Treatment outcomes of patients with tuberculosis in war affected region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Globally, tuberculosis (TB) remains the leading cause of death from a single infectious disease. TB treatment outcome is an important indicator for the effectiveness of a national TB control program. This study aimed to assess treatment outcomes of TB patients and its determinants in Batkhela, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was designed using all TB patients who were enrolled at District Head Quarter (DHQ) Hospital Batkhela, Pakistan, from January 2011 to December 2014. A binary logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with successful TB treatment outcomes defined as the sum of cure and completed treatment. RESULTS: A total of 515 TB patients were registered, of which 237 (46%) were males and 278 (53.98%) females. Of all patients, 234 (45.44%) were cured and 210 (40.77%) completed treatment. The overall treatment success rate was 444 (86.21%). Age 0-20 years (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 3.47; 95% confidence interval, CI) = 1.54-7.81; P = 0.003), smear-positive pulmonary TB (AOR) = 3.58; 95% CI = 1.89-6.78; P = < 0.001), treatment category (AOR = 4.71; 95% CI = 1.17-18.97; P = 0.029), and year of enrollment 2012 (AOR = 6.26; 95% CI = 2.52-15.59; P = < 0.001) were significantly associated with successful treatment outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The overall treatment success rate is satisfactory but still need to be improved to achieve the international targeted treatment outcome. Type of TB, age, treatment category, and year of enrollment were significantly associated with successful treatment outcomes.

Morphological spectrum of endometrium with thyroid hormone profile in infertile female population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

OBJECTIVES: To study the morphological spectrum of endometrial changes with the thyroid hormone levels in infertile women. METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted at Department of Pathology, Peshawar Medical College, Health Care Centre and Madina Medical Laboratory, Peshawar from April 2013 to August 2013. Total 160 cases of infertile women were included in the study. Biopsies were taken on 22-23rd day of menstrual cycle. Statistical Analysis was performed using SPSS version 19 statistical program. Difference between endometrial findings of patients with normal thyroid profile and abnormal one were analyzed for statistical significance using Chi square test. Probability values p ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In our study, majority infertile women were euthyroid (80%), followed by hyperthyroid (18%) and only two% to be hypothyroid. The correlation of endometrial morphology with thyroid hormones levels turned out to be insignificant. While correlating histological details of endometrial biopsy with thyroid hormone status, we found significant association of leukocytic infiltrate with thyroid hormone levels. CONCLUSION: This study shows that thyroid hormones may have role in early leukocytic infiltration into stroma, and a possibility of immune modulation by altered thyroid hormones in causing infertility.

Report: Potential of nano-emulsions as phytochemical delivery system for food preservation.

Nature is a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals. These plant based compounds have rich scope as antioxidants, antimicrobial compounds and food preservatives and so for long time to be used in meat, fruits, vegetables and processed food items, either as added preservative or as coating material in various food applications, but the major limitation is their limited solubility in a food grade medium. Nano-emulsion is a best choice as a medium having vast area of application. The major advantage of nano-emulsion would be the solubility of a vast group of compounds, due to the presence of water and lipid phases. In this way, nano-emulsions can be proved to be the most suitable candidate as phytochemical delivery system for food preservation. In present article, the use of phytochemicals as potent food preservatives has been reviewed, in context of solubility of phytochemicals in nano-emulsion and applications of food grade nano-emulsions to food systems.

Identification Of Mutation Sites In Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 3a In Non-Responders To Combination Therapy With Interferon- Αlfa And Ribavirin In Residents Of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to search for mutations in the gene encoding for Non- Structural Protein 5A, specifically in the interferon sensitivity determining region of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3a, isolated from serum samples of patients not responding to treatment with oral Ribavirin and Interferon alpha injections. METHODS: This descriptive case series was conducted on HCV patients reporting in the attached teaching hospitals of Peshawar Medical College selected by consecutive sampling technique from 1st July to 31st December 2012. Amino acid sequencing was performed at the Centre of Applied Molecular Biology Lahore. Patients showing no clinical response after 6 months of combination therapy with Injection Interferon alpha + Ribavirin and still having positive polymerase chain reaction (Declared Non-Responders) were included in this study. RESULTS: Amino acid sequencing was performed on HCV isolates from twenty non-responder and five responder patients. All these sequences were compared with Newzealand1 (NZL1) sequence from the gene bank for mutations; 0-7 mutations were observed in responders as compared to 10-27 mutations in non-responder patients (p value <0.005). CONCLUSIONS: We were able to determine that there is a positive correlation between the number of mutations in NS5A ISDR and non-response to combination therapy. Synonymous mutations >10 and non-synonymous mutations >7 in this region suggest poor response to treatment.

Obliged to follow your command: examining how and when servant leadership affects service performance.

PURPOSE: This study is undertaken to explain how servant leadership affects employees' service performance through their felt obligation toward their leaders. Furthermore, the study explores how the relationship between felt obligation and service performance is moderated by performance pressure. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The data were collected from 312 manager-subordinate dyads working in private sector hospitals of Karachi. The data were analyzed through covariance-based structural equation modeling. FINDINGS: The study found that employees' performance is affected by servant leadership and felt obligation toward managers. Furthermore, the study found that felt obligation toward leader mediates the relationship between servant leadership and employees' performance. Finally, the study found that the relationship between felt obligation toward leader and employees' performance was not contingent upon perceived performance pressure. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The study confirms the mediating role of felt obligation toward leaders linking servant leadership to employees' service performance. The study also tests the moderating role of performance pressure influencing the relationship between relationship between felt obligation toward leaders and employees' service performance.

A hurting embrace does not last long: toxicity of abusive supervision erodes leader and organizational identification to cause turnover intention.

PURPOSE: The study aims to investigate the mediating roles of leadership identification and organizational identification linking abusive supervision to employees' turnover intention. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Using a self-administer survey design, data were collected from 229 nursing workforce employed in hospitals located in Karachi. FINDINGS: The research findings show that abusive supervision has a considerably positive influence on turnover intention. The findings also show that abusive supervision negatively affects nurses' leadership identification and organizational identification. Leadership identification and organizational identification were found to be negatively related to nurses' turnover intention. Finally, leadership identification and organizational identification were found to parallelly mediate the relationship between abusive supervision and turnover intention. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study helped uncover the previously unknown parallel mediating mechanism of organizational identification and leadership identification. Additionally, abusive supervision was found to negatively affect employees' leadership identification.

Fungicidal synergistic effect of biogenically synthesized zinc oxide and copper oxide nanoparticles against Alternaria citri causing citrus black rot disease.

Citrus black rot disease being caused by Alternaria citri is a major disease of citrus plants with 30-35% economic loss annually. Fungicides had not been effective in the control of this disease during last few decades. In the present study, antifungal role of green synthesized zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) were studied against Alternaria citri. Alternaria citri was isolated from disease fruits samples and was identified by staining with lacto phenol cotton blue. Furthermore, CuO and ZnO NPs were synthesized by utilizing the lemon peels extract as the reducing and capping agent. Nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. From the XRD data, the calculated size of CuO NPs was to be 18 nm and ZnO NPs was16.8 nm using Scherrer equation. The SEM analyses revealed the surface morphology of all the metal oxide NPs synthesized were rounded, elongated and or spherical in the shape. The zone of inhibition was observed to be 50 ± 0.5 mm by CuO NPs, followed by 51.5 ± 0.5 mm by ZnO NPs and maximum zone of antifungal inhibition was observed to be 53 ± 0.6 mm by mix metal oxide NPs. The results of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of the synthesized nanoparticles showed that at the certain concentrations (80 mg ml-1), these NPs were capable of inhibiting the fungal growth, whereas above that specified concentrations (100 mg ml-1), NPs completely inhibited the fungal growth. Based on these findings, the green synthesized NPs can be used as alternative to fungicide in order to control the citrus black rot disease.

Migratory birds as the vehicle of transmission of multi drug resistant extended spectrum ß lactamase producing Escherichia fergusonii, an emerging zoonotic pathogen.

The acquisition of multi-drug resistance (MDR) genes by pathogenic bacterial bugs and their dispersal to different food webs has become a silent pandemic. The multiplied use of different antibacterial therapeutics during COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the process among emerging pathogens. Wild migratory birds play an important role in the spread of MDR pathogens and MDR gene flow due to the consumption of contaminated food and water. Escherichia fergusonii is an emerging pathogen of family Enterobacteriaceae and commonly causes disease in human and animals. The present study focused on the isolation of E. fergusonii from blood, saliva, and intestine of selected migratory birds of the Hazara Division. The sensitivity of isolated strains was assessed against ten different antibiotics. The isolation frequency of E. fergusonii was 69%. In blood samples, a high rate of resistance was observed against ceftriaxone (80%) followed by ampicillin (76%) whereas, in oral and intestinal samples, ceftriaxone resistant strains were 56% and 57% while ampicillin resistance was 49% and 52% respectively. The overall ceftriaxone and ampicillin-resistant cases in all three sample sources were 71% and 65% respectively. In comparison to oral and intestinal samples, high numbers of ceftriaxone-resistant strains were isolated from the blood of mallard while ampicillin-resistant strains were observed in blood samples of cattle egrets. 16S rRNA-based confirmed strains of E. fergusonii were processed for detection of CTX-M and TEM-1 gene through Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after DNA extraction. Hundred percent ceftriaxone resistant isolates possessed CTX-M and all ampicillin-resistant strains harbored TEM-1 genes. Amplified products were sequenced by using the Sanger sequencing method and the resulted sequences were checked for similarity in the nucleotide Database through the BLAST program. TEM-1 gene showed 99% and the CTX-M gene showed 98% similar sequences in the Database. The 16S rRNA sequence and nucleotide sequences for TEM-1 and CTX-M genes were submitted to Gene Bank with accession numbers LC521304, LC521306, LC521307 respectively. We posit to combat MDR gene flow among the bacterial pathogens across different geographical locations, regular surveillance of new zoonotic pathogens must be conducted.

The Emerging Paradigm of Leadership for Future: The Use of Authentic Leadership to Lead Innovation in VUCA Environment.

This study explicated the mediating role of leader-member exchange (LMX) and identification with the leader linking authentic leadership and innovative work behavior. The data were collected from the three sectors of the service industry. The final sample size obtained was 347. The data were collected both through the Google form and pen-filled questionnaires. SPSS was used to compute demographic profiles and conduct a hierarchal regression, while Smart-PLS was used for evaluating the constructs for their psychometric properties and testing the structural relations as proposed in the model. This study found LMX and identification with the leader to mediate between authentic leadership and the innovative work behavior of the employees.

Research trends in rabies vaccine in the last three decades: a bibliometric analysis of global perspective.

INTRODUCTION: Rabies is an infectious zoonotic viral disease which mainly occurs in Africa and Asia. Dogs are predominantly responsible for rabies transmission contributing up to 99% of all human rabies cases. Rabies is a vaccine preventable disease in both animals and humans. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to quantify and characterize the scientific literature and identify the top most cited studies in rabies vaccine research (RVR) from 1991 to 2020. METHODS: The data used in this study were downloaded from Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCI-E) database. Network visualization analysis was performed using VOSviewer software. RESULTS: A total of 1,042 papers (article: n = 986, 94.6%, review: n = 56, 5.4%) were included in this study. These have been cited 17,390 times with an average citation per paper was 16.69 times. The most frequent publication year was 2019 (n = 75, 7.2%). More than 55% studies were published from the United State of America (USA) (n = 380, 36.5%), France (n = 128, 12.3%), and China (n = 97, 9.3%). The most studied Web of Science (WoS) category was immunology (n = 344, 33%). The most prolific author in RVR was Rupprecht CE (n = 55, 5.3%). 'Vaccine' was the leading journal (n = 218, 20.9%). Rabies was the most widely used keyword. CONCLUSION: Abundant literature has been published on RVR in developed countries. This study might provide a reference to understand the current and future research trends in RVR. In developing countries research collaboration and co-operation among institutes and researchers needs to be strengthened with developed countries.

Mapping of global research output in congenital cataracts from 1903 to 2021.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Globally, congenital cataract remains one of the main causes of visual loss in children. This study was designed to plot the overall research output and evaluate some key bibliometric indicators in congenital cataracts research. METHODS: Publications on congenital cataracts were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. The published literature was searched using the keywords "congenital cataract" OR "congenital cataracts" in the title filed with document types and language restrictions. The data were exported into HistCite to analyze; publication year, top authors, countries, institutions, journals, keywords, and most cited studies. VOSviewer software was used to construct network visualization mapping. RESULTS: A total of 1427 publications (1903-2021) published in English language were included in this study. Over the past few decades, the total number of publications in congenital cataracts was found to be increased. The most productive year was 2016 (n = 72), while the most cited year was 1941 (1268 citations). The Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (Impact Factor: 4.799) was the most attractive journal with 161 publications, and the Molecular Vision (Impact Factor : 2.367) was the most cited journal with 1915 citations and 161.723 citations per year. The most productive country was the United States of America (USA) (n = 325), while the most active institute was Sun Yat-sen University, China (n = 36). The most prolific author was Yao K (n = 27). The most studied Web of Science category was ophthalmology (n = 852). The most widely used keyword was congenital (n = 1427). The most cited paper in congenital cataracts was "Congenital cataract following German measles in the mother, cited 1268 times. The USA and author keyword congenital cataract had the highest total link strength. CONCLUSION: These findings provide useful insights, current status, and trends in clinical research in congenital cataracts. This study can be used to identify future research areas and standard bibliography references for better diagnosis and disease control.

Mechanism of rice bran lipase inhibition through fermentation activity of probiotic bacteria.

Rice bran oil is known as wonder oil and it is the most important vegetable oil in Asia. Rice bran oil is extracted from bran that is the outer hard layer of rice. It is an emerging category in edible oil with a lot of nutritional properties and health benefits. Rice bran oil is heart-friendly, boosts up immunity, and prevents from other diseases occurring commonly in Pakistan. The current study aimed to stabilize rice bran oil through different probiotic isolates and to assess the nutritional content of rice bran oil after stabilization. The study was aimed to inactivate naturally occurring lipases that can hydrolyze oil into glycerol and free fatty acid which is a serious problem that gives it a rancid taste and smell. Antilipase activity was used to inactivate naturally occurring lipases that are a huge threat to the stabilization process. The fermentation process utilizes antilipase activity without affecting the nutritional value of oil. Lactobacillus strains were used for the stabilization of rice bran oil. Rice bran oil was extracted in the Soxhlet apparatus. The probiotic lab isolates Lactobacillus delbrueckii S2, Lactobacillus casei S5 and Lactobacillus plantarum S13 were applied to it to increase its shelf life and prevent oxidative rancidity. The extraction temperature of rice bran oil was maintained above 40 °C to inhibit lipase activity. Rice bran oil samples were stored at refrigeration temperature to arrest lipase activity. Probiotics maintained acidic pH to keep oil stabilization. Qualitative analysis was done to confirm rice bran oil stabilization. Determination of Free Fatty Acid (FFA) and saponification value confirmed that oxidative rancidity of rice bran oil was controlled by probiotics. FFA count was less than 10% and Saponification Value (SV) was 180. GC analysis was performed to analyze the FFA profile. Gas Chromatography results have shown 3 fatty acids. Statistical analysis has shown non-significant effect on different incubation temperatures of Lactobacillus isolates. Among the biological methods of stabilization, the use of probiotics is a novel concept and recommended for commercial application.

Potential of dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.) as natural antioxidant source and functional food for healthy diet.

Date fruit is well known for their taste and concentrated nutritional components. Present study investigated two Omani date varieties i.e., Umsellah and Khalas, related to their physical traits, antioxidant properties, carbohydrates and nutritional values. Results showed that total-phenolic in Umsellah were 62% higher compared to Khalas, i.e., 164.22 and 103.85 mg/100 g. Among antioxidants, gallic acid in both Umsellah and Khalas were 35.77 and 27.41 mg/ 100 g respectively. Caffeic and syringic acid resulted 50% greater in Umsellah compared to Khalas. The ρ-coumaric acid contents in Umsellah and Khalas were 24.94 and 21.69 mg/ 100 g respectively. Total sugar in Umsellah (51.37 g of glucose equivalent / 100 g of dates) was found higher compared to Khalas (44.78 g of glucose equivalent / 100 g of dates). Among nutrients, potassium (K) level is very high (> 450 mg/100 g) in both the varieties with optimum range of other nutrients. For dietary fibers, Umsellah (81.17 g/100 g) reported higher proportion than Khalas (67.35 g/100 g). Overall findings inferred that Umsellah contained greater amount of beneficial individual phenolic and sugar compounds for the nourishment of health than Khalas. Therefore, as high antioxidant and nourished with several nutritional components, Umsellah and Khalas can be well adopted as organic and medicinal diets and can be used for various by-products irrespective of their market value.

Prevalence of Multi-Drug Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - A High Tuberculosis Endemic Area of Pakistan.

Anti-tuberculosis therapy involves the combination of drugs to hamper the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). The emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a global concern. Pakistan has been ranked 5th position in terms of a high burden of MDR-TB in the world. The aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of drug resistance in MTB in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Random samples were collected from 25 districts using the simple random sampling formula. All samples were processed in a biosafety level 3 laboratory for culture and drug susceptibility testing. Among 5759 presumptive tuberculosis (TB) cases, 1969 (34%) were positive. The proportion of TB was higher in females (39%) than males (29%), thus it represents a significant association between gender and tuberculosis (p < 0.05). People ages between 25 to 34 years were more likely to be infected with MTB (40%). Drug-resistant profile showed 97 (4.9%) patients were infected with MDR-TB. Streptomycin resistance was the highest and was observed in 173 (9%) isolates followed by isoniazid in 119 (6%) isolates. The lowest resistance was observed to pyrazinamide (3%). The prevalence of MDR-TB (10.4%) among patients that previously received anti-tuberculosis treatment is seemingly high. A large-scale drug resistance survey is required to evaluate the drug resistance for better management of tuberculosis.Anti-tuberculosis therapy involves the combination of drugs to hamper the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). The emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a global concern. Pakistan has been ranked 5th position in terms of a high burden of MDR-TB in the world. The aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of drug resistance in MTB in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Random samples were collected from 25 districts using the simple random sampling formula. All samples were processed in a biosafety level 3 laboratory for culture and drug susceptibility testing. Among 5759 presumptive tuberculosis (TB) cases, 1969 (34%) were positive. The proportion of TB was higher in females (39%) than males (29%), thus it represents a significant association between gender and tuberculosis (p < 0.05). People ages between 25 to 34 years were more likely to be infected with MTB (40%). Drug-resistant profile showed 97 (4.9%) patients were infected with MDR-TB. Streptomycin resistance was the highest and was observed in 173 (9%) isolates followed by isoniazid in 119 (6%) isolates. The lowest resistance was observed to pyrazinamide (3%). The prevalence of MDR-TB (10.4%) among patients that previously received anti-tuberculosis treatment is seemingly high. A large-scale drug resistance survey is required to evaluate the drug resistance for better management of tuberculosis.

Spoligotyping analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area, Pakistan.

Background: Spoligotyping is a reproducible, reverse hybridization approach for genotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). Molecular typing of MTBC is helpful for understanding and controlling tuberculosis epidemics. Methods: Spoligotyping was performed on 166 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) collected from 25 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Results were compared to SITVIT2, an online database developed by the Institut Pasteur de la Guadeloupe, France. Results: Spoligotyping results showed that 145 strains (88%) displayed known patterns while 21 (12%) were new. Lineage 3/Central Asian strain (L3/CAS) was the predominant family (73%, χ 2=19.9, P=0.001), followed by L2/Beijing (5.4%) and L4 (4.2%). L3/CAS1-Delhi was the major sublineage (82%) among the L3/CAS family (χ 2=664, P=0.0001). Analysis showed that the majority of the clinical isolates with an unknown pattern had an evolutionary link with the L3/CAS strain, and nine (5.4%) of the unknown strains were epidemiologically linked and were tentatively named L3/CAS-KP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that L3/CAS is the predominant lineage of MTB, widely distributed in different areas of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Spoligotyping patterns of some clinical isolates could not be matched to other reported patterns in an international database. Other tools, such as mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR), will be helpful in future investigations into the epidemiological characteristics of clinical isolates in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Discovery of a Tin-Piperonal-Entecavir Schiff Base Compound That Overcomes Multidrug Resistance by Inhibiting P-Glycoprotein.

The presence of P-glycoprotein in the human intestine represents a significant barrier to effective drug therapy. These proteins form a multidrug-resistant barrier to most drugs, especially those administered orally. Thus, strategies are needed to prepare molecules to combat these resistant proteins and enable an increase in drug efficacy. We developed a novel tin-Schiff base complex using an ultrasonic bath, a new technique in small molecule synthesis. New bond formation was confirmed using ultraviolet and Fourier transform spectroscopies. A computational study was carried out using Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity software. The novel tin-entecavir (ETV)-piperonal Schiff base acts as a potent P-glycoprotein inhibitor, which overcomes the multidrug resistance to all drugs that are substrates for P-glycoprotein. Further study showed that the novel tin complex is less toxic than the parent compound at the same dose. The development of this tin-piperonal-ETV Schiff base complex is a major breakthrough for overcoming multidrug resistance barriers and can be applied to other drug molecules.

Treatment outcome of tuberculosis patients under directly observed treatment short course and its determinants in Shangla, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Pakistan. Assessment of TB treatment outcomes, monitoring and evaluation of its risk factors in Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) are among the major indicators of the performance of a national TB control program. Even though Pakistan ranks 5th among the 22 high-TB burden countries, there are no available data in this regard. METHODS: Institution-based retrospective study was conducted to determine the treatment outcome of TB patients and investigate associated risk factors at District Head Quarter Hospital Shangla, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Two-year record (January 2011 to December 2012) of TB clinic of the hospital was reviewed. A total of 493 patients' complete information was reviewed in the study period. RESULTS: Of these, 42.19% were smear-positive pulmonary TB (PTB), 35.09% were smear-negative PTB, and 22.72% were extra-PTB (EPTB). The overall prevalence of smear-positive PTB was 42.19% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 37.9-46.2). Records of the treatment outcome showed that 192 (38.94%) were cured, 276 (55.98%) completed treatment, 13 (2.6%) defaulted, 9 (1.8%) died, 1 (0.2%) treatment failure, and 1 (0.2%) had transferred to other facilities. The overall mean treatment success rate of the TB patients was 94.93%. TB age and TB form or baseline smear were significantly associated with unsuccessful treatment outcome. The risk of unsuccessful outcome was significantly lower among TB patients age Conclusion: The treatment success rate was high and match the World Health Organization criteria. To sustain the effective implementation of DOTS in the area, effective management, and diagnosis should be given for EPTB.

Human semen quality and sperm DNA damage assessed by comet assay in clinical groups.

BACKGROUND/AIM: About 10%-15% of couples around the world suffer from infertility. Male infertility is responsible directly or indirectly in approximately 60% of cases. A deficiency in semen is the most common cause of male infertility. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 180 male subjects aged 18-50 years with 26 fertile and 154 infertile. The infertile subjects were further subdivided according to the WHO guidelines of semen analysis (2010) into different clinical groups. Sperm DNA damage was estimated using a neutral comet assay. Plasma gonadotropin and testosterone levels were measured using a chemiluminescence assay. RESULTS: The results of the study revealed no significant differences, in semen volume, pH, and liquefaction time between the fertile and all infertile groups. However, sperm concentration, sperm vitality, and sperm motility were significantly lower in all infertile groups as compared to the fertile males. The morphological forms of the sperm and its DNA fragmentation varied significantly between the fertile and infertile males. Reproductive hormone levels were observed to be significantly lower in the infertile than in the fertile males. CONCLUSION: Sperm DNA fragmentation was higher in all of the infertile subjects as compared to the fertile ones. Reproductive hormone levels varied significantly between the infertile patients and the fertile ones.

Chemical characterisation of bioactive compounds in Medicago sativa growing in the desert of Oman.

Medicago sativa Linn growing in Omani desert were chemically characterised using flame photometry, inductively coupled plasma, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis. HPLC analyses were performed to determine the phenolics and flavonoids present in M. sativa. The major compounds detected in M. sativa leaves were protchaechenic acid (3.22%), hydroxyl benzoic acid (1.05%), ß-Phenyl caffate (0.97%) and kaempherol (0.89%). Pterostilbene, a cholesterol-lowering compound, was detected in M. sativa.