Phosphate solubilizing Aspergillus Niger PH1 ameliorates growth and alleviates lead stress in maize through improved photosynthetic and antioxidant response.

Among the several threats to humanity by anthropogenic activities, contamination of the environment by heavy metals is of great concern. Upon entry into the food chain, these metals cause serious hazards to plants and other organisms including humans. Use of microbes for bioremediation of the soil and stress mitigation in plants are among the preferred strategies to provide an efficient, cost-effective, eco-friendly solution of the problem. The current investigation is an attempt in this direction where fungal strain PH1 was isolated from the rhizosphere of Parthenium hysterophorus which was identified as Aspergillus niger by sequence homology of the ITS 1 and ITS 4 regions of the rRNA. The strain was tested for its effect on growth and biochemical parameters as reflection of its potential to mitigate Pb stress in Zea mays exposed to 100, 200 and 500 µg of Pb/g of soil. In the initial screening, it was revealed that the strain has the ability to tolerate lead stress, solubilize insoluble phosphate and produce plant growth promoting hormones (IAA and SA) and other metabolites like phenolics, flavonoids, sugar, protein and lipids. Under 500 µg of Pb/g of soil, Z. mays exhibited significant growth retardation with a reduction of 31% in root length, 30.5% in shoot length, 57.5% in fresh weight and 45.2% in dry weight as compared to control plants. Inoculation of A. niger to Pb treated plants not only restored root and shoot length, rather promoted it to a level significantly higher than the control plants. Association of the strain modulated the physio-hormonal attributes of maize plants that resulted in their better growth which indicated a state of low stress. Additionally, the strain boosted the antioxidant defence system of the maize there by causing a significant reduction in the ascorbic acid peroxidase (1.5%), catalase (19%) and 1,1-diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (33.3%), indicating a lower stress condition as compared to their non-inoculated stressed plants. Based on current evidence, this strain can potentially be used as a biofertilizer for Pb-contaminated sites where it will improve overall plant health with the hope of achieving better biological and agricultural yields.

Optimizing Image Enhancement: Feature Engineering for Improved Classification in AI-Assisted Artificial Retinas.

Artificial retinas have revolutionized the lives of many blind people by enabling their ability to perceive vision via an implanted chip. Despite significant advancements, there are some limitations that cannot be ignored. Presenting all objects captured in a scene makes their identification difficult. Addressing this limitation is necessary because the artificial retina can utilize a very limited number of pixels to represent vision information. This problem in a multi-object scenario can be mitigated by enhancing images such that only the major objects are considered to be shown in vision. Although simple techniques like edge detection are used, they fall short in representing identifiable objects in complex scenarios, suggesting the idea of integrating primary object edges. To support this idea, the proposed classification model aims at identifying the primary objects based on a suggested set of selective features. The proposed classification model can then be equipped into the artificial retina system for filtering multiple primary objects to enhance vision. The suitability of handling multi-objects enables the system to cope with real-world complex scenarios. The proposed classification model is based on a multi-label deep neural network, specifically designed to leverage from the selective feature set. Initially, the enhanced images proposed in this research are compared with the ones that utilize an edge detection technique for single, dual, and multi-object images. These enhancements are also verified through an intensity profile analysis. Subsequently, the proposed classification model's performance is evaluated to show the significance of utilizing the suggested features. This includes evaluating the model's ability to correctly classify the top five, four, three, two, and one object(s), with respective accuracies of up to 84.8%, 85.2%, 86.8%, 91.8%, and 96.4%. Several comparisons such as training/validation loss and accuracies, precision, recall, specificity, and area under a curve indicate reliable results. Based on the overall evaluation of this study, it is concluded that using the suggested set of selective features not only improves the classification model's performance, but aligns with the specific problem to address the challenge of correctly identifying objects in multi-object scenarios. Therefore, the proposed classification model designed on the basis of selective features is considered to be a very useful tool in supporting the idea of optimizing image enhancement.

Energy Prediction and Optimization for Smart Homes with Weather Metric-Weight Coefficients.

Home appliances are considered to account for a large portion of smart homes' energy consumption. This is due to the abundant use of IoT devices. Various home appliances, such as heaters, dishwashers, and vacuum cleaners, are used every day. It is thought that proper control of these home appliances can reduce significant amounts of energy use. For this purpose, optimization techniques focusing mainly on energy reduction are used. Current optimization techniques somewhat reduce energy use but overlook user convenience, which was the main goal of introducing home appliances. Therefore, there is a need for an optimization method that effectively addresses the trade-off between energy saving and user convenience. Current optimization techniques should include weather metrics other than temperature and humidity to effectively optimize the energy cost of controlling the desired indoor setting of a smart home for the user. This research work involves an optimization technique that addresses the trade-off between energy saving and user convenience, including the use of air pressure, dew point, and wind speed. To test the optimization, a hybrid approach utilizing GWO and PSO was modeled. This work involved enabling proactive energy optimization using appliance energy prediction. An LSTM model was designed to test the appliances' energy predictions. Through predictions and optimized control, smart home appliances could be proactively and effectively controlled. First, we evaluated the RMSE score of the predictive model and found that the proposed model results in low RMSE values. Second, we conducted several simulations and found the proposed optimization results to provide energy cost savings used in appliance control to regulate the desired indoor setting of the smart home. Energy cost reduction goals using the optimization strategies were evaluated for seasonal and monthly patterns of data for result verification. Hence, the proposed work is considered a better candidate solution for proactively optimizing the energy of smart homes.

Efficacy of single dose dermatological 0.1% Tacrolimus Ointment in the treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis.

Objectives: To assess the safety of dermatological 0.1% tacrolimus ointment when used topically and its efficacy in the treatment of vernal keratoconvinctivtis. METHODS: The quasi-experimental, multi-centre study was conducted at the Gujranwala Medical College/District Headquarters Teaching Hospital, Gujranwala, and the Gomal Medial College/Mufti Mehmood Teaching Hospital, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, from July 2019 to March 2020, and comprised patients of severe vernal keratoconvinctivtis. Symptoms and clinical signs were graded on a pre-devised scale. Patients were given small amount of tacrolimus 0.1% ointment applied to the inferior conjunctival fornix before going to bed. The duration of treatment was 3 months and the patients were followed up for up to 6 months. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. RESULTS: Of the 50 patients, 30(60%) were males and 20(40%) were females. The overall mean age was 10.64±3.199 years. Mean symptom score and clinical signs score gradually reduced on each follow-up (p<0.05). Mild recurrence was noted in 12(24%) patients who were managed with lubricants and anti-histamine topical drops. No complication was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Tacrolimus 0.1% was found to be effective and safe in the treatment of severe refractory vernal keratoconvinctivtis even when given once a day. Clinical Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Id: ChiCTR2000031929 link: www.chictr.org.cn/hvshowproject.aspx?id=28053.

A comparative phylogenomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 strains reported from non-human mammalian species and environmental samples.

Coronaviruses (CoVs) infect a wide range of domestic and wild mammals. These viruses have a potential and tendency to cross-species barriers and infect humans. Novel human coronavirus 2019-nCoV (hCoV-19) emerged from Wuhan, China, and has caused a global pandemic. Genomic features of SARS-CoV-2 may attribute inter-species transmission and adaptation to a novel host, and therefore is imperative to explicate the evolutionary dynamics of the viral genome and its propensity for differential host selection. We conducted an in silico analysis of all the coding gene sequences of SARS-CoV-2 strains (n = 39) originating from a range of non-human mammalian species, including pangolin, bat, dog, cat, tiger, mink, mouse, and the environmental samples such as wastewater, air and surface samples from the door handle and seafood market. Compared to the reference SARS-CoV-2 strain (MN908947; Wuhan-Hu-1), phylogenetic and comparative residue analysis revealed the circulation of three variants, including hCoV-19 virus from humans and two hCoV-19-related precursors from bats and pangolins. A lack of obvious differences as well as a maximum genetic homology among dog-, cat-, tiger-, mink-, mouse-, bat- and pangolin-derived SARS-CoV-2 sequences suggested a likely evolution of these strains from a common ancestor. Several residue substitutions were observed in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein, concluding a promiscuous nature of the virus for host species where genomic alternations may be required for the adaptation to novel host/s. However, such speculation needs in vitro investigations to unleash the influence of substitutions towards species-jump and disease pathogenesis.

PREPARATION AND EVALUATION OF pH RESPONSIVE POLY(2-HYDROXYETHYL METHACRYLATE-CO-ITACONIC ACID) MICROGELS FOR CONTROLLED DRUG DELIVERY.

In this study, a series of pH sensitive microgels (MGs) were prepared by modified free radical suspension polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and itaconic acid (IA), using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as crosslinker. Equilibrium swelling technique was employed for esomeprazole magnesium trihydrate (EMT) loading. Prepared microgels were characterized through Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic light scattering technique (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), equilibrium swelling and in vitro drug release kinetics. FTIR and TGA confirmed the formation of copolymeric p(HEMA-co-IA) network. SEM and DLS revealed smooth, round and uniformly distributed microspheres with particle size up to 10 µm. Developed microgels found to be pH responsive in nature. All the formulations (HIDI - HID5) followed Higuchi model with non-Fickian diffusion mechanism of drug release. It was concluded that p(HEMA-co-IA) microgels have potential to be used as drug carriers for site specific and controlled drug delivery.

Hypothyroidism In Hepatitis C Patients On Pegylated Interferon Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis has become a major health problem all over the world especially in the third world countries. The most common cause of chronic hepatitis in Pakistan is hepatitis C which can lead Toliver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In Pakistan Pegylated Interferon Alpha is still corner stone of therapy for chronic hepatitis C. One of the major side effects of this therapy is the development of thyroid dysfunction, i.e., hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. This study was done to assess the frequency of hypothyroidism in hepatitis C patients after three months of pegylated interferon therapy. METHODS: This study was conducted from 1st October 2013 to 31st march 2014 at outpatients department (OPD) of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Lahore General Hospital Lahore. Descriptive case series study design was used. The sample of 200 patients was taken from the patients who visited OPD and fulfil the inclusion criteria of the study. Serum thyroid stimulating hormone level (TSH) was done before and after completion of three months therapy at centre for Nuclear Medicine (CENUM) laboratory, Mayo Hospital, Lahore by immune-radiometric assay (IRMA) and patients having TSH>4.0 mIU/L (normal range: 0.2-4.0 mIU/L) were considered hypothyroid. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 36.29±8.5 years. One hundred and twenty-three (61.5%) were male and 77 (38.5%) were female. After 3 months of interferon therapy, 163 (81.5%) patients were euthyroid and 37(18.5%) patients were having thyroid dysfunction. There were total 29 (14.5%) hypothyroid patients; 8 (27.6%) were male and 21 (72.4%) female. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded from this study that frequency of hypothyroidism in patients with chronic hepatitis C was 14.5% after treatment with pegylated interferon therapy for 3 months. Female patients were more prone to develop hypothyroidism as compared to male patients.

Unraveling the Potential of Attentive Bi-LSTM for Accurate Obesity Prognosis: Advancing Public Health towards Sustainable Cities.

The global prevalence of obesity presents a pressing challenge to public health and healthcare systems, necessitating accurate prediction and understanding for effective prevention and management strategies. This article addresses the need for improved obesity prediction models by conducting a comprehensive analysis of existing machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) approaches. This study introduces a novel hybrid model, Attention-based Bi-LSTM (ABi-LSTM), which integrates attention mechanisms with bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) networks to enhance interpretability and performance in obesity prediction. Our study fills a crucial gap by bridging healthcare and urban planning domains, offering insights into data-driven approaches to promote healthier living within urban environments. The proposed ABi-LSTM model demonstrates exceptional performance, achieving a remarkable accuracy of 96.5% in predicting obesity levels. Comparative analysis showcases its superiority over conventional approaches, with superior precision, recall, and overall classification balance. This study highlights significant advancements in predictive accuracy and positions the ABi-LSTM model as a pioneering solution for accurate obesity prognosis. The implications extend beyond healthcare, offering a precise tool to address the global obesity epidemic and foster sustainable development in smart cities.

A Rare Case of Salmonella Gastroenteritis Presenting as Aspiration Pneumonia With Pleural Empyema in an Immunocompetent Patient.

Non-typhoidal salmonella (NTS) can cause infections ranging from self-limited chronic carriers to gastroenteritis, bacteremia, and extraintestinal infections. Pulmonary involvement, particularly empyema, is quite rare and generally found in immunosuppressed individuals. We present a case of salmonellosis in an immunocompetent patient with rare pulmonary complications of empyema. The patient, with no underlying immunocompromised illness, presented with a one-day history of worsening generalized weakness, fever, shortness of breath, and productive cough after having gastroenteritis symptoms of five days duration, which stopped two days prior to admission. On further investigation, imaging revealed right lower lobe pneumonia with empyema. The patient was managed with intravenous antibiotics and chest tube placement with good clinical response. Pleural fluid analysis showed exudative fluid and grew Salmonella enteritidis with negative blood and sputum cultures. The patient, in stable condition, was discharged on four weeks of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid after consulting the infectious disease specialist for presumed aspiration pneumonia complicated with empyema in the setting of multiple episodes of vomiting due to gastroenteritis. The lung is an atypical site for salmonellosis. Pulmonary infections in immunocompetent hosts are rare in the medical literature. Early recognition and timely management of pulmonary complications can lead to better outcomes.

Seroprevalence of Newcastle disease virus and avian influenza virus in poultry and captive wild birds in poultry-dense regions of Pakistan.

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and avian influenza virus (AIV) are causing contagious diseases in chickens and wild birds worldwide; however, there is a paucity of information on the current status of seropositivity of Newcastle and avian influenza diseases in chickens and wild birds of Pakistan. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the serological evidence of both diseases in commercial poultry (broiler, layer chickens), backyard poultry, and captive wild birds in poultry­dense regions of Punjab, Pakistan. Enzyme­linked immunosorbent (ELISA) and haemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays were performed for the determination of antibodies against NDV and AIV and their genotyping and subtyping, respectively. Overall, 47.5% and 67.4% seroprevalence of NDV and AIV, respectively, was observed in both poultry and wild birds. Based on bird's category, layer chickens had the highest seroprevalence of NDV (60.8%, 95% CI: 52.95­68.22, OR: 0.71) followed by backyard poultry (56.8%, 95% CI: 47.92­65.32, OR: 0.82), broilers (52.7%, 95% CI: 46.84­58.64), pigeons (41.3%, 95% CI: 30.53­52.81, OR: 1.59), peafowls (26.1%, 95% CI: 11.09­48.69, OR: 3.16), ducks (23.8%, 95% CI: 12.59­39.8, OR: 3.57), turkeys (16.7%, 95% CI: 4.41­42.27, OR: 5.58), parrots (14.3%, 95% CI: 2.52­43.85, OR: 6.70) and quails (2.3%, 95% CI: 0.2­13.51, OR: 4.8). Comparatively, backyard chickens had the highest seroprevalence of AIV (78.8%, 95% CI: 70.64­85.22, OR: 0.63) followed by ducks (73.8%, 95% CI: 57.68­85.6, OR: 0.83), layers (73.5%, 95% CI: 65.98­79.89, OR: 0.84), pigeons (72.5%, 95% CI: 61.2­81.61, OR: 0.89), broilers (70.1%, 95% CI: 64.44­75.29), turkeys (55.5%, 95% CI: 31.35­77.6, OR: 1.87), peafowls (47.8%, 95% CI: 27.42­68.9, OR: 2.56) and parrots (42.8%, 95% CI: 18.8­70.3, OR: 3.1). Overall, 40.1%, 34.2%, 31.3%, and 25.1% sera were positive for H9 AIV, G­VII NDV, H7 AIV, and G­VI NDV, respectively. The current study revealed a widespread exposure to NDV and AIV in poultry and captive wild birds. Therefore, it is crucial to include captive wild birds in NDV and AIV surveillance programs to further strengthen disease control measures, particularly in endemic regions.

Ultrasonic Doppler methods to extract signatures of a walking human.

Extraction of Doppler signatures that characterize human motion has attracted a growing interest in recent years. These Doppler signatures are generated by various components of the human body while walking, and contain unique features that can be used for human detection and recognition. Although, a significant amount of research has been done in radio frequency regime for human Doppler signature extraction, considerably less has been done in acoustics. In this work, 40 kHz ultrasonic sonar is employed to measure the Doppler signature generated by the motion of body segments using different electronic and signal processing schemes. These schemes are based on both analog and digital demodulation with homodyne and heterodyne receiver circuitry. The results and analyses from these different schemes are presented.

Detection and molecular characterization of picobirnaviruses in the wild birds: Identification of a novel picobirnavirus possessing yeast mitochondrial genetic code.

Picobirnaviruses (PBVs) are bi-segmented dsRNA viruses that have been detected in various animal species including vertebrates and invertebrates. In this study, 17 complete or incomplete PBV segment-2 and one unsegmented PBV-like virus sequence were identified in fecal samples from different bird species using viral metagenomic approach. The bird PBV and PBV-like virus retained the conservative motifs that are conserved in dsRNA2 of common PBVs. The RdRp of these 17 PBVs shared the highest Amino acid (aa) identity of 45.90%∼94.19% with previous animal and human PBVs, while the RdRp of the unsegment PBV-like virus shared the highest aa sequence identity of 31.93% with one chicken PBV (GenBank No. MW837829). The unsegmented PBV-like virus unexpectedly used the yeast mitochondrial genetic code (transl_table=3) for all ORFs translation. In addition, the prokaryotic RBS sequence was not only detected upstream to ORF2 at position 360AGGAGG365 of this unsegmented PBV-like virus, but also found upstream to ORF of bird PBV dsRNA2. The presence of the prokaryotic ribosomal binding site in the bird PBV genomes, and the finding of one novel unsegmented PBV-like virus using the yeast mitochondrial genetic code for translation supported recent speculations that PBVs may actually infect prokaryotic or fungal host cells. This study enhanced our understanding of PBVs and provided data support for exploring the real host of PBVs.

Kernel wavelet-Reed-Xiaoli: an anomaly detection for forward-looking infrared imagery.

This paper describes a new kernel wavelet-based anomaly detection technique for long-wave (LW) forward-looking infrared imagery. The proposed approach called kernel wavelet-Reed-Xiaoli (wavelet-RX) algorithm is essentially an extension of the wavelet-RX algorithm (combination of wavelet transform and RX anomaly detector) to a high-dimensional feature space (possibly infinite) via a certain nonlinear mapping function of the input data. The wavelet-RX algorithm in this high-dimensional feature space can easily be implemented in terms of kernels that implicitly compute dot products in the feature space (kernelizing the wavelet-RX algorithm). In the proposed kernel wavelet-RX algorithm, a two-dimensional wavelet transform is first applied to decompose the input image into uniform subbands. A number of significant subbands (high-energy subbands) are concatenated together to form a subband-image cube. The kernel RX algorithm is then applied to this subband-image cube. Experimental results are presented for the proposed kernel wavelet-RX, wavelet-RX, and the classical constant false alarm rate (CFAR) algorithm for detecting anomalies (targets) in a large database of LW imagery. The receiver operating characteristic plots show that the proposed kernel wavelet-RX algorithm outperforms the wavelet-RX as well as the classical CFAR detector.

Development, Biological Characterization, and Immunological Evaluation of Virosome Vaccine against Newcastle Disease in Pakistan.

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly fatal, infectious, viral disease, and despite immunization with live and inactivated vaccines, the disease is still endemic, causing heavy morbidity and mortality leading to huge economic losses to the poultry industry in Pakistan. Therefore, the present study was aimed for the first time in the country at using novel virosomal technology to develop the ND vaccine using an indigenous highly virulent strain of the virus. ND virosome was prepared using Triton X-100, and SM2 Bio-Beads were used to remove the detergent and reconstitute the viral membrane into virosome. Confirmation was done by transmission electron microscopy and protein analysis by SDS-PAGE. In vitro cell adhesion property was observed by incorporating green fluorescent protein (GFP), producing plasmid into virosome and in vitro cell culture assay. Sterility, safety, and stability of the vaccine were tested before in vivo evaluation of immunogenicity and challenge protection study in commercial broiler. The virosome vaccine was administered (30 µg/bird) at days 7 and 14 through the intranasal route in comparison with commercially available live and inactivated ND vaccines. Results revealed significantly high (p < 0.05) and clinically protective hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody titers at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days postimmunization with the virosome vaccine in comparison to the negative control. The GMTs were comparable to live and inactivated vaccines with nonsignificant (p > 0.05) differences throughout the experiment. Antibody levels increased in all vaccinated groups gradually from the 7th day and were maximum at 28th-day postvaccination. In the virosome-administered group, GMT was 83.18 and 77.62 at 21st and 28th-days postvaccination, respectively. Challenge revealed 100%, 90%, and 80% protection in virosome, live, and inactivated vaccinated groups, respectively. Under given experimental conditions, we can conclude that ND virosome vaccine prepared from the indigenous virus was found to be safe and immunogenic.

Wavelet-RX anomaly detection for dual-band forward-looking infrared imagery.

This paper describes a new wavelet-based anomaly detection technique for a dual-band forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor consisting of a coregistered longwave (LW) with a midwave (MW) sensor. The proposed approach, called the wavelet-RX (Reed-Xiaoli) algorithm, consists of a combination of a two-dimensional (2D) wavelet transform and a well-known multivariate anomaly detector called the RX algorithm. In our wavelet-RX algorithm, a 2D wavelet transform is first applied to decompose the input image into uniform subbands. A subband-image cube is formed by concatenating together a number of significant subbands (high-energy subbands). The RX algorithm is then applied to the subband-image cube obtained from a wavelet decomposition of the LW or MW sensor data. In the case of the dual band, the RX algorithm is applied to a subband-image cube constructed by concatenating together the high-energy subbands of the LW and MW subband-image cubes. Experimental results are presented for the proposed wavelet-RX and the classical constant false alarm rate (CFAR) algorithm for detecting anomalies (targets) in a single broadband FLIR (LW or MW) or in a coregistered dual-band FLIR sensor. The results show that the proposed wavelet-RX algorithm outperforms the classical CFAR detector for both single-band and dual-band FLIR sensors.

Extraction of the velocity of walking human's body segments using ultrasonic Doppler.

The focus of this paper is to experimentally extract the Doppler signatures of a walking human's individual body segments using an ultrasonic Doppler system (UDS) operating at 40 kHz. In a human's walk, the major contribution to Doppler velocities and acoustic scattering is from the foot, lower leg, thigh (upper leg) and torso. The Doppler signature of these human body segments are extracted experimentally. The measurements were made by illuminating one of these body segments at a time and blocking the remaining body segments using acoustic screens. The results obtained in our experiment were verified with the results published by Bradley using a physics-based model for Doppler sonar spectrograms.

Unique Case of Gastroenteritis Presenting as Pneumatosis Intestinalis With Emphysematous Gastritis and Portal Vein Gas: Do Not Take Gastroenteritis Lightly.

Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) consists of multiple, thin, gas-filled cysts in the wall of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It is an uncommon entity that can involve any gastrointestinal site from the stomach to the rectum. Isolated stomach involvement is rare. PI can represent a broad spectrum of diseases with variable prognoses. We present the case of a patient who was admitted with gastroenteritis-like symptoms. He remained hemodynamically stable, and on further imaging with contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis, air was found in the portal vein and gastric wall, with minimal thickening of the proximal small bowel concerning for emphysematous gastroenteritis. Further workup results were negative, including blood cultures, stool studies, Clostridium difficile toxins, and lactic acid levels. The patient was managed nonoperatively and recovered without serious complications. Our case is unique in terms of the presence of air in the portal vein, which would otherwise suggest the possible spread of infection across the bowel wall.

Significance of Testing Anti-HBcIgM Antibodies for the Screening of Hepatitis B in the Donor Blood.

BACKGROUND: The purpose to perform this study was to screen blood donors for possible occult HBV by checking the seroprevalence of the hepatitis B antibodies in blood donors. It was a Cross-sectional study conducted at Blood Bank of Lahore General Hospital Lahore from April to June 2015 (3-months). METHODS: In this prospective study, 180 healthy blood donors, presenting to the blood bank of Lahore General Hospital were selected. Their detailed demographic data and blood samples were collected. HBsAg testing was done by ELISA and further HBc IgM testing was also done by ELISA. Those testing positive for HBc IgM were further evaluated by real-time PCR to detect HBV DNA. RESULTS: Mean duration of the life span was 26.51 years with a range of 18-61 years. Sex distribution show 93.9% (n=169) males and 6.1% (n=11) females. HBsAg was positive in 3.3% (n=6) while their HBc IgM was negative and HBc IGM was positive in 2.2% (n=4) of the healthy donors in whom HBsAg was found negative by ICT method. further qualitative HBV DNA by rt-PCR was done on those positive with anti HBc IgM and no patient had HBV DNA detected from their blood. CONCLUSION: Without routine screening of the sera for the HBc Antibody, the low-level HBV viraemia may not be detected as the nonappearance of the surface antigen in the blood of apparently healthy donors do not ensure the absence of circulating virus in the blood of these donors.

Isolated Thrombosis of the Superior Mesenteric Vein.

Most cases of pancreatitis are mild and self-limited. On the other hand, a few patients with pancreatitis may develop vascular complications. Splenic vein thrombosis is the most common vascular complication of acute pancreatitis. Isolated superior mesenteric vein thrombosis is rare and can lead to gut ischemia and necrosis if not timely diagnosed and managed. We report the case of a 40-year-old patient who presented to the hospital with abdominal pain due to acute pancreatitis, leading to superior mesenteric vein thrombosis, which was timely diagnosed and treated with a good outcome.