, and operational conditions. For laboratory and field measurements, this study divides SSM estimate strategies into (i) direct and (ii) indirect procedures. The accuracy and applicability of a technique depends on the environment and the resources at hand. Comparative research is geographically restricted, although precise and economical—direct measuring techniques like the gravimetric method are time-consuming and destructive. In contrast, indirect methods are more expensive and do not produce measurements at the spatial scale but produce precise data on a temporal scale. While measuring SSM across more significant regions, ground-penetrating radar and remote sensing methods are susceptible to errors caused by overlapping data and atmospheric factors. On the other hand, soft computing techniques like machine/deep learning are quite handy for estimating SSM without any technical or laborious procedures. We determine that factors, e.g., topography, soil type, vegetation, climate change, groundwater level, depth of soil, etc., primarily influence the SSM measurements. Different techniques have been put into practice for various practical situations, although comparisons between them are not available frequently in publications. Each method offers a unique set of potential advantages and disadvantages. The most accurate way of identifying the best soil moisture technique is the value selection method (VSM). The neutron probe is preferable to the FDR or TDR sensor for measuring soil moisture. Remote sensing techniques have filled the need for large-scale, highly spatiotemporal soil moisture monitoring. Through self-learning capabilities in data-scarce areas, machine/deep learning approaches facilitate soil moisture measurement and prediction

Comparative genomics of food-derived probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum K25 reveals its hidden potential, compactness, and efficiency

This study aimed to investigate the intricate genetic makeup of the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum K25 strain by conducting a comprehensive analysis of comparative genomics. The results of our study demonstrate that the genome exhibits a high-level efficiency and compactness, comprising a total of 3,199 genes that encode proteins and a GC content of 43.38%. The present study elucidates the evolutionary lineage of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains through an analysis of the degree of gene order conservation and synteny across a range of strains, thereby underscoring their closely interrelated evolutionary trajectories. The identification of various genetic components in the K25 strain, such as bacteriocin gene clusters and prophage regions, highlights its potential utility in diverse domains, such as biotechnology and medicine. The distinctive genetic elements possess the potential to unveil innovative therapeutic and biotechnological remedies in future. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the L. plantarum K25 strain, revealing its remarkable genomic potential and presenting novel prospects for utilizing its unique genetic features in diverse scientific fields. The present study contributes to the existing literature on Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and sets the stage for prospective investigations and practical implementations that leverage the exceptional genetic characteristics of this adap organism