Comparative analysis of dental pulp stem cells and stem cells from human exfoliated teeth in terms of growth kinetics, immunophenotype, self-renewal and multi lineage differentiation potential for future perspective of calcified tissue regeneration.

Background And Objectives: Owing to high proliferation rate, multipotency and self-renewal capability, dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) and stem cells from human exfoliated teeth (SHED) have become stem cell source of choice for cell based regenerative therapies. We aimed to compare DPSC and SHED as stem cell sources with a future use in regeneration of calcified tissue.

Methods: Explant derived human DPSC (n=9) and SHED (n=1) were cryopreserved, thawed and expanded for analysis of population doubling time, colony forming unit assay and efficiency.

Prevalence of Nutritional Anaemia with Association of Body Mass Index among Karachi University students, Pakistan s.

Objective: The main objective of the study was to evaluate the health of University of Karachi students (aged 19 to 21) by observing the correlation of haemoglobin level with underweight BMI.

Methods: In this study 151 students were enrolled from the Department of Biotechnology, University of Karachi, Sindh Pakistan. Blood samples were collected and Haemoglobin estimation was performed by Sahli's Haemoglobinometer.

Isolation and culture of dental pulp stem cells from permanent and deciduous teeth.

Objective: To isolate dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from non-infected human permanent and deciduous teeth.

Methods: It was an in-vitro experimental study. Human teeth were collected from 13 apparently healthy subjects including nine adults and four children.

Influence of different metals on the activation and inhibition of α-amylase from thermophilic Bacillus firmus KIBGE-IB28.

Thermophilic Bacillus firmus KIBGE-IB28 produced extracellular α-amylase at temperature 70°C. Enzyme was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation with 42.80 fold purification and specific activity of 1889.

Effect of exercise training program in post-CRET post-CABG patients with normal and subnormal ejection fraction (EF > 50% or < 50%) after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.

The aim of the present study is to compare the effect of exercise training program in post-Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Training (CRET), post-CABG patients with normal & subnormal ejection fraction (EF >50% or <50%) who have undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. The study was conducted on 100 cardiac patients of both sexes (age: 57-65 years) who after CABG surgery, were referred to the department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation between 2008 and 2010 at Liaquat National Hospital & Medical College, Karachi. The patients undertook exercise training program (using treadmill, Recumbent Bike), keeping in view the Borg's scale of perceived exertion, for 6 weeks.

The relationship between sleep and cognitive functioning in adult people.

The purpose of the current study is to find out if subjective sleep complaints will have less cognitive functioning in older people (50 years and above). Sleep was assessed with the subscale Sleep Problems of the Symptoms Checklist-90 (Arrendell & Ettema 1986). Cognitive performance was measured with the Mini Mental Status Examination (Folstein, et al 1975) which is used as a dependent variable.

Enhanced production of maltase (α-glucosidase) from newly isolated strain of Bacillus licheniformis KIBGE-IB4.

Maltase (alpha-glucosidase) hydrolyzes α-(1→4) glucosidic bond of maltose into two glucose molecules. It is widely used in various foods, beverages and also in textile and biofuel industries. During current study, various physicochemical parameters for maltase production from newly isolated strain of Bacillus licheniformis KIBGE-IB4 were optimized using one-factor-at-a-time methodology.

Immobilization of pectin degrading enzyme from Bacillus licheniformis KIBGE IB-21 using agar-agar as a support.

Pectinase from Bacillus licheniformis KIBGE IB-21 was immobilized in agar-agar matrix using entrapment technique. Effect of different concentrations of agar-agar on pectinase immobilization was investigated and it was found that maximum immobilization was achieved at 3.0% agar-agar with 80% enzyme activity.

Dextranase: hyper production of dextran degrading enzyme from newly isolated strain of Bacillus licheniformis.

Dextranase, 6-alpha-D-glucan 6-glucanohydrolase catalyzes the degradation of dextran (polymer of D-glucose) in to low molecular weight fractions. Dextranolytic bacterial strains were isolated from various natural sources and plate assay methods were developed for screening of highest extracellular dextranase producing isolate. Bacillus licheniformis, identified on the basis of taxonomic characterization was subjected to UV radiation and highest enzyme producing mutant obtained led to 7 times more dextranase production than wild.