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Background: Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is the most important fiber crop of the world and commonly known as white gold. It plays an important role in the economy of Pakistan. It provides raw material to the local textile industry and generates considerable amount of foreign exchange. The yield of cotton is lower in Pakistan. Knowledge of association among different traits is important for the development of cultivars with better yield and quality characters. Materials and Methods: In this research, two parents (PB-38 and Jambo Okra) and their crosses sown in randomized complete block design with three replications to sort out best performing genotypes for these profitable traits (plant height, number of sympodial branches, number of monopodial branches, leaf type, boll size, boll shape, number of bolls per plant, boll weight, ginning out turn, 100 seed weight and seed cotton yield). Results: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that parental and their F2 population showed significant differences for all the observed traits. Correlation and inheritance pattern of all characters provides information of association among all traits and percentage of inheritable attributes. Conclusions: The association and inheritance pattern study provide us useful information for effective selection and sustainable breeding programs. Heritability estimations revealed that heritability of traits fluctuate as following order; monopodial branches> ginning outturn>boll weight>sympodial branches>plant height>yield>number of bolls plant-1 with heritable percentages 99%, 90%, 89%, 64%, 60%, 60% and 55% respectively.
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Objectives: The study aimed at comparing the therapeuticefficacy of Terbinafine and Itraconazole in terms of clinical curein the treatment of Fluconazole resistant Tinea corporis andTinea cruris.Materials and Methods: A clinical trial with 154 patients’having Tinea corporis and Tinea cruris was performed. All thepatients were treated with fluconazole. The resistant patientswere randomly divided into two groups. The first group wastreated with Terbinafine 250mg daily for 4 weeks, whereassecond group was treated by Itraconazole for 4 weeks. Theparticipants were followed up till the end of treatment and onemonth after treatment.Results: At the end of the trial, terbinafine group developed78.84% clinical response, while Itraconazole treated groupdeveloped only 39.13%.Conclusion: Based on the marked observed difference, it maybe concluded that Terbinafine is more effective in treatingfluconazole resistant Tinea corporis and Tinea cruris.
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Background: In recent years the ratio of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in patients of chronic liver disease (CLD) of various origins has gained much attention. This variable is readily available, easy to interpret, and inexpensive and the clinical utility of the AST/ALT ratio in the diagnostic workup of patients with CLD is quite promising. Objective: The present study was designed to find out the link between aminotransferase (AST/ALT) ratio with commonly measured biochemical parameters of liver function tests in CLD of viral origin. Materials and method: This cross sectional study was carried out in the department of Biochemistry, Sir Salimullah Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Forty four biopsy proven diagnosed subjects of chronic viral hepatitis without cirrhosis of both sex were selected purposively. With aseptic precaution 5 mL venous blood was collected from each subject and common liver function tests (serum AST, ALT, AST/ALT ratio, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, serum total protein, serum albumin, serum globulin, serum albumin/globulin ratio, prothrombin time) and viral serology (HBsAg, Anti HDV antibody, Anti HCV antibody) were performed. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 19 for Windows. Pearson’s correlation test was done to determine association between AST/ALT with other biochemical parameters. Results: Mean(±SD) age of the study subjects was 32.55±10.55 years (range 20-50 years) with 48 (77.7%) male and 14 (22.6%) female subjects. Pearson’s correlation test was done between AST to ALT ratio with other biochemical parameters and prothrombin time showed significant positive correlation (p <0.01). Conclusion: In our study we found significant positive correlation between AST/ALT with prothrombin time in CLD subjects without cirrhosis.
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Background: Colostrum is the first product of lactation and can be considered as first vaccine for newborns. It contains numerous nutrients as well as antioxidant vitamins necessary for newborns. Objective: The aim of the study was to measure the antioxidant vitamin (vitamins E and C) contents in colostrum and to compare them with the nutritional status, age and parity of the lactating mothers and birth weight of the babies. Materials and method: In this cross sectional study antioxidant vitamins E and C of colostrum of seventy six post-partum mothers were estimated irrespective of their age, parity, socioeconomic and nutritional status. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was employed to analyze the colostral content of vitamin E and spectrophotometric method was used for estimation of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) level. These levels were then compared against maternal and fetal characteristics. Results: The mean concentration (±SD) of vitamin E and C were 519.809(±1.16) μgm/dl and 1.33(±0.076) mg/dl respectively. No significant relationship was found between maternal age, parity, BMI or birth weight of the baby and the colostral content of vitamin E and C. Conclusion: Colostrum of Bangladeshi women are rich in antioxidant vitamins and not dependent on sociodemographic variables of mothers and / or birth weight of baby.
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Family is the smallest unit of people to share most of the lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors. They are likely to have similarity in many physiological and behavioural aspects. Therefore, we designed a protocol to test the effect of large rural Indian families living together (Kumbas), on blood pressure variability. We also investigated the hypothesis that ‘nocturnal dipping’ in systolic blood pressure (SBP) is not heritable. Members of two families (1 and 2) consisting of 3-4 generations willingly participated in the study. Both families (natives of Chhattisgarh) belong to reasonably peaceful rural area and are financially stable. Farming is the main occupation of the members of both families. Few members of the families had jobs or small business. The null hypothesis regarding heritability of nocturnal dipping trait was accepted based on data emanating from either of the studied families. Hourly-averaged values depicted less variation in males and females of family 1 from midnight to early morning at around 06:00, as compared to that in males and females of family 2. The 24 h averages of BP in family 2 were significantly higher as compared to that in family 1. Further, in family 2 the peaks of SBP, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) occurred significantly earlier as compared to that in family 1. The peak spread of SBP, DBP, heart rate (HR), MAP and pulse pressure (PP) among the members of family 1 was narrower than that for the members of family 2. Arbitrary cut-off values for classification of dipping, small sample size, and age dependency of nocturnal dipping might have marred outcome of the pedigree analysis of nocturnal dipping trait in this study. We have a hunch that the family shares typical temporal ups and downs in 24 h BP and HR. The above hypothesis needs confirmation based on studies with large data set involving subjective and objective assessment of the effects of psychosocial factors on BP and HR variability.
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Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is still one of the important causes of maternal and fetal mortality in Bangladesh. Many researches have been done to identify a unique screening test that would predict the risk of developing PE before the classic symptoms appear. One of the most accessible and easiest screening tests is serum uric acid measurement. Numerous studies have demonstrated a relation between elevated maternal serum uric acid levels and adverse maternal and fetal outcome. Among several pathophysiologic factors the most commonly accepted explanation for hyperuricemia in PE is increased reabsorption and decreased excretion of uric acid. Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess the association of serum uric acid with preeclampsia. Materials and method: A case control study was conducted in the department of Biochemistry, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka from July 2010 to June 2011. A total number of 100 pregnant women in third trimester of pregnancy attending in Obstetrics and Gynaecology department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital were selected purposively as study subjects. Among them 50 pregnant women with preeclampsia were selected as cases and 50 normal healthy pregnant women as controls. Results: Most of the study subjects were within 21 – 30 years of age group and mean age in case and control was 24.06±3.71 and 24.66±3.22 years respectively, which was not statistically different. Mean gestational age in case and control was 33.50±2.55 weeks and 33.60±2.95 weeks respectively, which was also not statistically different. Among the study subjects majority was primi in both groups (case 76%, contol 58%) showing no statistical significance. Majority of the subjects in both groups were irregular in their antenatal checkup (case 52%, contol 40%). Uric acid concentration was measured in all the study subjects. The mean serum uric acid concentration in cases and controls were 7.01±1.90 mg/dl and 4.55±1.63 mg/dl respectively. This difference was highly significant in statistical point of view. Conclusion: Hyperuricemia is associated with preeclampsia.