Bereavement in Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic: Psychometric analysis of the Pandemic Grief Scale-Urdu Version (PGS-UV).

With nearly 4 million deaths worldwide, COVID-19 has resulted in a great loss of life. For many of the bereaved, the grieving process has been especially difficult due to COVID-19 spatial distancing procedures and the traumatic circumstances of this particular form of loss. Consequently, a large number of the world's bereaved are experiencing dysfunctional levels of grief. To assess such grief, the Pandemic Grief Scale (PGS) was created to identify those affected who may benefit from professional support. This study aimed to psychometrically analyze the properties of the Urdu version of the scale, among a sample of 272 Pakistanis who lost a loved one to COVID-19 from March to June 2021. Results revealed that the scale was found to be a reliable and valid tool for assessing dysfunctional pandemic grief for both men and women. However, unique gender differences were found. Additional research should further confirm the psychometric properties of the PGS on other culturally diverse samples.

Isolation and characterization of a biosurfactant-producing Fusarium sp. BS-8 from oil contaminated soil.

This study reports characterization of a biosurfactant-producing fungal isolate from oil contaminated soil of Missa Keswal oil field, Pakistan. It was identified as Fusarium sp. BS-8 on the basis of macroscopic and microscopic morphology, and 18S rDNA gene sequence homology. The biosurfactant-producing capability of the fungal isolates was screened using oil displacement activity, emulsification index assay, and surface tension (SFT) measurement. The optimization of operational parameters and culture conditions resulted in maximum biosurfactant production using 9% (v/v) inoculum at 30°C, pH 7.0, using sucrose and yeast extract, as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. A C:N ratio of 0.9:0.1 (w/w) was found to be optimum for growth and biosurfactant production. At optimal conditions, it attained lowest SFT (i.e., 32 mN m(-1) ) with a critical micelle concentration of ≥ 1.2 mg mL(-1) . During 5 L shake flask fermentation experiments, the biosurfactant productivity was 1.21 g L(-1) pure biosurfactant having significant emulsifying index (E24 , 70%) and oil-displacing activity (16 mm). Thin layer chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectrometric analyses indicated a lipopeptide type of the biosurfactant. The Fusarium sp. BS-8 has substantial potential of biosurfactant production, yet it needs to be fully characterized with possibility of relatively new class of biosurfactants.