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Objective: To assess the impact and effectiveness of a pan-genotypic Directly Acting Antiviral (DAA) based regimen for patients with chronic Hepatitis-C (HCV) infection in our setup. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Departments of Pathology and Medicine, Combined Military Hospital, Malir, Karachi, from Dec 2019 to Jan 2021. Methodology: Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir were administered orally at 400mg and 60mg daily, respectively, with or without Ribavirin to treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced adult patients with chronic HCV infection. End-of-treatment response and Sustained virological response were determined among these patients by monitoring viral load using quantitative HCV RNA PCR and various genotypes. Results: Of the 59 patients, 39(66%) patients received sofosbuvir (SOF)+Daclatasvir (DCV), 12(20.3%) patients were placed on SOF+Ribavirin (Rib) and 8(13.5%) were given triple regime of SOF+DCV+Rib for 12 and 24 weeks respectively. Most of our patients were females, 32(54.23%), with a mean age of 31±17 years. Forty-eight patients (81.35%) were infected with genotype 3, followed by genotype 1 and 2, respectively. The rapid viral response was noted after four weeks of therapy among 27(45.76%) patients. The sustained viral response was noted in 38(64.40%) and 21(35.59%) patients after 12 and 24 weeks, respectively. The end-of-treatment response was observed in 40(67.8%) patients. Conclusion: Direct-acting antiviral-based regimens have shown favourable results with fewer adverse effects in our patients.

Objectives: To determine the frequency of parasites detected in stool samples of children with symptoms of parasitic infections. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, in collaboration with Paediatrics Department of Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Jan to Jul 2020. Methodology: A Total of 138 stool samples were collected from children who were admitted or presented in the outdoor department and had symptoms of intestinal parasitic infections. Youngsters who had been dewormed within the previous six months or whose samples arrived at the lab more than three hours after the collection were not included. Stool samples were examined visually and by using a saline preparation followed by a method that involved the concentration of formal ether. This was done to determine the different kinds of trophozoites, adult worms, and eggs or cysts that parasites produce. Results: The study found that intestinal parasites were moderately prevalent (26.81%) among the pediatric population, with Giardia lamblia (54.05%) being the most frequent, followed by Entamoeba histolytica (35.14%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (5.41%). Conclusion: It is recommended to guarantee the accessibility of purified drinking water to decrease the incidence of parasitic infections within our populace.

Objective: To determine the association between elevated serum prolactin and the development of gestational diabetes mellitus in the first trimester. Study Design: Prospective longitudinal study. Place and Duration of Study: Pathology Department, Combined Military Hospital, Quetta Pakistan, from Apr 2021 to Mar 2022. Methodology: One hundred and twenty-one patients had a measurement of serum prolactin in the first trimester, along with an oral glucose tolerance test in the second and third trimester, at the Pathology Department Combined Military Hospital Quetta Pakistan. Results: In the study group, serum prolactin levels were raised in 51(42.1%) patients in the first trimester. A total of 44(36.3%) patients with raised serum prolactin had impaired oral glucose tolerance tests. A significant association was found between raised serum prolactin and subsequent development of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant females. Conclusion: Serum prolactin can be an important biomarker for early diagnosis and monitoring of gestational diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To study the patterns and distribution of various abnormal semen parameters in infertile males. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pathology, Combined Military Hospital, Karachi, from Nov 2019 to Oct 2020. Methodology: The study included 364 patients who presented with primary and secondary infertility. Consecutive convenient sampling was done. Semen analysis was performed using World Health Organization latest guidelines. Samples were categorized as normospermia, azoospermia, oligospermia, asthenozoospermia and necrospermia. Results: The study comprised of 364 samples of infertile males. Normal sperm count was observed in 317 (87%) males, azoospermia in 28 (7.6%) and oligospermia in 19 (5.2%) males. Low ejaculated volume and higher non-motile sperms were noted in oligospermia samples in comparison with normospermia samples. Asthenozoospermia was observed in 102 (28%) and oligoasthenospermia was noted in 15 (4.1%) samples. Conclusion: Good quality semen analysis is a corner stone to diagnose the cause of male infertility. Sperm concentration and motility are the important markers of normal male reproductive system and are related to each other.

The existing literature consists of various studies that have addressed the interrelationship between banking expansion and carbon emissions but failed to consider supply‐side ecological issues. Keeping this in view, the research aims to assess the impact of green energy transition, banking sector expansion, and import price of crude oil on the "load capacity factor (LCF)" in the United States from 1990 to 2021. The "LCF" has emerged as a novel ecological proxy to date that includes both "biocapacity and ecological footprint." Using the "bootstrap autoregressive distributed lag" model, the research found that the consumption of renewable energy can enhance the ecological quality of the United States. The results verified the acceptance of the "load capacity curve" hypothesis. Moreover, it demonstrates that banking development promotes environmental quality. Specifically, a 1% improvement in the banking industry leads to a 0.93% increase in the LCF in the short term, as well as a 1.28% increase in the long run. Furthermore, the increase in crude oil import prices has a positive impact on the LCF and eventually promotes environmental sustainability. To be precise, a 1% rise in the price of imported crude oil results in a 0.35% increase in the long‐term LCF level. These results were backed by the findings of several robustness tests. The study, lastly, recommends that the banking sector and government policymakers should use banking growth in promoting green energy to attain their target of zero carbon emissions by 2050. Highlights: The research aims to assess the impact of green energy transition, banking sector expansion, and import price of crude oil on the load capacity factor (LCF) in the United States.The findings of the carried analysis confirm that the load capacity curve hypothesis in the United States.Banking development promotes environmental quality.The increase in crude oil import prices has a positive impact on the LCF.The consumption of renewable energy can enhance the ecological quality of the Unietd States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing literature covers the topic of environmental pollution, but there is a scarcity of research that specifically examines the factors contributing to financial losses caused by carbon emissions. In this perspective, this ongoing analysis provides an understanding of the impact of environmental technology, energy efficiency, renewable energy consumption, natural resources, and economic growth on carbon dioxide damage in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries from 2000 to 2021 using the "Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR)", and "Dumitrescu–Hurlin (D-H)" causality test. The findings from the MMQR revealed that environmental control technology, renewable energy consumption, and energy efficiency contribute to reducing carbon dioxide damage at different quantiles. It was also found that economic growth and natural resources contribute to the increase in carbon dioxide damage in various quantities. Additionally, a one-way causality result was obtained from environmental technology, energy efficiency, renewable energy consumption, natural resources, and economic growth towards carbon dioxide damage. These results indicate that policymakers in OECD nations should provide suggestions on the efficient utilization of renewable energy sources and environmentally friendly technologies to minimize carbon dioxide damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst the adverse effects of the existing linear model on economic, social, and environmental aspects, the circular economy has emerged as a more sustainable alternative for economic growth and environmental sustainability. Further, the increasing significance of the circular economy as a means to achieve sustainability has prompted researchers to suggest various approaches. In this study, we employed a systematic literature review to present a unified perspective on the concept of circular economy and emphasize the connection of it with eco-innovation. We found that the last three years have witnessed a sudden rise in the publications related to a circular economy, stating the rise in interest of researchers towards a circular economy. While in its nascent phase of execution, much research has been carried out on the importance of adopting a circular economy for achieving sustainability. However, most researchers have failed to explore the contribution of the circular economy in the UN sustainable development strategies (SDGs) and the role of eco-innovation in the circular economy. Therefore, this research is novel, and we explored the role of circular economy and eco-innovation towards sustainability through a systematic literature review. This research indicated that while developed countries have shifted to a circular economy, developing countries need to transition to a circular economy for sustainable benefits. A correlation was also found between the circular economy and some SDGs. The results emphasized that the incorporation of eco-innovations can help in mitigating the environmental consequences of production and consumption activities. It also sheds light on notable instances of eco-innovations that have been developed for deployment in the circular economy. This research will be helpful to industries, universities, and other major sections of society in developing circular economy practices in their core processes and ensuring the attainment of sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the cytospin slide microscopy method for detection of acid fast bacilli (AFB) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid comparing it with concentrated smear microscopy. Study Design: Cross-sectional validation study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Rawalpindi, from Dec 2016 to Sep 2018. Methodology: BAL specimens from suspected tuberculosis patients who were sputum smear negative, submitted to AFIP for diagnosis were included in the study. Smears for microscopy were prepared with the modified cytospin method as well as the standard concentrated technique. The prepared smears from both methods were stained with Ziehl–Neelsen (ZN) staining method and examined under 100 × oil immersion lens. TB culture performed on BACTEC MGIT 960 automated culture system (Becton Dickinson, USA) was taken as gold standard for TB diagnosis. The two methods were compared in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. Results: Out of the 130 samples tested, 62 (47.7%) were positive on culture using MGIT 960 system. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of the modified cytospin method for pulmonary TB diagnosis was found to be 68.3%, 100%, 100%, 77% and 84.6%, respectively. Conclusion: The sensitivity of the modified cytopsin smear method was significantly higher than that of the concentrated method. The study concludes that this is a simpler and more accurate method for BAL fluid microscopy.

Purpose: The research study was designed with the sole aim to explore the food security status in the purview of women’s rights in the District Tor Ghar, KP, Pakistan Approach: A sample size of 291 out of 760 household heads was selected randomly from 3 villages of Khander Tehsil namely Bilyani, Bimbal, and Dharo. The conceptual framework comprised of an independent variable (availability of food) and one dependent variable (food insecurity). Data on study variables were collected using the Likert scale. The Chi-square test was applied to test the strength of association among study variables. Findings: The study found that the limited availability of vegetables, fruits, bread, and meat required for a daily meal for women alongside sufficient milk/ dairy products and dry fruit to feed women at home, were found significant (p