Efficacy and Safety of the RBD-Dimer-Based Covid-19 Vaccine ZF2001 in Adults.

Background: The ZF2001 vaccine, which contains a dimeric form of the receptor-binding domain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and aluminum hydroxide as an adjuvant, was shown to be safe, with an acceptable side-effect profile, and immunogenic in adults in phase 1 and 2 clinical trials.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial to investigate the efficacy and confirm the safety of ZF2001. The trial was performed at 31 clinical centers across Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Ecuador; an additional center in China was included in the safety analysis only.

Delineating Novel and Known Pathogenic Variants in , and Genes in Eight Oculocutaneous Albinism (OCA) Pakistani Families.

Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is associated with a wide range of clinical presentations and has been categorized with syndromic and non-syndromic features. The most common causative genes in non-syndromic OCA are TYR and OCA2 and HSP1 is in the syndromic albinism. The objective of this study was to identify pathogenic variants in congenital OCA families from Pakistan.

Assessment of biosafety implementation in clinical diagnostic laboratories in Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Laboratory diagnostic capacity is crucial for an optimal national response to a public health emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Preventing laboratory-acquired infections and the loss of critical human resources, especially during a public health emergency, requires laboratories to have a good biorisk management system in place. In this study, we aimed to evaluate laboratory biosafety and biosecurity in Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Cross-Sectional Survey to Assess Biorisk Management System in Research and Diagnostic Laboratories in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Financial, cultural, and managerial hurdles have made biosafety and biosecurity measures difficult in resource-constrained countries like Pakistan. Because of increasing awareness of biorisk management, diagnostic and research laboratories have made major advances in biosafety and biosecurity in the recent decade. As a result, identifying and addressing gaps in biorisk management has never been more critical.

A Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of University Students in Pakistan Regarding COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic is striking the world with serious public health and socioeconomic complications. The pandemic has influenced all forms of daily life, including educational institutions. Therefore, this cross-sectional survey was conducted to understand knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to COVID-19 among the students of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore.

In silico bimolecular characterization of anticancer phytochemicals from Fagonia indica.

The in silico molecular dynamics and structure-based site-specific drug design of indigenous plant biomolecules and selected proteins have remarkable potential for cancer therapy. A set of five proteins included for this research were epidermal growth factor protein (PDB ID; 1M17), crystal structure of mutated EGFR kinase (PDB ID; 2EB3), crystal structure of Bcl-xl (PDB ID; 2YXJ), apoptosis regulator protein MCL-1 BH3 (PDB ID; 3MK8) and apoptosis proteins (PDB ID; 5C3H). The present study on in silico investigation of fifteen indigenous medicinal plants were selected there one hundred thirty four ligands available literature were docked against five proteins involved in carcinogenesis.

Expression levels of MiRNA-16, SURVIVIN and TP53 in Preeclamptic and Normotensive women.

Objective: To measure and compare micro ribonucleic acid-16, survivin and tumour protein p53-regulated apoptosis-inducing protein 1 expression levels in preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancies, and to check the correlation of micro ribonucleic acid-16 with messenger ribonucleic acid expression of survivin and tumour protein p53.

Methods: The observational cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan, from 2016 to 2018, and comprised preeclamptic women in group A and normotensive women in group B. The preeclamptic patients were further categorised into early-onset preeclampsia subgroup A1and late-onset preeclampsia group A2.

Use of multi-strain probiotics in linseed meal based diet for Labeo rohita fingerlings.

Unavailability of probiotics in fish digestive system fingerlings is unable to digest and absorb their food properly. The current research was conducted to investigate the influence of probiotics added Linseed meal based (LMB) diet on hematology and carcass composition of Labeo rohita juveniles. Hematological parameters are essential diagnostics used to estimate the health status of fish.

Vertebral Endplate Changes Correlate with Presence of Cartilaginous Endplate in the Herniated Disc Tissue: Factor Predicting Failure of Conservative Treatment.

Study Design: Cross-sectional comparative.

Purpose: To characterize the scores of disc degeneration, inflammation, and nerve density in herniated disc samples and associate findings with the presence of vertebral endplate (VEP) changes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Overview Of Literature: Considering the role of disc composition in spontaneous regression and persistence of pain during conservative management, it is important to identify the influencing factors.

Hematological and biochemical parameters as diagnostic and prognostic markers in SARS-COV-2 infected patients of Pakistan: a retrospective comparative analysis.

This study was conducted to investigate alteration in blood parameters and their association with the presence, severity, and mortality of COVID-19 patients as the data on hematological abnormalities associated with the Pakistani COVID-19 patients is limited. A double-centered, hospital-based comparative retrospective case study was conducted, to include all the admitted patients ( = 317) having COVID-19 Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive. The control group ( = 157) tested negative for COVID-19.

Non-conventional method of pontic site preservation with laser-assisted bone regeneration.

This report presents an alternative method to the removal of failing implant and using a bone graft to preserve ridge which needs several months to heal and it is a costly technique. The pontic site was preserved by covering the failing implant with connective tissue and laser-assisted peri-implant defect regeneration.

Distribution and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from children, enrolled in a tertiary care hospital.

The present study was planned to assess the distribution of tuberculosis in children and evaluate the antimycobacterial sensitivity pattern of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolates from pediatric patients. A total number of 1718 pediatric patients suspected of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were enrolled in the Institute of Child Health and Children's Hospital, Lahore during 2016-17. Out of 1718, only 710 different types of samples were tested for MTB.

RETRACTED: Potential of ephedrine to suppress the gene expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and PGE2: A novel approach towards management of rheumatoid arthritis.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal).

Evaluation of hematological parameters as an indicator of disease severity in Covid-19 patients: Pakistan's experience.

Background: The severity of COVID-19 could be evaluated by examining several blood parameters mainly white blood cell (WBC) count, granulocytes, platelet, and novel hemocytometric markers neutrophils to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR), and lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR). The current study was conducted to investigate alteration in blood parameters and their association with the severity and mortality of COVID-19 patients.

Methodology: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted retrospectively, a total of 101 COVID-19 positive patients were examined: 52 were mild, 24 were moderate, 09 were severe, and 16 were critically diseased patients.

Hypophagic and weight reducing effect of Momardica charinta fruit by Enhancing 5-HT neurotransmitter in rats brain.

Momardica charint seed as vegetable and folk medicine in Pakistan, India, China, Bangladesh and other Asian countries Momardica charinta also known as Kerala, bittergourd ,balsam pear. It possesses many biological active constituents including glycosides, saponins, phenolic and flavonoids compound, protein, triterpenes, steroid, saponins, alkaloid. It also contain thiamine ,beta carotene, folate, riboflavin, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc and fiber.

Immunohistochemical Expression of the Alpha Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor 7 in the Human Normal, Diabetic, and Preeclamptic Placenta and Products of Conception.

Preeclampsia (PE) and gestational diabetes (GD) are complications in advanced pregnancy while miscarriage for early pregnancy. However, the etiological factors are not well understood. Smoking has been associated with these complications as well as the sudden intrauterine deaths, sudden infant death, miscarriages, and still births.

Validity of STONE Score in Clinical Prediction of Ureteral Stone Disease.

Objective: To determine the external validity of STONE score for predicting the probability of ureteral stone in patients presenting in emergency department with suspicion of ureteral stones.

Methods: In this prospective validation study, a total of 134 patients aged above 18 years, and first time arrived in the emergency unit for treatment of flank pain and then referred for the CT scan for suspected ureteral stone in Sandeman Provincial Hospital, Quetta, from 10-June-2018 to 15-Oct-2019 were included. STONE score calculation was done before sending the patient to the CT scan, using the same protocol as defined by Moore et al.

Amelioration of Rheumatoid Arthritis by via Inhibition of Collagenase and Lysosomal Enzymes.

(cashew) has been used in the traditional system of medicine for curing many inflammatory disorders. The present study investigates the antiarthritic effects of cashew leaves extract using the rat model of FCA-induced rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritic rats were treated with 100 and 200 mg/kg b.

Humanin: A mitochondrial-derived peptide in the treatment of apoptosis-related diseases.

Humanin (HN) is a small mitochondrial-derived cytoprotective polypeptide encoded by mtDNA. HN exhibits protective effects in several cell types, including leukocytes, germ cells, neurons, tissues against cellular stress conditions and apoptosis through regulating various signaling mechanisms, such as JAK/STAT pathway and interaction of BCL-2 family of protein. HN is an essential cytoprotective peptide in the human body that regulates mitochondrial functions under stress conditions.

A Statement of Solidarity on COVID-19 Pandemic 2020 by the South Asian Family Physicians.

The World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) is a not-for-profit organization and was founded in 1972 by member organizations in 18 countries. WONCA now has 118 Member Organizations in 131 countries and territories with a membership of about 500,000 family doctors and more than 90 percent of the world's population. WONCA has seven regions, each of which has its own regional Council and run their own regional activities including conferences.

Comparative gene expression analysis of and related genes in preeclamptic and healthy women: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy affecting about 2-10% pregnancies worldwide. mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha and have been reported to be altered in placental bed in preeclamptic pregnancies. We hypothesized that the expression of these genes is also altered in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in preeclampsia.