Effects of vitamins C and E in tris citric acid glucose extender on chilled semen quality of Kail ram during different storage times.

Mammalian sperm cells are highly vulnerable to lipid peroxidation by free radicals. Antioxidants such as vitamin E, and vitamin C neutralize the activity of free radicals and protect the sperm from reactive oxygen species. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of vitamin C, vitamin E, and their combination in a Tris-based extender on the semen quality of Kail Ram. Semen samples from five mature Kail rams were collected in this study. The semen samples were diluted by Tris-glucose-egg yolk. Diluted semen samples were divided into four parts. The first part was added with 1 mg/ml of vitamin C, the second part was added with 1 mg/ml of vitamin E and the third part was added with both vitamin C and E, in combination with a dose of 1 mg/ml. The fourth part was considered as control without any addition. The diluted semen samples were cooled gradually and preserved at 5˚C for three days. Sperms in chilled diluted semen samples were examined for motility, viability, and plasma membrane integrity every 24 h for three days (72 h). Present study results showed significant (P < 0.05) effects of vitamins C, E, and their combination on some parameters such as motility, straightness of average special path, linearity of the curvilinear trajectory, and beat-cross frequency. However, there was no significant (P < 0.05) effect of storage duration and antioxidants (vitamin C, E, and their combination) on viability, sperm plasma membrane integrity, and some CASA parameters. From the present study, it could be concluded that the supplementation of vitamins C, and E, and their combination do not enhance the life span and quality of semen in Kail ram during liquid storage at 5 °C.

The High Presence of HCMV pp71 Proteins, Correlate with P63 Expression in Pancreatic Cancer Tumor Tissue.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this retrospective investigation was (1) to screen the existence of HCMV in pancreatic cancer tissues in relation to the histopathological grading system of such tumor tissues. (2) To evaluate the expression of the (P63) tumor suppressor gene in these tissues. (3) To find out the impact of the coexistence of (HCMV) along with the p63 on the occurring histopathological alterations. METHODS: The current retrospective cohort study included 35 paraffinized pancreatic tissues from the archives of major hospitals and numerous private histopathological laboratories from 2015 to 2020. (Twenty-five pancreatic carcinomatous tissues and 10 biopsies from seemingly normal pancreatic tissues were examined). Tissue slices from the desired tissue blocks were subjected to the immunohistochemistry (IHC) technique to detect Human Cytomegalovirus pp71 and tumor suppressor P63 proteins with aid of monoclonal primary antibodies. RESULTS: The HCMV pp71 proteins were found in 92% (23 out of 25) of pancreatic tumor tissues, while it was in two (20%) of healthy pancreatic tissues. in comparison, the p63 proteins were found in 76% (19 out of 25) of tumor tissues and in four (40%) of their correlative healthy tissues. CONCLUSION: The increased expression of HCMV in malignant pancreatic tissue may indicate its primary or secondary role in the emergence of this type of cancer, whereupon HCMV inactivation may be useful in the treatment of this type of cancer. On the other hand, p63's high levels of expression in malignant pancreatic tumors reflect either an oppressive function or an unfortunate mutation that prevents it from functioning.

Evaluation of serum soluble HLA-G levels post-recovery from COVID-19 and post-vaccination (Sinopharm and Pfizer-BioNTech).

Serum soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) levels have been shown to be upregulated in COVID-19 patients. In this study, sHLA-G levels were examined in COVID-19 patients 14-21 days post-recovery (100 patients) and 80 uninfected controls. In addition, individuals vaccinated with Sinopharm or Pfizer-BioNTech (50 individuals each) were followed 21 days post-first dose and 21 days post-second dose. Serum sHLA-G levels were significantly higher in recovered patients than in controls. The first and second doses of Sinopharm and Pfizer-BioNTech were associated with significantly elevated levels of sHLA-G compared to controls or recovered patients, except for the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech where sHLA-G levels did not show significant differences compared to recovered patients. In conclusion, recovery from COVID-19, as well as vaccination with two doses of Sinopharm or Pfizer-BioNTech, were associated with up-regulated levels of sHLA-G molecules, but the first dose of Sinopharm had the greatest effect in raising sHLA-G levels.

Ethnomedicinal appraisal of plants used for the treatment of gastrointestinal complaints by tribal communities living in Diamir district, Western Himalayas, Pakistan.

Majority of the mountain dwelling communities living in the Himalayas rely on traditional herbal medicines for primary healthcare needs. Present study was conducted in fairy meadows and allied valleys in District Diamir, Gilgit Baltistan autonomous territory in northern Pakistan. Documentation of traditional medicinal knowledge (TMK) of local communities for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders was carried out as a component of a wider medico-botanical expedition conducted in the entire base camp of the great Nanga Parbat peak during 2016-19. Various ethnobotanical parameters i.e. use value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF), Fidelity level (FL), direct matrix ranking test (DMRT) and preference ranking (PR) were applied to evaluate the data collected during field surveys. The plants were also subjected to a comparative review for novelty assessment. A total of 61 medicinal plant species belonging to 55 genera and 35 families are reported here for the treatment of GIDs. Compositae was the leading family with 8 (13%) species. Fourteen gastrointestinal disorders were cured with 32% taxon were reported for stomachic followed by diarrhea (15%) and constipation (14%). Highest use reports (5) and use citations (207) were reported for Mentha longifolia L. while highest UV (1.79) was obtained for Artemisia maritima L. Hylotelephium telephioides (Ledeb.), A. maritima, M. longifolia, M. piperita L., Allium cepa L., and A. annua L. exhibited 100% FL. Highest ICF was calculated against dysentery and flatulence. DMRT ranked Prunus persica L. first for its multipurpose uses. Taking constipation as a reference gastrointestinal disease, PR for ten plant species was calculated where H. telephioides was ranked first followed by A. maritima. Present study concluded that 19 out of 61 plant species were documented for the first time with novel medicinal uses to cure GIDs. These plant species could act as potential reservoirs of novel lead compounds for the treatments of gastrointestinal disorders.

Incidence of malarial infection and response to antimalarial drugs at Districts Lower Dir and Swat of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Malaria is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity all over the world. Several antimalarial drugs are available for the treatment of malaria. The main objective of this study was to investigate the incidence of malarial infection and the use of prescribed antimalarial drugs. A cross-sectional study was carried out to collect quantitative data from selected sites in District Lower Dir and Swat of Malakand Division Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K.P.), Pakistan. Screening of selected patients was performed using both thick and thin films and was observed with the help of a light microscope. In this study, a total of 2517 blood samples were tested. Overall positive infection was 12% Plasmodium vivax (99.07%) and Plasmodium falciparum (0.92%). Our results evaluate that infection with Plasmodium vivax was higher than Plasmodium falciparum. No other Plasmodium species or mixed infections were observed. The rate of infection was more frequent in males as compared to female patients. The highest percentage was recorded in the summer season (35.07%), while the lowest was documented in the winter (11.7%). Out of 325 patients, 311 (95.7%) were treated with Chloroquine, and the remaining were treated with Artemether. Chloroquine was used as a drug of choice for Plasmodium vivax infection. The present study concludes that Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum are the two common agents for malaria in Malakand Division. However, Plasmodium vivax was dominant over Plasmodium falciparum. The infection rate was high in males from District Lower Dir during the summer season.

p53, p21, and cyclin d1 protein expression patterns in patients with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The mutation in the wild-type tumor suppressor gene p53 is the most common genetic change in human tumors. In addition, the normal function of p21, which is both antiproliferative and an inhibitor of the cell cycle, is disrupted in some types of cancer. Meanwhile, cyclin D1 is a member of the cyclin protein family that is involved in regulating cell cycle progression. This study aimed to assess the expressions of the cell cycle inhibitory proteins p21, cyclin D1, and tumor suppressor gene p53, as well as their influence on the expressed histopathological changes in breast cancer tissues. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Overall, 40 breast tissue specimens were investigated in this study, 30 of which were cancerous, while 10 were healthy tissues. p53, p21, and cyclin D1 expression patterns were detected using an immunohistochemistry (IHC) system. RESULTS: The IHC reactions for p53 were positively observed in 27/30 (90%) cancerous tissues, compared with 2/10 (20%) normal breast tissues. For p21, reactions were observed in 28/30 (93.33%) cancerous tissues and 3/10 (30%) control tissues. For cyclin D1, reactions were observed in 25/30 (83.33%) cancerous tissues and 1/10 (10%) control tissues. The differences between the breast cancer tissues and the control tissues were statistically highly significant (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The high expression rates of p21, cyclin D1, and p53 in malignant breast cancer cells with little or no regulatory role might imply mutational events in these proteins operating in concert with a variety of other genetic mutations in these tissues, which may play a molecular role in the development and/or progression of breast carcinogenesis.

What you need to know about children's COVID-19: a systematic review. / å ³äºŽå„¿ç«¥æ–°åž‹å† çŠ¶ç— æ¯’è‚ºç‚Žçš„ç³»ç»Ÿç»¼è¿°.

The aim of the systematic review is to describe clinical features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children with a focus on the possible reasons why children are less susceptible to COVID-19 and whether their immune response works better than adults. The three research questions below were determined. (1) Why do pediatric COVID-19 cases have milder clinical symptoms than adults? (2) What are clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19 in children? (3) How long lasts viral shedding after recovery? We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, as well as foreign literature with English translations. Extra information and data have been collected from Google Scholar and the American Society for Microbiology. Information on patients' age, comorbidities, methods of treatment, and effects on mortality and morbidity were extracted. It is concluded that children are less susceptible to COVID-19 than adults and that the symptoms in children are less severe than in adults. A low incidence of COVID-19 in children and milder disease than in adults might be attributed to many theories and reasons; however, the mechanisms involved are not fully understood.

Transmission frequency of COVID-19 through pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic patients in AJK: a report of 201 cases.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is a catastrophic global phenomenon, affecting human life in a way unseen since the 1918 influenza pandemic. Effective management of this threat requires halting transmission, a strategy requiring accurate knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 transmission patterns. METHODS: This was a retrospective contact study aiming to estimate the transmission rate of COVID-19 by tracing contacts in symptomatic, pre-symptomatic, and asymptomatic patients. History of patients' contacts during 24 h before appearance of symptoms or infection confirmation was traced for disease transmission. RESULTS: Overall, a total of 201 COVID-19 patients had contact with 7168 people in 24 h with an average of 35.66 contacts per patient, ranging from a minimum of 4 to maximum of 87 contacts (meetings). Out of 7168 persons met, infection was detected in 64 (0.89%). For the 155 symptomatic patients, a total of 5611 contacted persons were traced before appearance of symptoms (pre-symptomatic) in last 24 h with an average of 36.20 meetings per patient. The infection was transmitted in 63 (1.12%) people with 5548 (98.88%) remaining uninfected. Out of the 63 transmissions, 62 (98.4%) were traced within 6 h before symptom onset, while only 1 was identified in the 6-12 h timeframe before symptoms. A total of 1557 persons were traced having meeting/contacts with asymptomatic cases in last 24 h before infection confirmation. Out of these 1557 persons, only 1 was found to be infected and the infection rate was calculated to be 0.06%. Statistically, the transmission rate by pre-symptomatic patients was found to be significantly higher than the transmission rate by asymptomatic individuals (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In the studied population, the risk of pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 was low, with transmission risks of 1.12% and 0.06% respectively. Pre-symptomatic infection becomes very rare in contacts made longer than 6 h before onset of symptoms. The infection transmission is traced as long as about 9 h before the appearance of clear symptoms in the patients, but the incidence rate was as low as about 0.02% of the total contacts in that period.

Perception, preparedness and response of health care personals towards COVID-19 pandemic in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan: A cross sectional interview based study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the state of knowledge, perception, preparedness and satisfaction level of health care personals (HCPs) in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) towards COVID-19. STUDY DESIGN: It was cross sectional survey conducted by personal interviews. METHODOLOGY: The study was conducted by interviewing 302 HCPs from 7 major district headquarter hospitals of AJK from May to September 2020. The questionnaire included 29 questions about demography, perception, training, preparedness, knowledge and awareness of HCPs about COVID-19. The data was encoded and analyzed statistically. RESULTS: Majority of the respondents (78.5%) believed that corona-virus is a serious health threat. However, 10.6% perceived it as a bio-weapon and 4.3% as not dangerous. About 10% of doctors were not considering it very dangerous compared to 1% of paramedics and 2.5% of the supporting staff (P = 0.003). About 55% of the respondents showed confidence of the steps taken by government for prevention of COVID-19 while 45% had an opposite view. More than 70% of the participants had no formal training and the ratio of trained personals was significantly higher (0.018) in paramedical staff (33%) than doctors (15%). About 53% of the respondents were not satisfied with the provision of PPEs and 64% were not satisfied with their work and wages situation. Majority of the respondents (97%) were observed to follow the protocols for personal protection. CONCLUSION: Majority of HCPs perceive covid-19 as a serious health concern. However, most of the HCPs are neither well trained for the current pandemic nor fully satisfied about personal protection, work load, and wages.

Biomonitoring of Toxic Metals in Feathers of Birds from North-Eastern Pakistan.

The current study was designed to determine the concentrations of toxic metals (Ni, Pb and Cr) in feathers of birds collected from four regions of NE Pakistan. Feather samples of birds (House Crow, Common Myna and House Sparrow) were collected from different areas. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used to determine the concentration of metals in feathers. Analysis of the data revealed that concentrations of Pb and Cr were significantly different (p < 0.05) among bird species, whereas no difference (p > 0.05) was detected among bird species (house crow, common myna and house sparrow) for Ni. A significant difference was found for the concentration of Pb and Ni in all the four studied regions. Whereas, non-significant difference was found in all the studied regions for the concentrating of Cr. It was revealed that there is significant rising concentration of metals (Pb, Cr) in feathers of birds in Azad Kashmir.

Epidemiology of Ectoparasites (Ticks, Lice, and Mites) in the Livestock of Pakistan: A Review.

Ectoparasites, including lice, ticks, and mites, inhabit the host skin and depend on their host for sustenance, maturation, and multiplication. Among these, ticks are more prevalent in various regions of Pakistan because of favorable climatic conditions, lack of awareness of livestock keepers' regarding ectoparasite infestation rate, insufficient veterinary services, and inadequate control measures. Ectoparasitic infestation is a primary threat to cost-effective livestock production by damaging skin and transmitting multiple diseases between animals. This review aimed to determine the infestation rates of various ectoparasites in cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, camels, equids and to ascertain the prevalence and epidemiology of ectoparasites in different regions of Pakistan. This review could be useful in devising prevention and control strategies and identifying the risk factors associated with ectoparasites to enhance animal productivity. It provides directions for veterinary schools, researchers, and organizations aiming to collaborate with neighboring countries to eradicate these parasites. Future studies could support working veterinarians and administrators and contribute to human well-being.

Ethno-veterinary uses of Poaceae in Punjab, Pakistan.

Plant species of the Poaceae family are not only used as fodder and forage but also contribute substantially to the treatment of various health disorders, particularly in livestock. Consequently, the present study was aimed to document the therapeutic uses of Poaceae practiced by the inhabitants of the Punjab Province for the treatment of various veterinary health disorders. Semi structured interviews, group discussion and field walks were conducted to collect the data. Quantitative indices including cultural significance index (CSI), relative frequency of citations (RFC), fidelity level (FL), relative popularity level (RPL), and Jaccard Index (JI) were used for the data analysis. Traditional uses of 149 species belonging to 60 genera and 16 tribes of 5 sub families of Poaceae were recorded. Whole plants and leaves were the most consistently used parts with 40.94 and 29.53%. The plants were mainly given orally as fodder (59 reports) without processing followed by decoction (35 reports). Most of the species were employed to treat infectious diseases (25.93%), and digestive disorders (14.10%). Triticum aestivum had the highest CSI, RFC and RPL levels at 8.00, 0.96, 1.00, respectively, followed by Oryza sativa and Poa annua. Likewise, T. aestivum and Saccharum spontaneum had 100% FL and ROP. Jaccard index ranged from 12.25 to 0.37. Twelve plant species namely Chrysopogon zizanioides (anti-inflammatory), Pennisetum lanatum (improve bull fertility), Cymbopogon citratus (glandular secretion), Sorghum saccharatum and Themeda triandra (malaria), Aristida funiculate (anticancer), Koeleria argentia (skin allergies), Tetrapogon villosus (antibacterial), Cynodon radiatus (eyes infection), Sporobolus nervosa (Jaundice), Enneapogon persicus (antifungal), and Panicum repens (dysfunctional cattle organs) were reported for the first time, with novel ethnoveterinary uses. The inhabitants of the study area had a strong association with their surrounding plant diversity and possessed significant knowledge on therapeutic uses of Poaceae to treat various health disorders in animals. Plant species with maximum cultural and medicinal values could be a potential source of novel drugs to cure health disorders in animals and human as well.

Distribution and clinical significance of hepatitis B virus genotypes in Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype and its role in disease progression and patients' response to antiviral treatment, is not well studied in Pakistan. This comprehensive study was aimed to determine the distribution of HBV genotypes in Pakistan and their possible association with phases of HBV infection. METHODS: A total of 840 HBsAg positive samples was collected and tested for HBV DNA quantity. Samples below 100 IU/ml were excluded from the study. A total of 715 samples representing all the six parts of the country were genotyped by type specific primer PCR method. Clinical data of only 384 patients was compared as the remaining 332 were either receiving antiviral treatment or their infection phase was not confirmed. RESULTS: Genotype D was found in 509 samples (71.2 %), genotype A in 55 samples (7.7 %) and mixed infection with genotypes A and D in 124 samples (17.3 %). Genotypes B, C and E were identified in less than 1 % of the total samples. Genotype A, D and their mixture (A + D) were compared for severity of HBV infection. Significant differences were not found in distribution of HBV genotypes among different disease stages. CONCLUSION: HBV genotype D was the predominant infection in all study areas of Pakistan followed by mixed genotypes infection (A + D) whereas genotype A has 10 times lower prevalence than genotype D. Genotypes B, C, E and F altogether make only 1.5 % of the prevalence. Genotype do not appears to show the severity of liver disease.

Antiproliferative effects of aspirin and diclofenac against the growth of cancer and fibroblast cells: In vitro comparative study.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit the growth of several cancer cell lines. The aim of this study is to compare the cytotoxic effect of aspirin with diclofenac on the growth of HeLa cell, mammary cell carcinoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and fibroblast cell lines in the culture media. The cells are cultured in RPMI-1640 culture media supplemented with 5% fetal calf serum and antibiotics. Aspirin (5 mg/well) and diclofenac (0.625 mg/well) significantly inhibit the growth of HeLa, rhabdomyosarcoma and fibroblast cells. The cytotoxic effect of aspirin against rhabdomyosarcoma is significantly (p < 0.001) higher than that of diclofenac with a potency approximated 2.6. It concludes that aspirin and diclofenac inhibit the growth of fibroblast and cancer cell by inhibiting the up-regulation of cyclooxygenases enzymes in cancer cells. Aspirin is more effective than diclofenac against the growth of rhabdomyosarcoma cell line.

Presence of HCV RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells may predict patients response to interferon and ribavirin therapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is considered a hepatotropic virus, but it can repli.cate in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), which influence the sustained virological response (SVR) of the patients, as well as relapse in successfully treated patients. The main objective of this study was to establish the importance of PBMC HCV RNA detection as a primary test to declare the patient as a responder, and the secondary objective was to investigate the risk of non-SVR or relapse in individuals who showed an end-of-treatment (ETR). DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Blood samples were collected after the completion of 6 months of therapy, and they were collected 6 months after the completion of treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total 103 patients infected with the 3a genotype of HCV and those who were treated with interferon-a-2b and ribavirin for 24 weeks were selected. HCV RNA in plasma of at the end of treatment and 6 months after the completion of treatment was determined with the help of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: Of the 103 patients, 74.8% (number [n]=77) were end-of-treatment responders, while 25.2% (n=26) were nonresponders. Seventy-seven responders were tested for HCV RNA in their PBMCs. The HCV RNA was detected in the PBMCs of 29 patients (37.7%). After 6 months of the end of treatment, 15 (19.5%) of 77 ETR patients showed virological relapse, while 62 (80.5%) patients attained SVR. Relapse appeared significantly more often in patients with HCV RNA in their PBMCs at the ETR stage when compared to the patients who did not have the viral RNA (34.5% versus 10.4%, respectively; R2=6.67, P=.01; odds ratio [OR]: 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.032-1.811). CONCLUSION: Patients with HCV RNA in their PBMCs after attaining an ETR are more likely to show relapse as compared to patients who are negative for viral RNA in PBMCs at the ETR stage.

Nitrostative stress status during seasonal and pdmH1N1 infection in Iraq.

INTRODUCTION: Influenza A virus infection is associated with oxidative and nitrosative stress. This study aimed to assess nitrosative stress in pandemic H1N1 (pdmH1N1) and seasonal influenza A infected patients. METHODOLOGY: The study included the following subjects:  20 patients infected with seasonal (negative one-step probe RT-PCR) influenza and 12 patients infected with pdmH1N1 (positive, one-step probe RT-PCR) influenza during the 2009 pandemic in Iraq. Twenty healthy subjects served as controls. Serum nitric oxide using Greiss reagent and peroxynitrite were used to assess nitrosative stress status. RESULTS: Serum nitric oxide and peroxynitrite are significantly increased in patients infected with seasonal and pdmH1N1 influenza compared with the levels in healthy subjects. Infected patients with seasonal influenza showed significantly higher numbers of serum nitrogen species than corresponding pdmH1N1 infected patients. The turnover process reflected by the peroxynitrite/nitric oxide ratio was 0.177, 0.313 and 0.214 in healthy subjects, seasonal and pdmH1N1infected patients respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza A virus infection is associated with significant nitrosative stress activity which is more pronounced in seasonal than in pdmH1N1 infected patients. The determination of serum nitric oxide and peroxynitrite may serve as biochemical markers.