Genetic analysis of cystic fibrosis in Pakistan: A preliminary report

Objective: Evaluation of the incidence of common delta F508 mutation in a cohort of Pakistani children with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).Methodology: The presence of the CFTR gene mutation at position 508 (delta F508) was evaluated in 15 consecutively presenting children with CF, proven by clinical features and an unequivocally positive sweat chloride test. The DNA from mononuclear cells was extracted and the delta F508 mutation assessed by the amplification refractory mutation system using the polymerase chain reaction.Results: The delta F508 mutation was found in 9 cases (60%), of which 5 were homozygous for the disorder.Conclusion: In this preliminary study, the reported frequency of the delta F508 mutation in Pakistani children with CF is lower than the reported frequency among the Western Caucasian population. Further studies are needed to characterize the common genetic mutations in Pakistani children with CF

Comparative Proteomic Profiling of Methicillin‐Susceptible and Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Purpose Staphylococcus aureus is a highly successful human pathogen responsible for wide range of infections. In this study, we provide insights into the virulence, pathogenicity, and antimicrobial resistance determinants of methicillin susceptible and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA; MRSA) recovered from non‐healthcare environments. Experiment design Three environmental MSSA and three environmental MRSA were selected for proteomic profiling using iTRAQ MS/MS. Gene Ontology (GO) Annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) Pathway Annotation were applied to interpret the functions of the proteins detected. Results 792 proteins were identified in MSSA and MRSA. Comparative analysis of MRSA and MSSA revealed that 8 of out 792 proteins were up‐regulated and 156 were down‐regulated. Proteins that had differences in abundance were predominantly involved in catalytic and binding activity. Among 164 differently abundant proteins, 29 were involved in pathogenesis, antimicrobial resistance, stress response, mismatch repair and cell wall synthesis. Twenty‐two proteins associated with pathogenicity, including spa, sbi, clfA and dlt were up‐regulated in MRSA. Moreover, the up‐regulated pathogenic protein entC2 in MSSA was determined to be a super antigen potentially capable of triggering toxic shock syndrome in the host. Conclusions Enhanced pathogenicity, antimicrobial resistance and stress response were observed in MRSA compared to MSSA

Hydraulic simulations to evaluate and predict design and operation of the Chashma Right Bank Canal

Irrigation systems / Irrigation canals / Flow control / Velocity / Canal regulation techniques / Hydraulics / Simulation models / Design / Operations / Crop-based irrigation / Distributary canals / Water delivery / Policy / Protective irrigation / Water allocation / Water requirements / Sedimentation / Water distribution / Equity / Water conveyance / Pakistan / Chashma Right Bank Canal

Imprints of clustering in multiplicity fluctuations

In this paper, we investigate the multiplicity fluctuations of charged particles observed in high-energy nuclear collisions and relate them to the size of hadronizing systems which happen during such processes. We use the average multiplicities $\langle N\rangle$ and variances $Var\left(N\right)$ of multiplicity distributions of charged particles produced in centrality selected collisions of relativistic heavy-ion nuclei to evaluate the dynamic variable $\Omega$ and study its dependence on the size of colliding nuclei. We connect the observed system-size dependence of multiplicity fluctuations with the clustering phenomena and the finiteness of the hadronizing sources and the thermal bath

Development of a life cycle assessment tool for the assessment of food production systems within the energy, water and food nexus

© 2015 The Institution of Chemical Engineers.As the demand for services and products continues to increase in light of rapid population growth, the question of energy, water and food (EWF) security is of increasing importance. The systems representing the three resources are intrinsically connected and, as such, there is a need to develop assessment tools that consider their interdependences. Specifically when evaluating the environmental performance of a food production system, it is necessary to understand its life cycle. The objective of this paper is to introduce an integrated energy, water and food life cycle assessment tool that integrates EWF resources in one robust model and at an appropriate resolution. The nexus modelling tool developed is capable of providing an environmental assessment for food production systems utilising a holistic systems approach as described by a series of subsystems that constitute each of the EWF resources. A case study set in Qatar and characterised by an agriculture sub-system, which includes the production and application of fertilisers and the raising of livestock, a water sub-system represented by mechanical and thermal desalination processes and an energy sub-system, which includes fossil fuel in the form of combined cycle natural gas based energy production and solar renewable energy is used to illustrate the model function. For the nexus system analysed it is demonstrated that the food system is the largest contributor to global warming. The GWP can be reduced by up to 30% through the utilisation of solar energy to substitute fossil fuels, which, however, comes with a significant requirement for land investment

Cataract prevalence, cataract surgical coverage and barriers to uptake of cataract surgical services in Pakistan: the Pakistan National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey.

AIM: To estimate the prevalence of visual impairment and blindness caused by cataract, the prevalence of aphakia/pseudophakia, cataract surgical coverage (CSC) and to identify barriers to the uptake of cataract services among adults aged >or=30 years in Pakistan. METHODS: Probability proportional-to-size procedures were used to select a nationally representative sample of adults. Each subject underwent interview, visual acuity measurement, autorefraction, biometry and ophthalmic examination. Those that saw <6/12 in either eye underwent a more intensive examination procedure including corrected visual acuity, slit lamp and dilated fundus examination. CSC was calculated for different levels of visual loss by person and by eye. Individuals with <6/60 in the better eye as a result of cataract were interviewed regarding barriers. RESULTS: 16 507 Adults were examined (95.5% response rate). The crude prevalence of blindness (presenting <3/60 in the better eye) caused by bilateral cataract was 1.75% (95% CI 1.55%, 1.96%). 1317 Participants (633 men; 684 women) had undergone cataract surgery in one or both eyes, giving a crude prevalence of 8.0% (95% CI 7.6%, 8.4%). The CSC (persons) at <3/60, <6/60 and <6/18 were 77.1%, 69.3% and 43.7%, respectively. The CSC (eyes) at <3/60, <6/60 and <6/18 were 61.4%, 52.2% and 40.7%, respectively. Cost of surgery (76.1%) was the main barrier to surgery. CONCLUSION: Approximately 570 000 adults are estimated to be blind (<3/60) as a result of cataract in Pakistan, and 3,560000 eyes have a visual acuity of <6/60 because of cataract. Overall, the national surgical coverage is good but underserved populations have been identified