MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with, one hundred and forty individuals with paraplegic SCI, who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and attended an outpatient rehabilitation clinic. The impairment of body function/structures of participants was assessed using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Scale, which classified them as A, B, C, D, or E. A set of questionnaire survey forms was used to collect sociodemographic information, occupational participation, environmental factors, and QOL by using a demographic questionnaire, World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS-II), Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors (CHIEF) scale and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) BREF form respectively.
RESULTS: The results showed that occupational participation was the strongest predictor of QOL among persons with paraplegic SCI (β=-0.586, p<0.001). In the second step, variables representing body function/structure factors (ASIA-A, B, C, D, E) were added, and the overall model explained 40.7% of the variance in QOL. In the third step, personal factors (age groups, gender, marital status, level of education, and rehabilitation duration) were added, and the overall model explained 51.4% of the variance in QOL. In the final step, environmental factors (CHIEF 12 Items scale) were added, but they did not significantly explain the model.
CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that occupational participation was found to be the most significant predictor of QOL among individuals with paraplegic SCI. Body function/structure factors, personal factors, and environmental factors were also significant predictors, but to a lesser extent. The findings of this study can inform healthcare professionals and policymakers in developing interventions and, policies targeting occupational participation, and personal factors that may be effective to improve the QOL of individuals with paraplegic SCI in Pakistan.
METHODS: The study utilized a cross-sectional study design, using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire to obtain information from 380 respondents. Respondents were classified as ITN users if they slept under an ITN for at least 3 days in a week, while those who did not at all, or slept under it less frequently were classified as ITN non-users. Chi squared test was performed to test the bivariate association between ITN use and each of the items of the questionnaire. A further multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine the predictors of ITN use.
RESULTS: The respondents' ages ranged from 15 to 45 years, with median (interquartile range) age of 25 (8) years. Eighty percent of them were aware of ITN, but 50.5% believed ITNs could be dangerous. Only 5.5% and 0.8% respectively felt that sleeping under and ITN was either just bad or very bad for their health. Thirty-five percent of the respondents were ITN users. Not having a previous miscarriage (OR = 2.38; 95% CI 1.41-4.03, p = 0.001), knowledge that ITNs were not to be washed after every 1 month (OR = 3.60; 95% CI 1.18-11.06), significant others thinking they should sleep under an ITN (OR = 3.06; 95% CI 1.35-6.96), ability to effectively persuade others to sleep under an ITN (OR = 2.37; 95% CI 1.14-4.94) were significantly associated with ITN use.
CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of pregnant women in this study were not sleeping under ITNs. The development of health promotion interventions aimed at boosting their self-efficacies for ITN use, and improving social support from their spouses are, therefore, recommended. Health education on ITN use should also be incorporated into post-abortal management.
METHODS: Seventy formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded cases previously diagnosed as primary lung squamous cell carcinoma (n = 35) and lung adenocarcinoma (n = 35) from January 2008 to December 2016 were retrieved. The results of tumour cell immunoreactivity for p40 and p63 antibodies in lung squamous cell carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma were compared.
RESULTS: p40 was expressed in 27 cases of lung squamous cell carcinoma (77.1%). All cases of lung adenocarcinoma (35/35, 100%) were negative for p40. p63 expression was positive in 30 cases of lung squamous cell carcinoma (85.7%) and 13 cases of lung adenocarcinoma (37.1%). Reactivity for both p40 and p63 in lung squamous cell carcinoma was strong and diffuse, whereas variable reactivity was observed in lung adenocarcinoma.
CONCLUSIONS: p40 is an excellent marker for distinguishing lung squamous cell carcinoma from adenocarcinoma, and p40 expression is equivalent to p63 expression in lung squamous cell carcinoma.
METHODS: The antidiarrheal investigation was performed by using in vivo castor oil-induced diarrheal method whereas in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant investigation have been implemented by disc diffusion and DPPH scavenging method respectively. Moreover, in silico studies were followed by molecular docking analysis of several secondary metabolites that were appraised with Schrödinger-Maestro v11.1 and Biovia Discovery Studio.
RESULTS: The induction of plant extract (200 and 400 mg/kg, b.w, p.o) has minimized the castor oil mediated diarrhea by 16.96% (p