[en] Variations in the flow and pollutants concentrations during the day were monitored at the Main Out fall disposal station of the city of Lahore. The laboratory analysis of the wastewater samples collected at 2 hour interval on fifth and sixth May, 2009 for pH, temperature, alkalinity, hardness, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), BOD5 Filtered, Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), Ammonia Nitrogen (NH/sub 3/-N), chlorides, solids, turbidity, sulphates and nitrates were carried out. Average values and standard deviations were determined to assess the type of wastewater treatment. Correlation between BOD5 and BOD5 Filtered was developed through regression analysis. Diurnal variations in the Ultimate Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BODU) at the Main Out fall based on Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand (CBODU) and Nitrogenous Biochemical Oxygen Demand (NBODU) are also estimated. The ratio between CBODU/NBODU ranges between 0.86 to 1.8 during a day at Main Out fall. This variation is primarily due to the large diurnal variation in CBODU values as a result of industrial activities in the study area. The BOD5/ TKN ratio varies between 3.3 and 6.9 and the calculated BODU (i.e., CBODU + NBODU) was found to be almost double of BOD5 during most part of the day primarily due to inclusion of NBOD. The study results reveal the importance of NBOD while designing the wastewater treatment facilities and implementing a water quality control strategy for the River Ravi. (author)

[en] Objective: To determine the relationship between pre-existent hyperglycemia among patients with COVID-19 pneumonia requiring oxygen supplementation. Study Design: Cross-sectional study Place and Duration of Study: COVID-19 isolation wards, High Dependency Units, and Intensive Care Units of Mayo Hospital Lahore Pakistan, from Apr to May 2021. Methodology: Eighty-one patients with hyperglycemia but without a prior diagnosis of diabetes mellitus were selected for this study. The data was collected from COVID PCR positive patients admitted to the isolation ward and intensive care unit at Mayo Hospital, Lahore. All the patients admitted during a 2-month duration from April to May 2021. Results: A Total of 81 patients were included, of which 54(66.7%) were males. On the basis of HbA1c, 68(84%), 12(14.8%) and 1 (1.2%) patient(s) were diagnosed diabetic, pre-diabetic and non-diabetic respectively. Of the four patients requiring mechanical ventilation, 3(75%) were diabetic, and 1(25%) was pre-diabetic. Of patients who required non-invasive ventilation, 68(84.4%), 12(14.2%) and 1(1.3%) were diabetic, pre-diabetic and non-diabetic, respectively. Conclusion: There is a significant burden of undiagnosed diabetes mellitus and pre-diabetes among patients with severe COVID-19 who require oxygen supplementation or admission to high-dependency units. Therefore, all patients should undergo thorough testing to exclude underlying diabetes mellitus. (author)

[en] We present the design and development of a positron emission tomography (PET) detector module that could be used inside magnetic resonance imager (MRI). Critical factors compromising this combination have been studied and different solutions have been offered. Our design divides the detector module in two sections: one is the insert front-end that is placed inside the MRI and that comprises of a scintillator, a silicon photomultiplier and minimum analog electronics. The analog pulses are sent to the second section, the back-end digitalization and reconstruction module. The analog link is implemented using optical wireless communication (OWC) techniques. In this work we study how such a setting retains all the necessary characteristics for the detection and characterization of gamma scintillation events, providing sufficient communication quality with low consumption and minimizing the need for space. Possible multiplexing schemes for achieving the necessary transmission with less communication channels are also proposed and studied. A series of tests and measurements on different settings demonstrate the viability of this technique. When fully developed, it can provide a cost effective alternative for the industrial production of a flexible and customizable modular PET detector insert that can be applied to pre-existing small animal or human MRI settings, only minimally affecting the size of the MRI bore, without compromising the PET signal quality. (Author)

[en] Frequency of syphilis among pregnant women attending Combined Military Hospital Abbottabad Study Design: Descriptive study. Material and Methods: A screening for syphilis of 500 married pregnant women presenting to antenatal clinics was carried out using the qualitative Rapid Plasma Regent (RPR) test/ Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test. The Treponema Palladium Haem-Agglutination Assay (TPHA) test was used as confirmatory test for all Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test positive cases. Results: A total of 8 women (1.6%) were positive for Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test. Out of these 4 (0.8%) were positive for Treponema Palladium Haem-Agglutination Assay (TPHA) test. All of these cases have bad obstetrical history. Conclusion: The sero-positivity of Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test is (1.6%), considered high among pregnant women reporting in obstetrics clinics of Combined Military Hospital Abbottabad. Similarly sero-positivity of Treponema Palladium Haem-Agglutination Assay (TPHA) test is (0.8%) considered high among the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test population. Therefore Screening of syphilis in pregnancy especially in patients having bad obstetrical history (BOH) should be incorporated into the study. (author)

[en] Objective: To determine association between bone mineral density (BMD) and low backache in post menopausal women in general population of Lahore. Study Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: Gynaecological outpatint department of Punjab Rangers Hospital Lahore during the period, from Feb 2015 to Feb 2016. Material and Methods: Screening for association between BMD and low backache in 481 post menopausal women was carried out. Low back pain was considered clinically relevant if the patient complained of moderate to severe pain, or if the patient needed any medical treatment. Their BMD was measured. The measurement site for BMD was the calcaneus of patient. The diagnosis was based on T score. Data was analyzed. Result: Osteoporosis was found in 303 (88.3%) of 50-60 years age group and 40 (11.7%) of 61-plus years age group. Conclusion: Bone mineral density was significantly lower in postmenopausal women and there was a strong association between low back ache and decreased BMD value. (author)

[en] To determine the frequency of asymptomatic spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients of liver cirrhosis with ascites. Study Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at indoor and outpatient departments of Medicine, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, pakistan from 29th February 2008 to 28th August 2008. Subject and Methods: One hundred and ninety five patients of liver cirrhosis with ascites were selected. To standardize the study; patients of both genders over 18 years of age, diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and ascites were included in the study after obtaining their informed consent. Patients with abdominal tenderness and fever, hepatic encephalopathy, intra-abdominal surgically treatable cause, with any co-morbid disease (hypertension and diabetes mellitus) or refusing to give consent were excluded from the study. Strict inclusion/exclusion criteria were observed to control the confounding variables. Diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis was based on increased ascitic fluid absolute polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) count ( 250 cells / mm3) and/or positive bacterial culture. Results: Out of 195 patients, 10 patients (5%) had neutrocytic ascites (absolute neutrophil count = 250 cell/mm3). Out of these 195 patients, three patients (1.5%) were found to have positive ascitic fluid culture. Conclusion: In our study the frequency of asymptomatic spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients of liver cirrhosis with ascites turned out to be 5% which is low. Therefore, analysis of ascitic fluid through diagnostic paracentesis should be reserved for inpatient or outpatient with clinically apparent new onset ascities or in cirrhotic patients with ascities whose general condition deteriorates. (author)

[en] Waste management studies are usually done using calibrated and verified water quality models. Ravi River located in Lahore, Pakistan is receiving untreated wastewater from number of out falls and . Surfaced rains and thus model calibration and verification are done using the data under the prevailing conditions. The water quality objectives can only be met with wastewater treatment wherein the model rate coefficients may change. The objective of this paper is to study the changes that may occur in these coefficients as a result of wastewater treatment. For this purpose, long-term BOD analyses have been carried out using river water and wastewater after different degrees of treatment. A laboratory scale biological reactor was used to study the effect of biological treatment on rate coefficients at 3, 6 and 10 days detention times. The study results show that CBOD biokinetic rate coefficient (K) reduces significantly from 0.25 day/sup -1/ for raw waste water to 0.1 day for the wastewater treatment for 3 days detention time in the biological reactor. Further reductions in the value of K to 0.07 day/sup -1 and 0.05 day/sup -1/ occurred for a treatment level corresponding to 6 and 10 days detention times, respectively. The NBOD rate coefficient (K/sub n/ was found to be 0.08 day/sup -1/ for 3 days detention time and 0.06 day/sup -1/ after treatment in the biological reactor at 6 and 10 days detention times. (author)

[en] Investigation from 1989 to 1998 on river Ravi pollution was carried out to study the effects of wastewater discharges on its water quality in relation to its various water use. The sources of pollution entering the river between Syphon (20 Km upstream) and Balloki Head works (75 Km downstream) includes Upper Chenab Canal (U.C.) which bring industrial effluents through Deg municipal swage from the city of Lahore. Investigation revealed that the flow in the river are highly variable with time during the year U.C. canal with a capacity of 220 m/sup 3//S at the tail and Qadiarabad (Q.B.) Link canal with a capacity of 410 m3/S are mainly responsible for higher flows during dry season. A desecrating trend has been observed in the D.O. Levels indicating increasing pollution. Over times D.O values are above 4 mg/l indicating recovery due to dilution biodegradation and aeration. An increasing trend has been observed in Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), suspended solids, total dissolved solids and indicator organisms. Even with the discharges of pollutions from U.C. canal, Hudiara Nullah and city sewage, BOD at Balloki was unexpectedly low. It was investigated that because of pollution free Q.B. link canal which joins the river just before Balloki Head works makes the water diluted, which accounted for low BOD. Water of river Ravi meet the chemical water quality requirement for irrigation. However the water quality does not meet the coliform and faecal coliform criteria for most water use. (orig../A.B.)

[en] This research work aims to compare the seismic performance (in terms of lateral load strength, stiffness, ductility, response modification factor and performance levels) of full scale infilled frames before and after retrofitting. To evaluate the seismic performance, two infilled frames with door opening at different locations were constructed in the laboratory based on the current construction practices in Pakistan. In one infilled frame, door opening was at the center (Frame-1) while in other, door opening was at a side (Frame-2). After construction, both the specimens were tested with quasi-static test. The damaged parent specimens were then retrofitted with Ferrocement overlay and cracks in the infill wall were repaired with grout injection. Steel door frames of gauge 18 were installed at the door opening to make the model more realistic. Results obtained after performing quasi static test on the retrofitted specimen have showed that the specimens not only gained the original strength, but the seismic parameters of the infilled frames were observed to have also improved. (author)

[en] The present study was designed to develop Aloe vera juice (100%), and further analyze its phenolics and flavonoids contents. Moreover, the developed Aloe vera juice was scrutinized for its antioxidant potential, radical scavenging capacity and also for efficacy study of lipid lowering potential in rat models. The results indicated that total phenolic contents were 821 ± 16.71 gallic acid equivalents (GAE) /100 mL and total flavonoid contents were 89±4.94quercetin equivalent (QE) /100 mL. Maximum antioxidant activity of juice was found to be 34 ± 1.99 %. The radical scavenging assays showed 20.6 ± 1.97 %, 2.33 ± 0.4 μmol trolox equivalent (TE)/mL and 7.33 ± 2.01μmolTE/mL for DPPH, FRAP and ABTS, respectively. In addition, the lipid lowering effect of Aloe vera juice was assessed by in vivo study on rats as the level of cholesterol and triglycerides in serum was reduced to 21 % and 25.7 % respectively. Furthermore, the intake of juice significantly increased (18.3 %) the level of high-density lipoproteins and decreased (52 %) the level of low-density lipoproteins, indicating its positive role of lipid metabolism in the body. The liver enzymes (30-39 %) and oxidative stress indices i.e., superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione were also significantly improved in G-II. Therefore, in vivo efficacy studies validated the functional potential of Aloe vera juice against hyperlipidemia induced metabolic dysfunctions. Hence, the provision of locally processed aloe juice could remarkably lower the lipid profile. (author)