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Objective: This study aims to find out the preferred mode of study for undergraduate Physiology students and effect of learning style preferences on academic achievements. Study Design: Cross Sectional, Descriptive study. Setting: Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Lahore. Period: December 2018 to June 19. Material & Methods: Total 170 undergraduate's 2nd year MBBS Physiology students were included. The VARK questionnaire (Version 7.1) designed by Fleming was administered to 170 students after taking consent. This questionnaire is a valid tool to assess the learning style preferences of students. It consists of 16 questions having four options each and a scoring chart at the end, for the students to calculate their own scores. The aggregate percentage of periodic assessments throughout the academic year was defined as academic achievement. It was matched with their learning style preferences. A relationship between the learning style preferences and academic achievement was studied. Data was analyzed by using SPSS version 23.0. Results: Out of a total of 170 students, 73 (43%) preferred kinesthetic while 51(30%) preferred aural mode of learning. However, no association between learning style preferences and academic achievements could be found. Conclusion: The study concluded that the most preferred learning style among the MBBS 2nd year Physiology students was kinesthetic. No significant association was found between the learning style preferences and academic achievement. Teaching modalities can be improved and incorporated according to students' preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose was to determine the ghrelin level, its effect and relationship with blood pressure levels in obese subjects. Study Design: Comparative Cross Sectional study. Settings: General OPD of Madinah Teaching Hospital (MTH) and District Head Quarter hospital Faisalabad (DHQ). Period: 2019 to 2020. Material & Methods: Blood samples were collected from hypertensive and compared with the normotensive obese (BMI >30). Ghrelin level was measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analysis was done on Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) 20 software. Mean ±SD has been given for quantitative variables. Independent sample t test was used for comparisons. Significance has been chosen as p ≤ 0.05. Results: Total 114 obese patients were selected for this study, of which 57 were hypertensive and 57 were normotensive. Minimum age was 30 years and maximum age was 60 years with mean age 39.35 ± 10.08 years. Mean age of hypertensive obese was 43.42 ± 10.46 years and mean age of normotensive was 35.28 ± 7.87 years. Statistically significant difference of mean fasting ghrelin levels between hypertensive obese and normotensive obese was noted with p value 0.013. Conclusion: Obese persons with elevated circulating concentration of ghrelin may be susceptible to the progression of increasing blood pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes is associated with oxidative stress and has a significant role in the pathophysiology of the disease and its complications. Exercise training is a powerful therapeutic approach in diabetes and has protective effects against the progress of its complications. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an endurance exercise program on the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA) in high fat diet-low dose streptozotocin induced type 2 diabetic mouse model. Study Design: Randomized Control trial. Setting: Department of Physiology, Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College, Lahore. Period: August 2017 to August 2018. Material & Methods: 60 male albino mice were fed a high fat diet containing 60% kCal as fat for 4 weeks. This was followed by intra peritoneal injection of 40mg/kg body weight streptozotocin, given on three consecutive days. Mice with fasting blood glucose more than 250mg/dl after a week were considered diabetic. Half the mice underwent an exercise program which comprised of a 20 minute swimming session per day, with a 6% body weight load attached to the tail of mice, 3 days a week, for 4 weeks. The level of MDA was estimated in both groups using TBARs method. Results: Mean malondialdehyde level was significantly (p<0.05) reduced in diabetic mice that underwent endurance exercise training. Conclusion: This study highlights the important role of endurance exercise in reducing oxidative stress in diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]