New Issue Published; 8(4)

Methods: 279 participants were interviewed through a questionnaire about COVID-19 anxiety on four likert scales. Data was analyzed by using statistical software IBM SPSS Statistics 21. A binary logistic regression was used to estimate relationship between anxiety and T.V news, social media news, social isolation, disturbance of sleep and decrease in daily income. Significance of these factors are tested at 5 percent level of significance.

Results: 90.33 percent of the respondents are feeling COVID-19 anxiety while 9.67 percent peoples are taking it mild. The values of test statistics for the variables listening of T.V news, social media news, social isolation, disturbance of sleep and decrease in daily income are highly significant at p < 0.05.

Conclusion: The existence of anxiety was found to be highly significance due to listening of T.V news, social media news, social isolation, disturbance of sleep and decrease in daily income.  

Methods: The serum of study participants was isolated and analyzed for confirmed HCV infection and HCV RNA was extracted by QIAamp DSP Virus Kit followed by quantification by real time PCR. For the measurement of ALT and AST analysis, aspartate aminotransferase activity assay kit and alanine aminotransferase activity assay kit of Sigma Aldrich were used.

Results: Gender-wise analysis showed that 58% females while 42% males were HCV infected. Participants’ age ranged between ≥15 to ≤75 years. A confirmatory test of HCV infection by real time PCR showed 63% positive while 37% participants to be negative for HCV infection. An age-wise comparison of AST and ALT level showed a higher level of ALT in all age groups of HCV patients with significant higher level in 21-60 years of males and 61—80 years of female. The gender-wise comparison of these enzyme level showed higher level of ALT and AST in females as compared to males. The correlation analysis showed a positive association between viral load and AST/ALT level.

Conclusion: Though irregular levels have been reported in HCV patients previously but this gender-based study shows an increased level of both the enzymes in females as compared to males. Moreover, ALT have increased levels in HCV patients as compared to AST indicating ALT to be more specific biomarker of HCV infection and liver damage.  

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at a single center from April 3 to October 16, 2020. The data were collected manually involving age, gender, symptoms, chest CT and RT-PCR results. Patients included were all suspected cases diagnosed by both chest CT and RT-PCR. The confidence intervals (95%) were estimated using the Wilson method.

Results: A total of 104 patients (mean age 59±15 years, 61 males) were included. 6/104(15%) were presented with fever, 22/104(21%) with cough, 19/104(18%) with dyspnea, 4/104(4%) with diarrhea, and 7/104(6%) with headache. Regarding reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests, 34 cases were positive and 70 were negatives. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of chest CT using RT-PCR as a reference were 97% (33/34,95%CI; [85-99%]), 50% (35/70,95%CI; [38-61%]), 48% (33/68,95%CI; [37-60%]), 97% (35/36,95%CI; [85-99%]) and 65% (68/104,95%CI; [56-74%]), respectively.

Conclusion: Chest CT is an important tool that contributed to the treatment decision of the high-suspected cases, as an early intervention before the confirmation with RT-PCR.  

Methods: The standardized search strategy was applied to get the research output regarding betasatellites worldwide for bibliometric analysis. Google scholar database was used to collect the data regarding betasatellites research from past 1997 to June 2018.

Results: A total of 213 documents regarding the studied subject were identified, out of which the maximum number of documents 153 (71.83%) were found to have been published in the form of original research articles. The common language of publications 208 (97.65%) was English. The results declare that the number of publications shows an increase from 1997 to 2014, with the maximum number of publications in 2014. The top 10 productive countries based on the maximum number of publications were India 83 (38.96%), Pakistan 66 (30.98%), China 26 (12.20%) followed by some other countries. USA and Oman were the top collaborative countries with Pakistan respectively.

Conclusion: For all the analyzed documents the total number of citations was 3564 with an average of 16.73 citations per document. The journal “Virus Genes” was the most prolific journal based on a maximum number of publications on the studied subject. Robert William Briddon and Shahid Mansoor were the most productive scientists, and the National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) was the most productive institute regarding the studied subject. This study shows that India, Pakistan, the USA, and China play an important role in the area of beta satellite research. 

Methods: An online questionnaire survey covering 11 parameters including age, gender, employment status, mortality rate, education, marital status and, information about the pathogen responsible for the disease was filled by 1260 individuals from Pakistan.

Results: The results obtained show that 56.6% of the responders were males,43.4% were females, 59.9% were unmarried, 37.7% were graduate students and, 48.7% unemployed. Most of the responders (55.6%) said that COVID-19 negatively affected the jobs of the people. We found (93%) of the responders with good knowledge about COVID-19.

Conclusion: We conclude from the results that most of the responders were males, educated and they knew the pathogenic effect of the COVID-19 virus on humans. These results also show that the disease has drastically affected the economy and social life of the people of Pakistan. 

Methods: Polyethylene glycol (PEG) mediated in vitro experiment was conducted to estimate various water stress related parameters like callogenesis, crude protein, total antioxidant 2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and proline accumulation in callus. Dehusked seeds of five rice genotypes i.e. Basmati-2000, Super Basmati, Basmati-515, Basmati-385 and PS-2 were cultured for callogenesis on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium having 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) @ 4mg/L, proline @ 1mg/L and two levels of PEG (0.125g/L and (0.25g/L).

Results: In case of relative performance under all treatments, maximum callus fresh weight (0.308g) was observed in PS-2 followed by Basmati-515 (0.281g) and minimum (0.198g) in Basmati-385 after 30 days of culturing. Maximum proline (72.29 μmol/g FW), crude protein (5.89%) and total antioxidant DPPH (70.77%) were noted in Basmati-2000 while maximum H₂O₂ (75.55 μmol/g FW) was observed in PS-2 and minimum (37.22 μmol/g FW) in Basmati-2000. It was observed that under both PEG treatments, the rice cultivar Basmati-2000 was found to be highly drought tolerant. Maximum callus fresh weight was observed in the treatment without the addition of PEG and proline. Maximum production of Proline, protein and DPPH were observed at a low level of PEG (0.125g/L) in presence of proline @ 1mg/L.

Conclusion: Results revealed that application of proline in rice may be effective in mitigating the effect of drought stress in the presence of PEG under in-vitro conditions. 

Methods: The experiment involved 30 heads of piglets. Upon admission, groups were formed taking into account the condition and age of the animals. Piglets with lesions of the respiratory system and with obvious clinical signs were selected for the experiment. In the first experimental group, experimental piglets received the Triazavirin antiviral medication. In the 2nd (control) group, the experimental animals were not subject to any treatment. In the 3rd experimental group, Tylosin-50 antibacterial medication was used for the treatment of animals. During the experiment, clinical studies and blood tests (biochemical, immunological, hormonal tests) were carried out.

Result: When piglets were given the Triazavirin medication, they demonstrated a stable average daily weight gain and the highest percentage of meat yield. When analyzing the biochemical parameters of animals in the first experimental group, stabilization of several indicators was noted (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, iron, total iron-binding capacity, transferrin saturation coefficient). In the case of Triazavirin administration, there was an increase in the level of free thyroxine and triiodothyronine, a decrease in thyroid-stimulating hormone, and cortisol.

Conclusion: Based on the results of clinical studies, the authors recommend using the Triazavirin medication as part of complex and etiological therapy in the treatment of the respiratory system of pigs affected with diseases of a viral nature. 

Methods: The blood samples were collected along with clinical data AML patients from different hospitals of Lahore Pakistan July 2010 to Dec. 2020. RNA was extracted and RT-PCR was employed to detect CBF-AML -associated fusion oncogenes (AML1-ETO and CBFB-MYH11). Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25.

Results: Frequencies of AML1-ETO and CBFB-MYH11 were 13.6% and 11.4%, respectively. AML1-ETO had significant association with FAB subtype AML-M2, occupational exposure to chemical solvents and exposure to petrol products. One the other hand, CBFB-MYH11 was significantly associated with splenomegaly, FAB subtype AML-M4 patients and insecticides exposure.

Conclusions: Our results show that overall frequencies AML1-ETO and CBFB-MYH11 and hence CBF-AML is comparable to other ethnic groups. Correlation of specific genetic abnormalities with exposures to chemicals indicates a strong interplay between AML genetics and pollutants.   This study will help not only in differential diagnosis and prognostic stratification of AML in Pakistan, but it also opens new windows to better understand biology of AML in correlation with environmental exposure. 

Methods: A salt stress ranging from 40 to 160 mM NaCl was imposed to callus of S. macrocarpon ‘Akwaseho’, a cultivated African eggplant and callus of S. dasyphyllum var dasyphyllum, a putative wild ancestor, for 40 days. Selected callus physiology and biochemistry features were investigated after 40 days of growing both species in MS medium added with NaCl at the concentration of 0 (control), 40, 80, 120 and 160 mM.

Results: A close correlation was observed between rising salinity level and the enhancement of proline accumulation. Callus of S. dasyphyllum var dasyphyllum succeeded efficiently in keeping higher K⁺, lower Na⁺ rate and Na⁺/K⁺ ratio than S. macrocarpon L. Ion content can be considered as useful tool to select salt tolerant callus tissue. Under saline condition, S. dasyphyllum L. showed lower amounts of malondialdehyde (MDA) and H₂O₂ but higher activity for superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) than S. macrocarpon L. in both case control and NaCl treatments.

Conclusion: The current study concluded that the two species responded differently to salinity induced oxidative damage. S. dasyphyllum L. callus showed more effective antioxidant defense system, which contributes, to better adaptive and protective capacity against salinity induced oxidative impairment by keeping more intense antioxidant enzymes activities than S. macrocarpon L. callus. 

Methods: This study was conducted from April to June 2020 among the myiasis-infested shepherds in Ilam province. The data were collected by a questionnaire. Maximum Entropy (Maxent) niche modeling was used to predict the environmental suitability for O. ovis.

Results: The level of awareness of the people of Ilam province on myiasis was generally good, while a small percentage of them had poor information about this disease (1.62%). Mean Diurnal range and isothermality revealed the highest and lowest share on the MaxEnt model, respectively.  The elevation variable had the most permutation in the model for predicting the environmental suitability for O. ovis. The best ecological niches for this fly were in the northern parts of the study area.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that due to background knowledge of the involved people in exposure to oral myiasis agent, O. ovis, conducting some preventive measures based on improving their knowledge, attitude, and practices could be useful for reducing the risk of the disease in the area. On the other hand, the suitable areas for the establishment of O. ovis which has been clarified with the model could be used for focusing on the preventive measures in the area. 

Methods: 3D structures of Dexamethasone and L-ascorbic-2-phosphate (ascorbic acid) were drawn using Molecular Operating Environment (MOE). Then absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) analysis was achieved using an online tool of “Swiss Package”. By Ramachandran plot, the predicted model of ALPL, MMP13, Osteonectin, and RunX2 proteins were evaluated. Then docking of these proteins with Dexamethasone and L-ascorbic-2-phosphate was performed.

Results: L-ascorbic-2-phosphate and Dexamethasone docked within the binding pockets of ALPL, RunX2, MMP13, and Osteonectin proteins, expressed in the bone cells. These compounds also showed good drug-likeness and pharmacokinetics properties.

Conclusion: It is concluded that β-glycerophosphate, dexamethasone, and L-ascorbic-2-phosphate are novel substrates for osteogenic differentiation. These compounds could increase the healing and regenerative potential of bone cells by enhancing the expression of osteocytes specific proteins.