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ABSTRACT: Citrus is one of the major exported fruits of Pakistan. Especially Kinnow cultivar is famous across the globe because of its aroma and taste. The overall production of citrus is reported as half of the potential because of the non-adoption of research-based practices and lack of agricultural extension services and training of the citrus growers. In the last few years, the department of agricultural extension has started training programs called Farmer Field Schools (FFS) for citrus growers in the major citrus growing zone of the Punjab province, i.e., Sargodha region. This research was conducted in the Sargodha district to evaluate the knowledge and skills gained by the farmers from the FFS. The interview schedule was designed for the purpose of data collection. The data was collected from 120 farmers randomly selected from 15 FFS in the study area. All the respondents were participants of the FFS. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The Results of the study showed that 40% of the farmers learned about citrus verities, one-third of respondents learned about the management of new plants/orchards, 28% of the respondents got knowledge about the cultivation of fruits, and one-fourth of respondents acquired knowledge and skills about layout and management of citrus orchards. These findings conclude that training course has a positive influence on farmers' farm management skills; hence emphasize on its persistence and further improvement by the concerned authorities.
RESUMO: Os citros são as principais frutas exportadas do Paquistão, especialmente, a cultivar Kinnow é famosa em todo o mundo por causa de seu aroma e sabor. A produção geral de citros é relatada como a metade do potencial devido a não adoção de práticas baseadas em pesquisas e a falta de serviços de extensão agrícola e treinamento dos citricultores. Nos últimos anos o departamento de extensão agrícola iniciou programas de treinamento chamados Farmer Field Schools (FFS) para citricultores na maior zona de cultivo de citros da província de Punjab, no distrito de Sargodha. Esta pesquisa é conduzida no distrito de Sargodha para avaliar o conhecimento e as habilidades adquiridas pelos agricultores da FFS. O cronograma de entrevistas foi elaborado para fins de coleta de dados. Os dados foram coletados de 120 agricultores aleatoriamente de 15 FFS na área de estudo. Todos os entrevistados eram participantes da FFS. Os dados foram analisados por meio do programa estatístico "Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS"). Os resultados do estudo mostraram que 40% dos agricultores aprenderam informações importantes sobre citros, um terço dos entrevistados aprenderam sobre o manejo de novas plantas / pomares, 28% dos entrevistados aprenderam sobre o cultivo de frutas e um quarto dos entrevistados adquiriu os conhecimentos e habilidades sobre layout e manejo de pomares de citros. Essas descobertas concluem que o curso de treinamento tem uma influência positiva nas habilidades de gestão das propriedades; portanto, suporta a necessidade de sua persistência e melhorias adicionais pelas autoridades para alavancar ainda a produtividade essa atividade no futuro.
ABSTRACT
Background: The batting performance is assessed by considering the batting average and strike rate of a batsman. With the induction of T-20 cricket matches, the strike rate of a batsman has gained much attention from coaches and team management. To increase the strike rate a batsman required to hit powerful shots for boundaries, which assist in making maximum scores at the minimum ball. Therefore, this investigation was planned to determine the effect of body size on the batting performance of cricket batsman. Methods: the literature for this study was selected for cricket coaching manual, cricket books, cricket batting videos, a biography of cricket batsmen, research articles. The academic documents were downloaded and shortlisted from Google Scholar, Research Gate, EBSCO, and ProQuest from 1990 to 2019. Results: The synthesized literature review concludes, stature, longer legs, longer arms, and lean body mass of a batsman show positive effects on the execution of powerful shots in cricket. Furthermore, the maximum strength of muscles assists a batsman to boost up the initial velocity of bat swing to accomplish the ball speed for a successful and powerful shot. Conclusions: Although stature and longer limbs of batsmen are associated with batting performance. On the other hand, the specific training would also enhance the capacity of cricket batsman for powerful shots in cricket. A future study was proposed to investigate the effect of training on the batting performance.
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Objective: To determine the frequencies of nasal itching, epistaxis, dry/chapped lips and xerosis of skin among Pakistani peacekeepers exposed to the dry climate of Nyala, Sudan
Study Design: Prospective cohort study
Place and Duration of Study: Pakistan Field Hospital 6 Nyala, Sudan, from February 2014 to May 2012
Material and Methods: Total 144 United Nations Pakistani Peacekeepers of Pakistan Field Hospital 6[all ranks] were selected by non-probability convenient sampling. The data consists of frequency of four symptoms was collected after three months of exposure to dry climate
Results: The most common symptom was dryness of skin [36.1%] followed by chapping of lips [29.9%] while nasal bleeding [epistaxis] was least common [9%]. Significantly higher number of subjects of ages more than 40 years had nasal bleeding compared to the younger group [p value 0.002]
Conclusion: Exposure to extreme dry climate affects skin and nasal mucosa. Frequency of epistaxis found to be significantly more in subjects older than 40 years as compared to younger ones
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Objective: To determine the association between shoulder impingement and morphological characteristics of acromion and the role of sub-acromial injection of methylprednisolone in the short-term treatment for relieving pain and improve functional disability of these patients
Study Design: A descriptive study
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology Unit-I [DOST-I], Mayo Hospital, Lahore, between November 2013 to June 2014
Methodology: All patients presented in OPD with shoulder pain were included as subjects and evaluated by clinical test and categorised using X-ray scapula Y-view. Patients with impingement syndrome were correlated with Bigliani types and offered intra-lesional injection into sub-acromial space with 2ml of xylocaine 2% and 40 mg of methylprednisolone using 22 gauge needle. The effectiveness was assessed in terms of relieving pain and good functional outcomes; and rotator cuff tear was clinically assessed among impingement positive patient. The pain was assessed using visual analogue score before and after the administration of the injection. Demographic variables for frequencies and their associations were analysed using SPSS version 20.0. Significance level was p <0.05
Results: Among the 101 cases, there was no case of tear of rotator cuff tendon on clinical assessment. Majority of the patients [58.4%] were females with mean age of 31.38 +/- 1.13 years. Majority 57 [56.4%] of the patients had acromion type II [curved], which was the most common cause of shoulder impingement. Most had moderate pain. Thirty-four patients required intralesional steroid, which relieved the pain in 31 of them
Conclusion: Shoulder impingement syndrome without tear of rotator cuff tendon was found in younger age group between 40 to 45 years, which was relieved by intralesional corticosteroid administration. These patients had type II [curved] acromion, according to Bigliani classification
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Nystatin is a polyene antimycotic obtained from Streptomyces noursei used in the treatment of topical and transdermal fungal infection. Nystatin is nearly insoluble in water [<0.1] and it is amphoteric in nature. The aim of the present study was to design and develop Nystatin micro emulsion based gel for efficient delivery of drug to the skin by water titration method. The Pseudoternary phase diagrams 1:2, 1:1 and 2:1 were constructed by water titration method. Micro emulsion based gel was prepared by using oleic acid, Tween 20, propylene glycol as an oil phase, surfactant and cosurfactant respectively. Cabopol 940 was used as a gelling agent. In vitro evaluation of micro emulsion based gel was done for pH, Viscosity, spreadability and droplet size. Micro emulsion based gel showed greater antifungal activity against Candida albicansas compared to control formulations. In vitro drug release studies were conducted for micro emulsion based gel and control formulation using Franz diffusion cell. Drug penetration through synthetic skin followed Zero order model as the values for R[2] higher in case of zero order equation. The optimized micro emulsion based gel was found to be stable and showed no physical changes when exposed to different temperatures for a period of 4 week. The results indicated that the micro emulsion based gel system studied would be a promising tool for enhancing the percutaneous delivery of Nystatin
Subject(s)
In Vitro Techniques , Antifungal Agents , Skin Diseases , GelsABSTRACT
Patients with posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] frequently complain of sleep disturbances such as insomnia and nightmares. Evaluation of sleep disturbances is often difficult due to the subjective nature of the complaints. Polysomnography [PSG] and other sleep studies are generally not indicated in the evaluation of insomnia or nightmares associated with PTSD. Actigraphy, [electronic activity monitoring] has been used in research to evaluate sleep disturbances in patients with PTSD. We reviewed the literature on the use of actigraphy in evaluation of sleep problems in patients with PTSD. A literature search for articles on the topic was conducted on PubMed using the search algorithm [actigraphy [Title/Abstract] OR actigraphic [Title/Abstract]] AND PTSD [Title/Abstract]. Out of 11 search results, 9 studies in which application of actigraphy had relevance to the primary objective and outcome in PTSD patients with sleep problems were selected for review. We also handpicked one additional article from personal communication with our colleagues who have done some of these studies. Actigraphy has been used to evaluate circadian rhythm sleep disorders. Use of actigraphy in psychiatry clinics is uncommon. There is no data to support that there are specific actigraphic sleep related findings in PTSD patients. However, it can be a useful tool to complement the use of sleep diaries when assessing sleep and wake patterns in patients with PTSD
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To determine the frequency of ophthalmic complications of interferon-a 2b and ribavirin combination therapy in patients of chronic hepatitis C. Quasi experimental study. Eye and Medical Department of Military Hospital Rawalpindi and Combined Military Hospital Peshawar, Pakistan from Jan 2010 to Jan 2011. A total of 93 diagnosed and consenting cases of hepatitis C were recruited who were eligible for interferon therapy. They were administered 3 million units [mu] interferon [INF]-alpha 2b, subcutaneously thrice a week along with 800 mg of ribavirin orally daily for 6 months. Ocular examination of all the patients was performed before starting interferon and then monthly afterwards till the completion of interferon therapy. Their ocular complications were observed and recorded. The study included 54 [58%] males and 39 [42%] females. Mean age of the patients was 40.59 +/- 8.68 years. Ocular complications developed in 24 [25.8%] out of 93 patients. Retinal microaneurysms were present in 5 [5.4%], cotton wool spots in 10 [10.8%], retinal haemorrhages in 8 [8.6%] and optic disc hyperaemia in 1 [1.1%] patient. These complications developed within 8-12 weeks after start of INF therapy. Interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin combination therapy is characterized by its ophthalmic complications which are usually benign and self limiting. In our study, ocular complications which include retinal microaneurysms, cotton wool spots, retinal haemorrhages and optic disc hyperaemia developed in 25.8% of patients. In two third of these cases, these complications resolved before completion of INF therapy
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To compare Greulich-Pyle [GP] and Girdany-Golden [GG] methods for estimation of Skeletal Age [SA] in children referred to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Cross-sectional study. Department of Radiology, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from July 2010 to June 2012. Children up to the age of 18 years, who had undergone X-ray for the evaluation of trauma were included. Each X-ray was interpreted using both methods by two consultant paediatric radiologists having at least 10 years experience, who were blinded to the actual Chronologic Age [CA] of children. A total of 283 children were included. No significant difference was noted in mean SA estimated by GP method and mean CA for female children [p=0.695]. However, a significant difference was noted between mean CA and mean SA by GG method for females [p=0.011]. For males, there was a significant difference between mean CA and mean SA estimated by both GP and GG methods. A stronger correlation was found between CA and SA estimated by GP method [r=0.943 for girls, r=0.915 for boys] as compared to GG method [r=0.909 for girls, r=0.865 for boys] respectively. Bland- Altman analysis also revealed that the two methods cannot be used interchangeably. Excellent correlation was seen between the two readers for both GP and GG methods. There was no additional benefit of using GP and GG methods simultaneously over using GP method alone. Moreover, although GP was reliable in estimating SA in girls, it was unable to accurately assess SA in boys. Therefore, it would be ideal to develop indigenous standards of bone age estimation based on a representative sample of healthy native children
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Humans , Male , Female , Cross-Sectional Studies , Radiology/standards , ChildABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To see the frequency of hyponatremia in hospitalized patients of medical wards at Liaquat university hospital Hyderabad
METHODOLOGY: In this Descriptive Cross-sectional Study we included 200 patients admitted in medical wards of Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad from 1st July to31 august 2013, Serum sodium level of these patients was sent and results were recorded on a preformed profarma. We included all patients admitted in ward through emergency or out patients department
Inclusion Criteria: In this study patients attending emergency and OPD were included in between age of 12 years to 80 years
Exclusion Criteria: In this study we excluded all patients with acute myocardial infarction ,angina ,and traumatic emergency
RESULTS: Among 200 patients, we found 44%[88] patients having hyponatremia with 36%[72] patients with mild to moderate hyponatremia and 8% [16] patients have moderate to severe hyponatremia
Males have increased frequency of hyponatremia then females. Study concludes that frequency of hyponatremia is more frequent with increasing age
CONCLUSION: Hyponatremia is common problem seen in admitted patients in male wards
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Medical education in Pakistan traditionally emphasizes physician's biomedical knowledge with less emphasis on interpersonal skills and ability to relate to the patients. This study explored the emotional intelligence and empathy of undergraduate medical students and investigated its relationship with various factors to act as baseline for future work in this area. The Schutte Emotional Intelligence scale and Davis' Interpersonal Reactivity Index in addition to socio demographic questionnaire were administered to first year and final year medical undergraduates of two medical Institutions in Lahore, Pakistan. Data was analyzed by using SPSS 17 version. The overall mean scores for medical students both on emotional intelligence and empathy is significantly lower than that found in previous literature, highlighting that medical students do not appear to fare better than average people in EQ. Women showed statistically significant higher scores on Appraisal of emotions, Regulation of emotions, Empathic concern Scale and Personal distress scale. Comparison of EI and IRI of students according to medical college year did not show any statistical significance. Current medical curriculum and training in Pakistan does not appear to increase EI abilities which are building blocks that may allow students and residents to develop competence. Medical educators in Pakistan should look for ways to incorporate emotional intelligence in medical curriculum which will ultimately contribute towards patient centered practice, patient satisfaction as well as effective communication skills
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Humans , Female , Male , Emotional Intelligence , Students, Medical , Cross-Sectional Studies , EmpathyABSTRACT
The purpose of this article is to review the evidence linking depression with inflammation, to examine the bi-directional relationship between the neuro-humeral circuitry of depression and the inflammatory response, and point out new treatment implications of these ideas. The evidence available is in areas of genetic links, association of depression with raised inflammatory markers such as Tumour Necrosis Factor [TNF]-alpha, Interleukin [IL]-1, IL-6, co-morbidity of depression with inflammatory medical illnesses, administration of cytokines leading to depression, and the recognition that anti-depressants have anti-inflammatory and neuro-protective properties. Inflammatory response and mood regulation constitute a system of bi-directional communication such that inflammatory cytokines can penetrate the CNS and influence behavior. Activation of the CNS cytokine network leads to a cascade of effects such as disturbed metabolism of amino acids, neurotoxicity, diminished neurotrophic support, decreased neurogenesis, impaired negative feedback regulation of HPA axis function and glucocorticoid resistance. Treatment implications include strategies to screen for patients with increased inflammatory activity, possible treatment with anti-inflammatory agents, and the recognition of new target areas for antidepressant medications. A literature search for articles published during the last ten years was conducted using various combinations of key words ['depression', 'inflammation', 'cytokines', 'immune system', 'interleukins'] utilizing the databases Google Scholar and PubMed. An outline of the most relevant aspects of the role of inflammatory processes in depression was created. Major papers, including other review articles, were identified in accordance with our outline. These articles were subsequently hand searched and reviewed individually for further references of significance. The inflammatory response leading to formation of inflammatory cytokines plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of depression, and this has important implications with regards to new and personalized treatment of depression
Subject(s)
Antidepressive Agents , Cytokines , Inflammation , Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal SystemABSTRACT
Tibial bone defect lead to limb shortening and functional deficit and needs proper treatment. There are various treatment modalities for bone defect in long bone to restore length and function of the limb, i.e. bone grafting, vascularised bone graft, allograft and bone transport. Bone transport can be done through fixators [uniplaner or ring] and intramedullary nail system. This study was conducted on management of tibial non-union with Illizarov external fixator. METHOD: This descriptive study was performed on 58 patients in Agency Headquarter Hospital, Bajawar and Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, from January 2000 to January 2006. Patients of either gender with age between 9 to 58 years, having nonunion [clean and infected nonunion] in tibia with defect of 2 to 7cm due to trauma or firearm injury were included in the study. These patients were followed up upto one year. Outcome measures were according to the classification of Association for the Study and Application of the Method of Ilizarov [ASAMI], which is based on radiological [defect filling] and clinical [functional] findings. Out of 58 patients, 44 [75%] were male and 14 [25%] were female. Mean age was 30 years [9 to 58 years]. 38 [65.52%] patients had infected non-union while 20 [34.48%] had clean non-union. Right tibia was involved in 32 patients [51.17%] and left was involved in 26 [44.83%] patients. The cause of initial trauma was road traffic accident in 27 patients [46.55%], firearm injury in 23 patients [39.65%] and a simple fall in 8 patients [13.79%]. The length of average bone defect was 2.90 cm [200-7.00cm]. Radiological results were excellent in 33 [58.89%] patients, good in 12 [20.68%] patients, fair in 8 [13.79%] patients and poor in 5 [8.62%] patients. The clinical results were excellent in 33 patients [56.89%], good in 18 patients [31.05%], fair in 4 [6.89%] patients and poor in 3 patients [5.17%]. Ilizarov ring fixator is excellent treatment modality for tibial non-union with a defect, regarding bone union, deformity correction, infection eradication, limb length achievement and limb function but this needs prolonged learning curve for fresh orthopedic surgeons