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To map Usher phenotype in a consanguineous Pakistani family and identify disease-associated mutation in a causative gene to establish phenotype-genotype correlation. A consanguineous Pakistani family in which Usher phenotype was... more
To map Usher phenotype in a consanguineous Pakistani family and identify disease-associated mutation in a causative gene to establish phenotype-genotype correlation. A consanguineous Pakistani family in which Usher phenotype was segregating as an autosomal recessive trait was ascertained. On the basis of results of clinical investigations of affected members of this family disease was diagnosed as Usher syndrome (USH). To identify the locus responsible for the Usher phenotype in this family, genomic DNA from blood sample of each individual was genotyped using microsatellite Short Tandem Repeat (STR) markers for the known Usher syndrome loci. Then direct sequencing was performed to find out disease associated mutations in the candidate gene. By genetic linkage analysis, the USH phenotype of this family was mapped to PCDH15 locus on chromosome 10q21.1. Three different point mutations in exon 11 of PCDH15 were identified and one of them, c.1304A>C was found to be segregating with th...
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To analyze the spectrum of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas (NHL) presenting as skin lesions and to see the... more
To analyze the spectrum of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas (NHL) presenting as skin lesions and to see the histological type, age, sex incidence and site predilection of different types of NHLs and to correlate our findings with western published data. A retrospective descriptive case series study. All NHLs (nodal and extra nodal) diagnosed between January 1991-December 2001 in the section of Histopathology, Department of Pathology, The Aga Khan University, Karachi were retrieved by using SNOMED coding system. Cases were reviewed and those presenting with skin involvement were selected. Further characterization of these tumours was done by morphology and Immunohistochemistry. Panel of antibodies included leukocyte common antigen (CD45), Pan B markers (CD20 and CD 79a), Pan T markers(UCHL1), Ki-1(CD30) and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). The total number of NHLs (nodal and extra nodal) diagnosed in our department during the study period of 10 years were 1610. Out of these, 133 cases (8.26%) of NHLs presented with skin involvement. Out of these 44.4% (n=59) were NHLs of B cell phenotype while 23.3% (n=31) cases were of T cell phenotype. Out of 133 cases, 14(10.5%) were of mycosis fungoides (MF), and 3 (2%) each were of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL:Ki-1), lymphoma and lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia. In 17.3% (n=23) cases the phenotype could not be ascertained. There were 97(73%) males and 36(27%) females with a M:F ratio of 2.7:1. All types of NHLs showed a site predilection for the head and neck region except MF which presented mainly as generalized body lesions. NHLs presenting as skin lesions are more commonly of B cell phenotype followed by T cell phenotype (NOS) and mycosis fungoides. Probable reasons for the high frequency of cutaneous involvement by B-cell NHL are the advanced nature of the disease at the time of presentation and biological behavior of the tumors in our population.
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ABSTRACT
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ABSTRACT
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This communication describes the mechanical properties of the single yarn polyester composite (PC) of cotton fiber with special reference to the effect of unevenness in the structure of yarn. Unevenness % (U) and coefficient of variation... more
This communication describes the mechanical properties of the single yarn polyester composite (PC) of cotton fiber with special reference to the effect of unevenness in the structure of yarn. Unevenness % (U) and coefficient of variation (CV) in mass of spun yarn were measured. Scanning electron microscopy was carried out to understand the effect of unevenness on physical structure of fibers in the yarn which affect not only the mechanical properties of yarn but also the composites reinforced with them. Results also showed that decrease in 2.15 % of U in the yarn structure causes an increase of 25.18% in ultimate stress and 30.71% decrease in stiffness of composites.
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We examined the possible effect of different box materials in relation to time interval on the mating of European bumblebee, Bombus terrestris under controlled environmental conditions. The lowest rate of mating was found in wooden box... more
We examined the possible effect of different box materials in relation to time interval on the mating of European bumblebee, Bombus terrestris under controlled environmental conditions. The lowest rate of mating was found in wooden box with mean of 49% pairs and the highest mating tendency was found in polycarbonate box. Further in relation to time interval, during the first minutes of introduction of queens and males in mating cage, significant difference between all three boxes showed the highest mating rate within first minutes in polycarbonate box. Similarly, during the five minutes of time interval from introduction, mating tendency was high in polycarbonate box which was 1-2 fold higher from iron mesh box and wooden box. During the time elapse of fifteen minutes of introduction of queens and males in the mating cage, there existed no significant difference between the polycarbonate box and iron mesh box but significantly different in wooden box. Such important abiotic affect o...
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Prevalence and floral host plant range of indigenous Bombus pollinators are considered to be important alternatives than the imported species. Commercial enclosed farming has increased the use of the bumblebees as economically important... more
Prevalence and floral host plant range of indigenous Bombus pollinators are considered to be important alternatives than the imported species. Commercial enclosed farming has increased the use of the bumblebees as economically important pollinators for high economic return and offseason crops. Indigenous bumblebee species has been considered important to rear and use for such pollination services than imported bumblebees to avoid possible environmental and pest problems. Bombus haemorrhoidalis Smith, the only bumblebee species of this region, was collected at monthly interval from different non-agricultural and agricultural flora of Margalla and Murree hills of Pakistan during 2011-12. Plant species for floral host plant resources, variation in seasonal population and distribution with different climatic regions of this indigenous bumblebee were observed. Twenty four plant species of thirteen plant families were found as floral host plants visited for nectar and pollens with seven n...
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ABSTRACT Podocin is an integral membrane protein encoded by NPHS2 gene and is exclusively expressed in glomerular podocytes and was mapped to chromosome 1q25-31. The mutations of NPHS2 are causative of autosomal recessive familial and... more
ABSTRACT Podocin is an integral membrane protein encoded by NPHS2 gene and is exclusively expressed in glomerular podocytes and was mapped to chromosome 1q25-31. The mutations of NPHS2 are causative of autosomal recessive familial and sporadic steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS). The knowledge of the etiology of the disease is important to treat and cure the disease optimally. The aim of this study was to identify and evaluate the genetic cause of the congenital nephrotic syndrome in a consanguineous Pakistani family. In order to identify the inherited cause of the disease in Pakistan, we ascertained a consanguineous Pakistani family with congenital nephritic syndrome. By genetic homozygosity mapping, the disease phenotype was mapped to NPHS2 gene locus. All eight exons and exon-intron boundaries of NPHS2 gene were analyzed by using the polymerase chain reaction and direct DNA sequencing. To see the effect of mutation on protein structure and function, the mutant protein was further evaluated by applying different bioinformatics tools. A homozygous pathogenic 9 bp deletion (c.705-713del9bp) mutation in exon 5 of NPHS2 gene was found to be segregating with the disease phenotype. As a consequence of the 9 bp deletion, 3-amino acid residues (236-238) get deleted (p.Leu236_Arg238del). The deletion of three amino causes protein structural and functional changes in the podocin and are therefore responsible for causing the CNS phenotype in Pakistani family. The bioinformatics analysis also supports the adverse effect of deletion on protein structure and function.
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A Service Bus is a distributed infrastructure used for enterprise integration. It resolves the problem of connecting heterogeneous C4I systems among various defense forces. The current work focuses on describing a detailed comparative... more
A Service Bus is a distributed infrastructure used for enterprise integration. It resolves the problem of connecting heterogeneous C4I systems among various defense forces. The current work focuses on describing a detailed comparative analysis of three SOA service buses; Mule, Fuse and GlassFish for C4I systems using Multi-criteria Decision Making Technique (MCDM). In this paper, the phenomenon of selecting the
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Mycosis fungoides (MF) is an indolent T cell lymphoma that is distinguished from other lymphomas by its initial appearance on the skin. The histologic diagnosis of MF may be difficult because there is significant overlap in the histologic... more
Mycosis fungoides (MF) is an indolent T cell lymphoma that is distinguished from other lymphomas by its initial appearance on the skin. The histologic diagnosis of MF may be difficult because there is significant overlap in the histologic features of neoplastic T-cell infiltrates and inflammatory dermatoses. This T-cell neoplasm commonly occurs in a mixed, reactive background and can show only a subtle degree of cytologic atypia, rendering histologic diagnosis difficult. In this study MF constituted 0.86% of all non-Hodgkin s lymphoma (NHL) both T and B, as compared to the Western studies which have reported 0.5% prevalence for MF of all NHL. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used to assess T-cell clonality in paraffin-embedded skin biopsies clinically and pathologically suspicious for early MF. Out of the 14 cases diagnosed as MF, amplifiable DNA was isolated from 6 cases, which were further studied for T-cell receptor (TcR) beta, gamma, and delta chain gene rearrangeme...
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To characterize angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AILT) on morphological, immunohistochemical and molecular grounds and its association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in Pakistani patients. Case series. Histopathology section of the... more
To characterize angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AILT) on morphological, immunohistochemical and molecular grounds and its association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in Pakistani patients. Case series. Histopathology section of the Department of Pathology and Microbiology, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi from January 01, 1992 to December 31, 2002. Over a period of 11 years archival biopsy material of 13 AILT cases (lymph nodes), identified on the basis of histological and immunohistochemical criteria, using REAL and WHO classifications, were retrieved from the files of Department of Pathology. Immunophenotyping was carried out by using CD45 (LCA), two T-cell markers CD45RO (UCHL1; monoclonal) and CD3 (polyclonal). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to assess T-cell clonality for T-cell receptor (TCR)-b, g and immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) for FR2 and FR3 regions using primers recognizing conserved sequences of the variable (V), diversity (D) and joining (J) regi...
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Axillary lymph node metastasis is the single most important prognostic factor in carcinoma of the breast. Therefore, prognostic markers that may reliably predict probability of lymph node (LN) metastases are of great value. This study was... more
Axillary lymph node metastasis is the single most important prognostic factor in carcinoma of the breast. Therefore, prognostic markers that may reliably predict probability of lymph node (LN) metastases are of great value. This study was conducted to compare the predictive value of two novel prognostic / proliferative markers i.e. S-phase fraction (SPF) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in parallel with mitotic index. Data of consecutive cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) breast diagnosed from July 2003 to July 2004 at the section of the Histopathology, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, were reviewed. Atotal of 112 cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast with axillary LN sampling were selected. SPF was calculated by flow cytometry while PCNA staining was done by immunohistochemistry. Mitotic count was calculated according to modified Bloom and Richardson's grading guidelines. It was observed that the number of axillary LN metast...
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A paradigm of novel-networking is presented by the Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) when compared to Terrestrial Wireless Sensor Networks. Its not straightforward, instead, basic challenges need to be addressed for the... more
A paradigm of novel-networking is presented by the Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) when compared to Terrestrial Wireless Sensor Networks. Its not straightforward, instead, basic challenges need to be addressed for the deployment of UWSNs due to the environment type found underwater. UWSNs have to depend on other physical means such as acoustic signals for the transmission as the electromagnetic
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Molybdenum disulphide has been touted as a good material with diverse possible applications such as an energy storage and sensing platform. However, we demonstrate here the limitation of MoS2 as an analytical sensing platform due to the... more
Molybdenum disulphide has been touted as a good material with diverse possible applications such as an energy storage and sensing platform. However, we demonstrate here the limitation of MoS2 as an analytical sensing platform due to the limited potential window in both the anodic and cathodic regions attributed to the inherent electrochemistry (oxidation of Mo(4+) to Mo(6+)) and the catalytic hydrogen evolution reaction due to H3O(+) reduction on the MoS2 surface, respectively. The electrochemical window of MoS2 lies in the region of ∼-0.6 V to +0.7 V (vs. AgCl). We show that such a limited working potential window characteristic of MoS2 precludes the detection of important analytes such as nitroaromatic explosives, pesticides and mycotoxins which are instead detectable on carbon surfaces. The limited potential window of MoS2 has to be taken into consideration in the construction of electroanalytical devices based on MoS2.
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... Muhammad Nasir Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad, Pakistan Email: nasirawan84@yahoo.com Muhammad Shahbaz * ... conduct a military operation in 2004 in Waziristan; one of the agencies in the Federally Administered... more
... Muhammad Nasir Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad, Pakistan Email: nasirawan84@yahoo.com Muhammad Shahbaz * ... conduct a military operation in 2004 in Waziristan; one of the agencies in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. ...
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Abstract-Ever since the inception of the idea of collaborating the enterprise systems, the need of an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) has been a relentless need of the market, the bigger the systems get after collaboration the failures of... more
Abstract-Ever since the inception of the idea of collaborating the enterprise systems, the need of an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) has been a relentless need of the market, the bigger the systems get after collaboration the failures of the ESB's was inevitable. Things moved to more ...
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Scattering of a plane wave from a periodic randomly rough dielectric surface with an electrically large period is considered. A novel approach is used to find convergent forms of otherwise non-convergent series. Even though the problem... more
Scattering of a plane wave from a periodic randomly rough dielectric surface with an electrically large period is considered. A novel approach is used to find convergent forms of otherwise non-convergent series. Even though the problem being considered is of an infinite extent, the solution is fast and requires minimal storage. In addition, this method can solve surface roughnesses of
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ABSTRACT In the present study, we deal with the momentum and heat transfer analysis in a horizontal annulus of a composite porous medium. The Darcy–Brinkman model is used to develop the governing equations for the flow and heat transfer... more
ABSTRACT In the present study, we deal with the momentum and heat transfer analysis in a horizontal annulus of a composite porous medium. The Darcy–Brinkman model is used to develop the governing equations for the flow and heat transfer phenomenon. The annulus injects the time dependent oscillatory velocity normal to its surface. Both the regions of the flow have their own viscosities, and the heat transfer analysis is carried out by retaining viscous dissipation. The governing equations for flow and heat transfer are solved analytically using a perturbation series for solutions in both regions of the annulus. A brief parametric analysis is performed for the velocity and the temperature profiles through graphs.
ABSTRACT Purpose: To determine the major reasons, sources, diseases and drugs responsible for increasing trend of self-medication. Method: A community-based cross-sectional survey was carried out in the district of Faisalabad in Pakistan.... more
ABSTRACT Purpose: To determine the major reasons, sources, diseases and drugs responsible for increasing trend of self-medication. Method: A community-based cross-sectional survey was carried out in the district of Faisalabad in Pakistan. Respondents (1488) were classified on the basis of age, sex, education, lifestyle and their economical level. A questionnaire was distributed among the sample population to collect data. Results: Majority of respondents involved in self-medication were aged between 15 and 20 years. Family members (N = 717, 48 %) were considered the major source of information for self-medicated drugs. Lack of time (N = 504, 37 %) while economic issues (N = 485, 33 %) were the major reasons for self-medication. Medical stores were the source of drug purchase by 1087 (73 %) respondents. Headache (N = 772, 52 %) and fever (N = 600, 40 %) were the main indications for self-medication while 694 respondents reported that they engage in single-dose self-medication. Paracetamol (N = 689, 46 %), other analgesics (N = 488, 33 %), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (N = 680, 46 %) were reported to be used frequently for self-medication. Conclusion: Self-medication is prevalent in the Pakistani community due to easy access to over the counter (OTC) and prescription-only medicines (POM). This may lead to untoward effects in consumers of the products. Special interventions by relevant regulatory agencies regarding the sale of the drugs are therefore required.
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... Economics (PIDE), Quaid-i-Azam University Campus, Islamabad, PO Box 1091, Pakistan AMANAT ALI Department of Economics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, PO Box 1091, Pakistan FAIZ UR REHMAN Department of Economics, Quaid-i-Azam... more
... Economics (PIDE), Quaid-i-Azam University Campus, Islamabad, PO Box 1091, Pakistan AMANAT ALI Department of Economics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, PO Box 1091, Pakistan FAIZ UR REHMAN Department of Economics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad ...