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Objective: To assess the knowledge and perception of medical students regarding the utility and applications of artificial intelligence in medicine. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan, from February to August 2021, and comprised medical students regardless of gender or year of studies. Data was collected using a pretested questionnaire. Differences in perceptions were explored relative to gender and the year of studies. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. Results: Of the 390 participants, 167(43.1%) were males and 218(56.9%) were females. The overall mean age was 20±1.65 years. There were 121(31%) students from the first year of studies, 122(31.3%) second year, 30(7.7%) from third year, 73(18.7%) from fourth year, and 44(11.3%) from the fifth year. Most participants 221(56.7%) had a good familiarity with artificial intelligence, and 226(57.9%) agreed that the biggest advantage of using artificial intelligence in healthcare was its ability to speed up the processes. In terms of gender of year of studies, there were no significant differences on both counts (p>0.05). Conclusion: Medical students, regardless of age and year of studies, were found to have a good understanding of the usage and application of artificial intelligence in medicine. Key Words: Artificial intelligence, Medical students, Education, Perception.

Objective: To assess the effect of using a 3-D atlas on academic performance and compare it with the use of power point presentations during online lectures for gross anatomy of the head. Study Design: Comparative prospective study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anatomy, Dental College, Heavy Industries Taxila Education City Institute of Medical Sciences, Taxila Pakistan, from Jun to Jul 2020. Methodology: Forty-nine students from first year BDS were selected through nonprobability convenience sampling. They were assigned to two groups, A and B comprising of 25 and 24 students respectively. Group A was taught gross anatomy of head region via Zoom lectures employing a digital three-dimensional anatomy atlas application (Visual body, 2019). Group B was exposed to only two-dimensional pictures through presentations during their lectures. Ten teaching sessions were conducted with post session MCQ based assessments. One comprehensive assessment was conducted at the completion of the region. Results were compared for both groups. Results: The mean scores for three of the post session assessment tests were higher for group A (15.72 ± 2.03, 15.28 ± 2.79, 16.92 ± 2.13) as compared to that of group B (14.64 ± 3.42, 13.66 ± 3.00, 15.04 ± 3.01) (p

Overuse of pesticides in agricultural soil and dye-polluted effluents severely contaminates the environment and is toxic to animals and humans making their removal from the environment essential. The present study aimed to assess the biodegradation of pesticides (cypermethrin (CYP) and imidacloprid (IMI)), and dyes (malachite green (MG) and Congo red (CR)) using biofilms of bacteria isolated from pesticide-contaminated soil and dye effluents. Biofilms of indigenous bacteria, i.e., Bacillus thuringiensis 2A (OP554568), Enterobacter hormaechei 4A (OP723332), Bacillus sp. 5A (OP586601), and Bacillus cereus 6B (OP586602) individually and in mixed culture were tested against CYP and IMI. Biofilms of indigenous bacteria i.e., Lysinibacillus sphaericus AF1 (OP589134), Bacillus sp. CF3 (OP589135) and Bacillus sp. DF4 (OP589136) individually and in mixed culture were tested for their ability to degrade dyes. The biofilm of a mixed culture of B. thuringiensis + Bacillus sp. (P7) showed 46.2% degradation of CYP compared to the biofilm of a mixed culture of B. thuringiensis + E. hormaechei + Bacillus sp. + B. cereus (P11), which showed significantly high degradation (70.0%) of IMI. Regarding dye biodegradation, a mixed culture biofilm of Bacillus sp. + Bacillus sp. (D6) showed 86.76% degradation of MG, which was significantly high compared to a mixed culture biofilm of L. sphaericus + Bacillus sp. (D4) that degraded only 30.78% of CR. UV–VIS spectroscopy revealed major peaks at 224 nm, 263 nm, 581 nm and 436 nm for CYP, IMI, MG and CR, respectively, which completely disappeared after treatment with bacterial biofilms. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis showed the appearance of new peaks in degraded metabolites and disappearance of a peak in the control spectrum after biofilm treatment. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) analysis also confirmed the degradation of CYP, IMI, MG and CR into several metabolites compared to the control. The present study demonstrates the biodegradation potential of biofilm-forming bacteria isolated from pesticide-polluted soil and dye effluents against pesticides and dyes. This is the first report demonstrating biofilm-mediated bio-degradation of CYP, IMI, MG and CR utilizing soil and effluent bacterial flora from Multan and Sheikhupura, Punjab, Pakistan.

Objectives: Addressing various attitudes of students, can be a challenging task for educationists, so it is generally embedded in the hidden curriculum in most Medical Institutes. The purpose of this study was to build up civic duty among undergraduates, rooted in their learning objectives of the curriculum through a visit to the school of children with different abilities (CFSPF). Materials and Methods: In year 4, students of Shifa College of Medicine during the clerkship of Community Medicine, were taken on a field visit which is part of the curriculum. CFSP is privately run by an NGO, it has 45 enrolled individuals with different mental and physical abilities. The medical students visited CFSPF in small groups for 8 months (Sep 2019 to April 2020) where they interacted with the individuals with special needs in their environment. Students were able to practice empathy through the general physical examination and other entertaining activities. In this qualitative study, this strategy was assessed by exploring the medical student’s perceptions. Results: Focus Group discussions were conducted with the medical students and themes identified were: interaction with children having different abilities, being thankful to the Almighty, philanthropy, learning to empathize, the feeling of including them in our society, selfless smile, the contribution of services, and developing various attributes. Conclusion: Students found the visit to a school for children with different abilities useful. The interaction in a different environment has revealed opportunities for a wider scope of learning. Keywords: Civic responsibility, Empathy, Persons with different abilities, Service learning.

Nanotechnology is a rapidly developing field of research that studies materials having dimensions of less than 100 nanometers. It is applicable in many areas of life sciences and medicine including skin care and personal hygiene, as these materials are the essential components of various cosmetics and sunscreens. The aim of the present study was to synthesize Zinc oxide (ZnO) and Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) by using Calotropis procera (C. procera) leaf extract. Green synthesized NPs were characterized by UV spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to investigate their structure, size, and physical properties. The antibacterial and synergistic effects of ZnO and TiO2 NPs along with antibiotics were also observed against bacterial isolates. The antioxidant activity of synthesized NPs was analyzed by their α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. In vivo toxic effects of the synthesized NPs were evaluated in albino mice at different doses (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg body weight) of ZnO and TiO2 NPs administered orally for 7, 14, and 21 days. The antibacterial results showed that the zone of inhibition (ZOI) was increased in a concentration-dependent manner. Among the bacterial strains, Staphylococcus aureus showed the highest ZOI, i.e., 17 and 14 mm against ZnO and TiO2 NPs, respectively, while Escherichia coli showed the lowest ZOI, i.e., 12 and 10 mm, respectively. Therefore, ZnO NPs are potent antibacterial agents compared to TiO2 NPs. Both NPs showed synergistic effects with antibiotics (ciprofloxacin and imipenem). Moreover, the DPPH activity showed that ZnO and TiO2 NPs have significantly (p > 0.05) higher antioxidant activity, i.e., 53% and 58.7%, respectively, which indicated that TiO2 has good antioxidant potential compared to ZnO NPs. However, the histological changes after exposure to different doses of ZnO and TiO2 NPs showed toxicity-related changes in the structure of the kidney compared to the control group. The current study provided valuable information about the antibacterial, antioxidant, and toxicity impacts of green synthesized ZnO and TiO2 NPs, which can be influential in the further study of their eco-toxicological effects.

Objective: To scrutinise the research proposals of medical residents for inadequacies in writing dissertation synopsis. Method: The analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at the regional centre of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, Islamabad, Pakistan, and comprised synopsis from January to June 2020 of postgraduate residents attached with different hospitals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. For evaluation purposes, an institutional checklist was used that had 4 domains: general, epidemiological, statistical, and bibliographical review. These were assessed by a single epidemiologist. Data was analysed using SPSS 21. Results: Of the 400 research proposals, 224(56%) were submitted by male and 176(44%) by female residents. Also, 208(52%) proposals were submitted by residents at public-sector hospitals, and 114(28.5%) by those at private-sector hospitals, while 78(19.5%) were from military hospitals. Significant association of errors was found with training institutions, speciality and duration of training (p0.05). Conclusion: Majority of the research proposals lacked correct understanding of all the concepts related to research. Difference in research writing skills across specialties and training institutions may be related to the lack of availability of research assistance and good mentorship. Key Words: EBM, Residents, CPSP, Research, EBP, Epidemiology, Statistics.

Poor quality straw can be made more digestible and palatable through delignification using white rot fungi as a biological treatment in SSF. The decomposition of organic matter by white rot fungi is improved when a carbon source is added. Reducing the fermentation cycle can also help retain more nutrients in straw feed. To increase rumen digestibility and nutrient utilization, corn straw and rice straw were subjected to SSF with white rot fungi (Phanerochaete chrysosporium) for 21 days. The type of carbon source (glucose, sucrose, molasses, or soluble starch) was optimized, and the nutrient composition and in vitro fermentation parameters of the fermented straw were assessed. In the fermented corn straw and rice straw supplemented with different carbon sources, the results showed a decrease in lignin content, dry matter, cellulose, and hemicellulose loss, and an increase in crude protein content after 21 days. Total volatile fatty acid and ammonium nitrogen concentrations increased significantly (p < 0.01) during in vitro fermentation. Overall, the most enhanced nutritional values for corn straw and rice straw were observed after 14 days of SSF in the groups using molasses or glucose as a carbon source.

Objective: To estimate the burden of Antenatal Depression (AND) and Postpartum Depression (PPD) and explore possible predictors of Perinatal Depression (PND). Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted in the department of obstetrics and gynecology in Shifa International hospital and its community health care center in Islamabad, Pakistan from October 2018 to May 2019 after taking Ethical approval of institutional review board and ethical committee. It included 200 women in their third trimester of pregnancy. Women not consenting, chronic or critically ill, having psychological disorders, medical co morbid or on medications were excluded. Socioeconomic and obstetrical history was recorded on a separate Performa and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used for screening of depression in these women. SPSS was used for data analysis. Linear regression analysis was done to see the association between antenatal and postpartum depression scores. Results: Women in postnatal period had higher Depression scores than women in antenatal period. 12.5% women had AND whereas 36.5% had PPD. Results also suggest that AND increases the risk of PPD. The results also imply that PPD scores are higher in women having unplanned pregnancies and multigravida. Moreover, women belonging to middle and lower class were more prone to PND. Conclusion: It was concluded that AND was strongly associated with PPD indicating AND to be a significant predictor of PPD. Social class and parity are directly linked with prevalence of PND. Continuous...

In the present study, DNA barcoding was used to assess the percentage accuracy of morphological base identification of spiders from the agriculture fields of district Layyah, Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 872 spiders were captured from June to August of 2017. All the collected spiders were brought to molecular laboratory at GC University Lahore, preserved in 95% ethanol and stored at −20 °C until the DNA extraction. Spiders were evaluated morphologically on the basis of different identification Keys and Catalogs. Morphological identification revealed the presence of 12 families, 29 genra and 49 species. To evaluate the authenticity of morphological identification, tissue samples of 96 specimens were sent to Canadian Center for Biodiversity and Genomics, University of Guelph, Canada. A 658-base pair sequence of COI (Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit I) of 90 specimens was retrieved successfully, which confirmed the presence of 11 families, 25 genra and 47 species. On the basis of molecular results, all the misidentified specimens were then allotted the correct taxon. Overall accuracy of morphological based identification was 88%. It is concluded from the present study that morphological investigations to identify a spider, are satisfactory but to enhance the accuracy, pace and credibility of results, molecular technique like DNA barcoding is considerable. Furthermore, to magnify authenticity of evaluation of spiders, integrated barcoding- combination of molecular methods and conventional taxonomy- is compulsory.

Impalement injuries, is a severe form of trauma, which are not common in civilian life. These injuries rarely occurs in major accidents. Abdomen, chest, limbs and perineum are often involved due to their large surface area. Thoracic impalement injury is usually a fatal injury, due to location of major vessels and heart in the thoracic cavity. These injuries are horrifying to site, but the patients who are lucky enough to make it to hospital, usually survive. Chances of survival are larger in right sided impalement injuries while central injuries are always died at the scene.Our patient, 25 years old male, was brought to the emergency room (ER) with large impaled metallic bar (about 2.5 feet long) in situ, in right sided chest. The patient was immediately shifted to operation room (OR) and was operated, his recovery was uneventful without any sequelae.Such patients should be treated and resuscitated according to advanced trauma life support (ATLS) protocols and operated without any delay for further investigations. Such operations are carried out by the most experienced surgeon team available. The impaled objects should not be processed if not necessary to avoid major hemorrhage and damage to vital structures, until the patient is in operation room. Large size and unusual position of impaled objects, makes the job difficult for surgeons/anesthetists.Although horrifying at scene, patients with thoracic impalement injuries are mostly young and healthy, and those who survive the pre-hospital phase are potentially manageable with proper resuscitation. Usually these patients make recovery without any further complications. Keywords: Impalement, Injury, Thoracic, Metallic object, Traffic accident, Sequela

INTRODUCTION: Pakistan is currently facing the double burden of communicable (38%) and non- communicable diseases (49%) according to WHO NCD Country Profiles 2014. About 50% of all deaths are attributed to NCD's. The objective of this study was to determine the burden of non-communicable diseases in semi urban community of Islamabad. METHODS: we carried a cross sectional study to estimate the burden of non-communicable diseases in an urban setting, a community based cross sectional survey covering 1210 households was carried out over a period of three months. Households were selected through consecutive non-probability sampling, among which adult females and males who were permanent resident of the community were interviewed through a structured questionnaire in urdu language. SPSS version 21 was used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics were calculated. RESULTS: about 38.7% individuals had High BP / IHD, 34.4% had oro-dental health problems, 24.3% were physically disabled and 14.6% had diabetes. Among the risk factors, 48.2% were tobacco user, 13.60% were drug abuser and 1.8% alcoholics. CONCLUSION: we conclude that the prevalence of non-communicable diseases is quite high in the above setting as compared to the National indicators, which demands timely intervention to curtail the existing burden of NCD.