Guidelines on gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common acid-related disorder encountered during clinical practice in Pakistan and is associated with significant impairment of health-related quality of life. A number of guidelines and recommendations for the diagnosis and management of GERD have been published in different countries, but a Pakistani accepted directive by the standards of evidence-based medicine is still lacking. Our aim was to create an understanding of the natural history and presentations of reflux disease; evaluating possible treatment options available for the patients with complex and uncomplicated reflux ailments with the development of current and up to date evidence based endorsement, relevant to the needs of Pakistani health care providers in order to treat oesophageal manifestations of GERD.

Comparative clinical evaluation on herbal formulation Pepsil, Safoof-e-Katira and Omeprazole in gastro esophageal reflux disease.

This study was conducted to evaluate the role of Unani herbal drugs Pepsil and Safoof-e-katira on the gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD). This was multicentre randomized case control study conducted at Matab Hakeem Muhammad Noor-ud-din, Burewala; Aziz Muhammad din Medical and Surgical Centre, Burewala and Shifa-ul-mulk Memorial Hospital, Hamdard University Karachi. The patients were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Nanocarriers and their Actions to Improve Skin Permeability and Transdermal Drug Delivery.

Transdermal drug delivery is impeded by the natural barrier of epidermis namely stratum corneum. This limits the route to transport of drugs with a log octanol-water partition coefficient of 1 to 3, molecular weight of less than 500 Da and melting point of less than 200°C. Nanotechnology has received widespread investigation as nanocarriers are deemed to be able to fluidize the stratum corneum as a function of size, shape, surface charges, and hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity balance, while delivering drugs across the skin barrier.

Silencing a key gene of the common symbiosis pathway in Nicotiana attenuata specifically impairs arbuscular mycorrhizal infection without influencing the root-associated microbiome or plant growth.

While the biochemical function of calcium and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CCaMK) is well studied, and plants impaired in the expression of CCaMK are known not to be infected by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in glasshouse studies, the whole-plant and ecological consequences of CCaMK silencing are not well understood. Here we show that three independently transformed lines of Nicotiana attenuata plants silenced in CCaMK (irCCaMK) are neither infected by Rhizophagus irregularis in the glasshouse nor by native fungal inoculum in the field. The overall fungal community of field-grown roots did not differ significantly among empty vector (EV) and the transgenic lines, and the bacterial communities only showed minor differences, as revealed by the alpha-diversity parameters of bacterial OTUs, which were higher in EV plants compared with two of the three transformed lines, while beta-diversity parameters did not differ.

Degradation of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) by a newly isolated Brevundimonas sp. strain MRL-AN1 from soil.

A poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)-degrading bacterium designated as strain MRL-AN1 was isolated from soil. The bacterium was identified as Brevundimonas sp. strain MRL-AN1 through biochemical tests and 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Proteolytic activity and cytokine up-regulation by non-albicans Candida albicans.

Mouth is an important source of infections and oral infections such as Candida infections increase the risk of mortality. Our purpose was to investigate differences in proteolytic activity of non-albicans Candida albicans (non-albicans Candida) between clinical isolates and laboratory samples. The second aim was to assess the concentration of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels IL-1β, IL-10, and TNF-α in saliva of patients with the non-albicans Candida and Candida-negative saliva samples.

Clinical efficacy of polyherbal formulation Eezpain spray for muscular pain relief.

The topical herbal formulation Eezpain spray consisting of natural ingredients that have been clinically proved for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity. The designed formulation on application knee and wrist joints, back of neck and shoulder, forearms and lower back exhibited significant efficacy. A total of 20 subjects both male and female applied Eezpain spray consisting of Gaultheria oil, Eucalyptus oil, Turpentine oil, Clove Oil, Menthol and Camphor.

Designing for movement quality in exergames: lessons learned from observing senior citizens playing stepping games.

Background: Exergames are increasingly used as an exercise intervention to reduce fall risk in elderly. However, few exergames have been designed specifically for elderly, and we lack knowledge about the characteristics of the movements elicited by exergames and thereby about their potential to train functions important for fall risk reduction.

Objective: This study investigates game elements and older players' movement characteristics during stepping exergames in order to inform exergame design for movement quality in the context of fall preventive exercise.

A simple and rapid approach to evaluate the in vitro in vivo role of release controlling agent ethyl cellulose ether derivative polymer.

Diclofenac sodium (DCL-Na) conventional oral tablets exhibit serious side effects when given for a longer period leading to noncompliance. Controlled release matrix tablets of diclofenac sodium were formulated using simple blending (F-1), solvent evaporation (F-2) and co-precipitation techniques (F-3). Ethocel® Standard 7 FP Premium Polymer (15%) was used as a release controlling agent.

Assessment of Dengue fever severity through liver function tests.

Objective: To assess the utility of liver function tests (LFTs) for early recognition and prediction of severity of Dengue fever in hospitalized patients.

Study Design: An analytical study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Services Institute of Medical Science and Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, from September - December 2010.

Performance enhancement of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) based field effect transistors through surfactant treatment of the poly(vinyl alcohol) gate insulator surface.

We report on the improvement of field effect transistors based on poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) as a channel semiconductor and crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (cr-PVA) as a gate insulator, through the treatment of the cr-PVA film surface before P3HT deposition. We treated the cr-PVA either with hydrochloric acid (HCl) or with a cationic surfactant, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), aiming at the passivation of the hole traps at the cr-PVA/P3HT interface. The treatment with HCl leads to an excessive increase in the transistor leakage current and unstable electrical characteristics, despite implying an increase in the gate capacitance.

Are medical undergraduates more likely to indulge in substance abuse than non-medical undergraduates? A survey from Karachi.

Objective: To determine frequency of substance abuse and the commonest substance of abuse among medical and non-medical undergraduates.

Study Design: Survey report.

Place And Duration Of Study: Dow International Medical College, Karachi, from June 2012 to August 2012.

A concentration addition model to assess activation of the pregnane X receptor (PXR) by pesticide mixtures found in the French diet.

French consumers are exposed to mixtures of pesticide residues in part through food consumption. As a xenosensor, the pregnane X receptor (hPXR) is activated by numerous pesticides, the combined effect of which is currently unknown. We examined the activation of hPXR by seven pesticide mixtures most likely found in the French diet and their individual components.

Immunological analyses of whole blood via "microfluidic drifting" based flow cytometric chip.

Cost-effective, high-performance diagnostic instruments are vital to providing the society with accessible, affordable, and high-quality healthcare. Here we present an integrated, "microfluidic drifting" based flow cytometry chip as a potential inexpensive, fast, and reliable diagnostic tool. It is capable of analyzing human blood for cell counting and diagnosis of diseases.

Coagulation-flocculation for lignin removal from wastewater - a review.

Industrial discharge has tremendously increased inorganic pollutants in water bodies all over the world. Paper and pulp effluent is included in one of the most pollution generating discharges containing complex chemical compounds such as lignin. For clean and healthy water resources, the recovery of lignin from wastewater from the paper and pulp industry is of high importance.

An acoustofluidic micromixer via bubble inception and cavitation from microchannel sidewalls.

During the deep reactive ion etching process, the sidewalls of a silicon mold feature rough wavy structures, which can be transferred onto a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannel through the soft lithography technique. In this article, we utilized the wavy structures of PDMS microchannel sidewalls to initiate and cavitate bubbles in the presence of acoustic waves. Through bubble cavitation, this acoustofluidic approach demonstrates fast, effective mixing in microfluidics.

Self-management of headache: a cross-sectional survey in the General Public of Islamabad.

Objectives: To quantify the frequency of self-management for headache by adult population aged >18 years in urban and rural Islamabad.

Methods: The cross-sectional study using systematic sampling of households was conducted in I-8 sector of Islamabad and its outskirts (in Nurpur Shahan) from March to September 2011. It comprised 248 individuals above 18 years of age who were interviewed using a structured questionnaire.

HIV in Females: A Clinico-epidemiological Study.

Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virusinfected women account for almost half the number of cases of HIV worldwide. Despite reduction in HIV prevalence among the population, the percentage of Indian women contracting the disease seems to have increased. The social implications are also different in females.

Standing surface acoustic wave (SSAW)-based microfluidic cytometer.

The development of microfluidic chip-based cytometers has become an important area due to their advantages of compact size and low cost. Herein, we demonstrate a sheathless microfluidic cytometer which integrates a standing surface acoustic wave (SSAW)-based microdevice capable of 3D particle/cell focusing with a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection system. Using SSAW, our microfluidic cytometer was able to continuously focus microparticles/cells at the pressure node inside a microchannel.

Cellular impact of combinations of endosulfan, atrazine, and chlorpyrifos on human primary hepatocytes and HepaRG cells after short and chronic exposures.

Chronic exposure to low doses of pesticides present in the environment is increasingly suspected to cause major health issues to humans. Toxicological evaluations become more complex when the exposure concerns chemical combinations. Atrazine, chlorpyrifos, and endosulfan are pesticides used worldwide in agriculture and are therefore currently found at residual levels in food and the environment, even in countries in which they are now banned.

Three-dimensional hydrodynamic focusing method for polyplex synthesis.

Successful intracellular delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics relies on multiaspect optimization, one of which is formulation. While there has been ample innovation on chemical design of polymeric gene carriers, the same cannot be said for physical processing of polymer-DNA nanocomplexes (polyplexes). Conventional synthesis of polyplexes by bulk mixing depends on the operators' experience.

Sub-micrometer-precision, three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic focusing via "microfluidic drifting".

In this article, we demonstrate single-layered, "microfluidic drifting" based three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic focusing devices with particle/cell focal positioning approaching submicron precision along both lateral and vertical directions. By systematically optimizing channel geometries and sample/sheath flow rates, a series of "microfluidic drifting" based 3D hydrodynamic focusing devices with different curvature angles are designed and fabricated. Their performances are then evaluated using confocal microscopy, fast camera imaging, and side-view imaging techniques.

Toluidine blue: yet another low cost method for screening oral cavity tumour margins in third world countries.

Objective: To use toluidine blue intra-operatively to identify tumour involved margins after the removal of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma, and to compare the findings with those of final histopathology.

Methods: The study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital from December 1, 2009, to March 14, 2010, and comprised 56 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity regardless of grade and stage of tumour. Intra-operatively toluidine blue was used on the resected tumour margins and the staining patterns were assessed.