Silver nanoparticles synthesized using aerial part of Achillea fragrantissima and evaluation of their bioactivities.

Achillea fragrantissima (A. fragrantissima), a desert plant, is used internally in Arabian traditional medicine to treat inflammatory, spasmodic gastrointestinal disorders, and hepatobiliary diseases. The study focuses on the environmentally friendly production of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from the water-based aerial parts of the A.

In vitro and in silico evaluation of bioactivities and chemical composition of the aerial parts of Anchusa officinalis L. methanol extract.

The main objective of the study is to evaluate the antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities of Anchusa officinalis L. in vitro and in silico. The dried aerial parts of A.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Anticancer, and Antibacterial Activities of Roots and Seeds of L. Methanol Extract.

For centuries, plants and their components have been harnessed for therapeutic purposes, with L. (Khella) being no exception to this rich tradition. While existing studies have shed light on the cytotoxic and antimicrobial properties of seed extracts, there remains a noticeable gap in research about the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer potential of root extracts.

Genetic analysis of human parainfluenza type 2 virus in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The extensive mass gathering of pilgrims from all over the world, as well as the constant flow of foreign workers via country entry crossings, raises the likelihood of respiratory virus outbreaks spreading and evolving in Saudi Arabia. Here, we report the sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the human parainfluenza type-2 (HPIV-2) in nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) collected from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2020/21 to 2021/22 seasons. RNA was extracted from the clinical samples and subjected to RT-PCR analysis for the detection of IAV and IBV.

Knowledge of Human Monkeypox Infection among Final Year Medical, Pharmacy, and Nursing Students: A Multicenter, Cross-Sectional Analysis from Pakistan.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency in June 2022. In Pakistan, positive cases of monkeypox were reported in April 2023. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are considered as a front-line force to combat such outbreaks.

Awareness and Practices towards Vaccinating Their Children against COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study among Pakistani Parents.

There are typically lower COVID-19 vaccination rates among developing versus higher-income countries, which is exacerbated by greater vaccine hesitancy. However, despite the increasing evidence of safety, parents are still reluctant to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. This is a concern in countries experiencing successive waves, such as Pakistan.

COVID-19 Vaccination Status as Well as Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy among Prisoners and the Implications.

Prisoners form a population who are highly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to overcrowding, limited movement, and a poor living environment. Consequently, there is a need to ascertain the status of COVID-19 vaccination and factors associated with hesitancy among prisoners. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was undertaken among prisoners at three district jails in Punjab Province, Pakistan.

Molecular Profiling of Inflammatory Mediators in Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Human Bocavirus Infection.

Infections due to human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) and human bocavirus (HBoV) can mediate the release of several pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α, which are usually associated with disease severity in children. In this study, the change in the expression profile of cytokines and chemokines were determined during HRSV, HBoV, and HRSV coinfection with HBoV in 75 nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) samples, positive real-time reverse transcriptase PCR Assay (rRT-PCR) for HRSV ( = 36), HBoV ( = 23) infection alone or HRSV coinfection with HBoV ( = 16). The samples were collected from hospitalized children.

Determinants, predictors and negative impacts of burnout among health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic.

The first defense line of the battle, healthcare workers (HCWs), faces a significant challenge in managing the current COVID-19 pandemic. n online electronic survey was sent to HCWs via email and social media networks. Socio-demographic data and work environment-related variables were assessed.

Development and Validation of Rapid In-House Diagnostic ELISA Kits for Detection of Human Orthopneumovirus in Clinical Samples.

Currently, the standard assay employed to diagnose human orthopneumovirus infection is real-time reverse transcriptase PCR assay (rRT-PCR), a costly and time-consuming procedure that requires the manipulation of infectious viruses. In addition to RT-PCR, serological tests can complement the molecular diagnostic methods and have proven to be important tools in sero-surveillance. In this study, we report the development, optimization, and validation of a novel and rapid in-house diagnostic ELISA kit to detect human orthopneumovirus in clinical samples.

Clonal relatedness and plasmid profiling of extensively drug-resistant New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-producing clinical isolates.

Carbapenem-resistant  (CR-KP) particularly New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) is a serious public health concern globally. The aim of the study to determine the molecular epidemiology of -producing clinically isolated . Carbapenem-resistant  isolates (n = 100) were collected from tertiary care hospital Lahore.

Cytotoxicological evaluation of copper oxide nanoparticles on green algae, bacteria and crustacean systems.

Purpose: Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) have been utilized in several industries including textile, consumer products, medical, automobiles etc. The discharge of industrial effluents in environment increased the probability of CuO NPs contamination in the ecosystem.

Methods: The present investigation used CuO NPs to determine the toxic effect on species, fresh water algae isolated from natural pond, bacterial species and and a crustacean species .

Polynuclear aromatic anthracene biodegradation by psychrophilic Sphingomonas sp., cultivated with tween-80.

Anthracene is a low molecular weight polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) being identified as a precedence toxic contaminant in the ecosystem. Thus, the present work was designed to evaluate anthracene biodegradation efficiency by selected marine bacteria. From the marine isolates, the most effective anthracene biodegrading strain was identified as Sphingomonas sp.

Influence of most reactive inorganic cation in the optical and biological activities of L-Lysine monohydrochloride crystal.

Slow evaporation method was used to grow the pure and K ion doped L-Lysine monohydrochloride (L-LMHCL) crystals which has optical and antibiotic applications. The space group, structure and slight shifting of peaks are confirmed using single crystal XRD and the powder XRD. The FTIR analysis also shows that the K doped L-LMHCL has a slight shifting in the spectrum which indicates the functional group of L-LMHCL and the interaction between the K ions.

Characterization of biofilm formed by multidrug resistant DC-17 isolated from dental caries.

The present work reports with the screening of biofilm-producing bacteria from the dental caries. The dental pathogens showed resistance against various antibiotics and biofilm forming ability at various levels. Among the bacterial strain, DC-17 showed enhanced biofilm production.

Vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for urinary tract infection in women at reproductive age.

Vitamin D deficiency is a pandemic problem and an ever-increasing issue in human nutrition and health. Vitamin D (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D) deficiency causes many health problems such as autoimmune diseases, Crohn's disease, diabetes, inflammation, asthma, hypertension, and cancer. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) deficiency has been documented as a persistent problem among adults, children, and elderly persons in most of the countries.

Anti-biofilm activity of plant derived extracts against infectious pathogen-Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.

Background: Biofilm forming ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa make them vulnerable, because it makes them recalcitrant against various antibiotics. Quorum sensing (QS) is cell density based signaling that helps in bacterial cell-cell communication, which regulated various virulence factors such as pigment and biofilm formation that contribute in the establishment of chronic infections. The interruption of QS is one of the effective approach to control various virulence factors.