Causes and Effects of Cyber-Crime Victimization among Educated Youth: A Study of BZU, Multan

As criminal activities are increasing in Pakistan, there are different types of crime that come into the mind. Cyber-crime is the most common among internet users, especially students who are connected online most of the time for different purposes. This study examined the nature of cyber-crime, causes of cyber-crime and its effects on victims. The sample for the study consists of 201 students from department of social sciences Bahauddin Zakirya University, Multan. The researcher used multi stage sampling and questionnaires as a tool for data collection. The results were analyzed by using SPSS. The results revealed that 86.5% of the respondents used internet every day, while 95(47.2%) of respondents used internet for study, other 30(14.9%) heard songs by using internet, 45(22.3%) youth played games and 41(20.3%) watched movies. University students become victimized due to fake online job 124(61.6%), while monetary reward 37(18.6%), chat in open room 20(9.9%) and downloaded games 20(9.95%). There are different effects like 80(39.8%) psychological losses which include mental effect of private information losing and risk of re-victimization. While 55(27.3%) respondents are harassed, on the other hand, 21(10.4%) respondents lost their financial data and 45(22.3%) students lost their personal information data. Future research will be needed to let the youth be fully aware of cyber-crime effects

Role of PD-L1 in Oral Cancer: From the Perspective of Immuno-oncology

Oral cancers are prevalent in our region and their management requires an upgrade in terms of advanced techniques. Immunotherapy is a novel therapeutic approach across the world that has shown significance in the sphere of oncology. Tumor cells escape detection from the immune surveillance mechanism resulting in proliferation. Through cancer immunotherapy, body’s own immune defense mechanism is stimulated with the aid of immunomodulating drugs. Scientists are underway studying the tumor microenvironment where immune editing takes place resulting in tumor escape and evasion. Many immune checkpoint proteins are being studied for clinical implications, however, the immune checkpoint blockade of Programmed death ligand-1(PD-L1) has proven to be successful and FDA approved in certain tumors. Role of increased expression of PD-L1 in oral cancer has been explored with variable results. Most researches have related it with tumor progression and prognosis. This review focuses on the importance of PD-L1 as an emerging immune checkpoint inhibitor, emphasizing its expression in cancers, particularly in oral cancer. The information was retrieved from reliable search engines e.g. PubMed, Medline, Google scholar and others, through original research papers and reviews published hitherto, from 2010-2019. It is essential to explore advanced treatment modalities for oral cancer especially via immunotherapy. Furthermore, additional studies on PD-L1 expression in OSCC are required including standardized protocols to reach definitive conclusions for clinical implications

PERCEPTION OF DENTAL STUDENTS ABOUT PBL METHOD FOR CONSTRUCTIVE LEARNING

Background: Problem Based Learning (PBL) is a widely used constructive teaching approach for undergraduate Medical and Dental students for many years. This is an effective teaching tool which integrates students’ prior knowledge which he/she has obtained in their initial years and applies it for solving actual clinical cases which they usually encounter in the clinical rotations.This exercise broadens their thinking and learning capacity and makes them active, self-directed and vigilant learners. They also learn how to work in a team and collectively come up with the best possible answers of the given clinical scenario. Objectives: The main objective of this study is to evaluate dental students’ perception regarding Problem Based Learning (PBL), which is a fruitful teaching strategy for student’s effective professional development and also to assess the extent students benefit from this teaching method and to help them develop professional skills and attitude. Method: A cross sectional study was conducted amongst the Dental students of all (four) years of Bachelors of Dental Surgery (BDS) from Aug to Sep 2017 at Ziauddin University (College of Dentistry), Karachi, Pakistan. A Verbal consent was taken from all the students and each student was asked to fill a 21-item questionnaire for evaluating their perceptions about PBL teaching methodology. The students’ response about PBL was measured by a 5 point Likert scale. The statistical analysis of data was calculated by SPSS version 20. Percentage and frequencies were calculated for qualitative data and Mean/SD for quantitative statistics. ANOVA was applied to suggested strong association between PBL and development of professional attitude and skills. The p-value of > 0.05 was statistically significant. Results: Students’ thoughts regarding PBL as an effective teaching strategy were assenting. They positively benefited from this learning method which is represented by mean scores of ≥ 3 in the study. The mean score of 1.85 (<2) indirectly highlights that students are not wasting their time by performing this exercise. There is a significant association between PBL method and development of professional attitude and skills by p-value of < 0.00001 Conclusion: It aids the medical educators to perform internal evaluation to record students’ progress in every module for marking their final assessment

Comorbidity of COVID-19 related Fatalities in Tertiary Care Hospitals of Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Objectives: To assess the COVID-19 associated fatalities with respect to demographics, comorbidity, critical illness, and length of hospital stay in tertiary care hospitals. Subjects &amp; Methods: A retrospective hospital data-based research was done among 216 COVID-19 associated mortalities registered in 4 tertiary care hospitals Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), District Head Quarters Hospital (DHQ) and Rawalpindi Institute of Urology &amp; Transplantation (RIU &amp; T) affiliated with Rawalpindi Medical University from 29th March-15th June 2020. The data was gathered by consecutive sampling pertinent to demographics, hospital stay, comorbidity, critical illness, and ventilator or oxygen support. The length of hospital stay among fatalities with and without comorbidity was compared by an independent sample z-test. Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 25.0. Results: Of the total 216 COVID-19 related mortalities, 150(69.4%) were males and 66(30.6%) were females. The mean age of fatalities was 55.66 ± 13.97 years. About 76.7% of dying males were 41-70 years old while 56.1% of females dying of COVID-19 were 41-60 years old. Most (60.8%) of study subjects had hypertension followed by diabetes (53.8%), Ischemic Heart Disease (17.5%), and respiratory disorders (12.3%). About 75% of the critically ill patients needed a ventilator for respiratory support. Length of hospital stay was determined to have a statistically insignificant association (P &gt; 0.10) with the presence or absence of comorbidity among COVID-19 patients. Critical illness had a highly significant association (P &lt; 0.000) with ventilator support among COVID-19 related mortalities. Conclusion: People 41-70 years should preferably adopt stringent precautions for protection against COVID-19. Comorbid states chiefly hypertension, diabetes, cardiac and respiratory diseases need special consideration amid COVID-19 pandemic to abstain from adverse health outcomes

KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS AND PRACTICE OF FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY AMONG DENTAL PRACTITIONERS IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN

Background: Forensic odontology is an expanding field within the domain of forensic sciences, where dental knowledge is applied in identification of individual(s) through analysis of the dental related records. In this study we aimed to assess the knowledge, awareness and practices of dentists in the field of forensic odontology. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted over 248 dentists practicing in teaching hospitals as well as private practice in Karachi, Pakistan. Multiple close-ended questions were answered by the respondents, in which their knowledge and awareness about forensic odontology was evaluated. They were also asked about their practices of maintaining dental records of the patients. Results: Majority of the dentists had knowledge about importance of forensics in dentistry (86.2%) and mostly (88.7%) were aware that they could be of help to forensics experts if they maintain proper records. But when asked about their practices in maintaining dental records, only 64.5% responded positively. Conclusion: The results of this study show that the dentists have sufficient knowledge and positive attitude in the field of forensic odontology. Lack of practice in dental record management was demonstrated amongst majority of the dental practitioners

The Validity Of 75gms OGTT For Detection Of GDM Keeping 100gms OGTT As Gold Standard

Objective: To determine the validity of 75gms (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test) OGTT for the detection of GDM keeping 100gms OGTT as the gold standard. Methodology: This was a Cross-sectional validation study done at the Mother and Child Health Centre, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad. The duration of the study was Six months from the approval of the synopsis. Data was collected from  March 2019 to September 2019. Informed consent for participating in the study was taken from all 205 patients. The patients' bio data along with the hospital registration number was entered pro forma. The patients were assessed initially by History taking and examination. All pregnant women underwent a 75g oral glucose test in the 2nd trimester at 24-28 weeks of gestation. For this, the patients were sent to the MCH laboratory with overnight fasting where FBS was taken and they were given a 75 g glucose drink. Their blood sample was taken at 1-hour and 2-hour interval. Two or more elevated values out of the 3 blood samples were sufficient to diagnose GDM. Laboratory reports were reviewed and data was entered in the performa (attached) by the researcher. All the diagnosed patients were further evaluated for a 100g OGTT dose at the MCH laboratory with overnight fasting. Their FBS was studied and women were given a 100 g glucose drink and blood samples were drawn at an interval of 1, 2 and 3 hours respectively. Out of the 4 blood samples, two or more elevated values were sufficient to diagnose GDM. Lab reports were entered in the Performa. Results: From a total of 205 patients, the sensitivity and specificity of OGTT-75 g for diagnosing GDM were 83.02% and 82.83%. However, positive predictive and negative predictive value for OGTT-75 g was 83.81% and 82% respectively. However, the overall diagnostic accuracy of OGTT-75 g was 82.93%. Conclusion: Results of this study showed that 75 gms OGTT is highly sensitive (83.02%) and specific (82.83%) for the detection/diagnosis of gestational DM. Advanced screening and diagnosis of gestational DM, and its effective treatment not only inhibit adverse perinatal and maternal outcomes but also save the lives of both child and mother from diabetes in future

ENHANCING CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES: THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION WORKERS IN DISTRICT RAHIM YAR KHAN, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract In recent years, the intricate relationship between climate change and its profound impact on agricultural productivity has garnered increasing attention, particularly concerning the pivotal role played by agricultural extension workers. This study delves into climate change mitigation strategies within the realm of agriculture, with a specific focus on the instrumental contributions of agricultural extension workers. Climate change presents a multifaceted challenge to global agricultural systems, exerting significant influences on productivity, crop yields, and food production. Amid these challenges, agricultural extension workers emerge as central figures bridging the chasm between technical knowledge and practical adaptation methods for farmers. This qualitative investigation draws upon a synthesis of existing research and incorporates insights from key informant interviews. By shedding light on the intricate interplay between climate change, agricultural productivity, and the pivotal function of agricultural extension workers, this research aspires to provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic relationships between these variables. By facilitating the adoption of climate-resilient techniques, such as cultivating drought-resistant crop varieties, implementing water-efficient irrigation methods, and promoting agroforestry, extension workers empower farmers to mitigate the severe impacts of climate change. Furthermore, extension workers play a pivotal role in bolstering farmers' adaptive capabilities and equipping them with essential skills to navigate increasingly volatile climatic conditions. Studies underscore that farmers who receive training from extension workers report heightened confidence in successfully implementing climate-adaptive strategies