Bahria University Medical Research Articles

Assessing the Professionalism Levels of Undergraduate Medical Students at a Medical College.

Objectives: To evaluate the professionalism of medical students at Bahria University Medical and Dental College (BUMDC), at the same it will let us know the range of differences among students in different classes (1-5 years). Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study conducted on 583 students of BUMDC, ranging from 1st year to 5th year (academic session 2021-2022). A validated tool was utilized to collect data. The tool assessed 6 aspects of professionalism: excellence, respect for others, altruism, duty, accountability, honor, and integrity, using a 5-point Likert scale. Results: The results indicated a notable variance in the overall professionalism score (p=0.000), altruism (p=0.000), duty (p=0.000), accountability (p=0.000), excellence (p=0.000), honor and integrity (p=0.000), and respect for others (0.001) based on the clinical status of students. Conclusion: It is evident from the study that the level of professionalism among the graduating 5th year class is significantly below the ideal standard. Additionally, it is concerning to observe a notable decline in professionalism from 1st year to 5th year medical students. It is crucial to educate medical students on all essential skills required to deliver top-notch healthcare services efficiently during their practice. Key Words: Professionalism, medical students, undergraduate, attitude, behavior.

Illicium verum anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231 cell line.

To evaluate the anticancer activity of methanolic extract of Illicium verum against triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell line. A cell culture experimental study was carried out at Pharmacology department of Bahria University Medical and Dental College (January to June 2021) in collaboration with Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Cell viability and proliferation assays were used to quantify dead and alive cells by utilizing a tetrazolium assay and an enzyme immunosorbent plate reader was used to calculate their absorbance. For the apoptosis initiation assay, these cells were dyed with a fluorescent stain and observed for fluorescence and apoptosis. During cell viability testing, various I. verum methanolic extract doses (0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 25µg/ml) were employed to treat MDA-MB-231 cells, while the IC50 dose of 2.8µg/ml was used for both the cell proliferation and apoptosis initiation assays. In the cell viability assay, all I. verum methanolic extract doses exhibited a substantial decrease in the viability of MDA-MB-231 cells (less than 0.01 p-value). In cell proliferation assay and apoptosis initiation, the IC50 dose of 2.8µg/ml of I. verum methanolic extract also exhibited a substantial decrease in cell division (less than 0.01 p-value) and the initiation of apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells. Illicium verum methanolic extract have strong anticancer activity against triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell line through cytotoxicity, proliferation reduction, and apoptosis initiation mechanisms.

Gamifying Assessments in Medical Education: A Novel Approach to Tackling Test Anxiety in Medical Students

Introduction: Test anxiety is a specific type of anxiety that typically occurs during assessments and may compromise students’ academic performance. The use of gamification in assessment has the potential to reduce test anxiety. Aims &Objectives: This study aims to provide an understanding of the potential benefits of gamification as an intervention in formative assessments to reduce test anxiety in medical students. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of gamification on the academic performance and test anxiety scores of medical students during formative assessments. Place and Duration of Study:The study was conducted at Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University and Bahria University Medical and Dental College from July to December 2022 Material &Methods: The present mixed-method study used Nist& Diehl Patrick-Henry-Community-College (PHCC) questionnaire to measure test anxiety in 251 medical students of Year 1&2 MBBS after formative MCQ assessments based on the Biochemistry course related to the structure and Metabolism of carbohydrates delivered during their respective modules using gamified and non-gamified online applications in the quantitative phase. Qualitative data was collected through interviews with students based on their test anxiety scores. Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0 was used to analyze the quantitative data, a p-value of ?0.05 was considered significant. Results: Mean anxiety scores of male students in all groups were significantly lower than female students. There was no significant difference in the test anxiety score of students taking assessments through gamified and non-gamified assessment tools. Conclusion: Female students reported significantly higher anxiety scores both in gamified and non-gamified formative assessments. There was no significant difference in the test anxiety scores of students taking assessments through gamified and non-gamified assessment tools. Qualitative analysis revealed a positive effect on the motivation of the learners using gamified assessment tools.

Illicium verum anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231 cell line

Objective: To evaluate the anticancer activity of methanolic extract of Illicium verum against triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell line.
 Methods: A cell culture experimental study was carried out at Pharmacology department of Bahria University Medical and Dental College (January to June 2021) in collaboration with Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Cell viability and proliferation assays were used to quantify dead and alive cells by utilizing a tetrazolium assay and an enzyme immunosorbent plate reader was used to calculate their absorbance. For the apoptosis initiation assay, these cells were dyed with a fluorescent stain and observed for fluorescence and apoptosis. During cell viability testing, various I. verum methanolic extract doses (0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 25µg/ml) were employed to treat MDA-MB-231 cells, while the IC50 dose of 2.8µg/ml was used for both the cell proliferation and apoptosis initiation assays.
 Results: In the cell viability assay, all I. verum methanolic extract doses exhibited a substantial decrease in the viability of MDA-MB-231 cells (less than 0.01 p-value). In cell proliferation assay and apoptosis initiation, the IC50 dose of 2.8µg/ml of I. verum methanolic extract also exhibited a substantial decrease in cell division (less than 0.01 p-value) and the initiation of apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells.
 Conclusion: Illicium verum methanolic extract have strong anticancer activity against triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell line through cytotoxicity, proliferation reduction, and apoptosis initiation mechanisms.
 doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7860
 How to cite this: Pahore AK, Khan S, Karim N. Illicium verum anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231 cell line. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(1):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7860
 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The Effect of WhatsApp Messaging on Learning Paediatrics During Clinical Rotation of Final Year MBBS Medical Undergraduates

Objective: To determine the impact of WhatsApp Messaging on learning paediatrics during clinical rotation of final year MBBS medical undergraduates. Study Design: Quasi-Experimental study Place and Duration of Study: Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi Pakistan, from Apr to Oct 2018. Methodology: Final year MBBS students attending the Department of Paediatrics for three months of clinical rotation were randomly allocated to two Groups. Group-A was the control Group without WhatsApp, and Group-B was the intervention Group with WhatsApp messaging. Both Groups had a pre-test and post-test before and after their clinical rotation. The evaluation was performed before and after clinical rotation using Multiple choice questions (MCQs) for the final evaluation. Results: Of a total of 80 students, 19(23.8%) were males, and 61(76.3%) were females, with a median age of 23(22-23) years. Of 40 students in the WhatsApp Group, active participation was observed in 37(92.5%) students, whereas the quality of the shared content by students was found to be adequate/relevant in 35(87.5%) cases. The median score was significantly higher in both Groups' clinical rotation test than in the pre-clinical rotation assessment (p-value <0.001). However, the median score of the post-clinical rotation test was significantly higher in the WhatsApp Group than in the non-WhatsApp Group (p-value <0.001). Conclusion: WhatsApp was found to be a highly effective tool for learning paediatrics among medical students during their clinical attachment.

Programmatic Assessment Prototype Design Using Integrated System Thinking And Design Thinking Framework.

To design a prototype programmatic assessment model using integration of system thinking and design thinking frameworks, and to explore barriers in the way of its implementation in medical education. The qualitative case-study was conducted at Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi from September to December 2022. Methodological approaches used were systems thinking and design thinking. Philosophical paradigm used was critical realism. Maximum variation purposive sampling technique was used for selecting faculty members and medical students. Data was collected in two sets of semi-structured interviews. The initial interviews were at the levels of empathise, define and ideate. After that low-fidelity prototype programmatic assessment design was created and presented to the participants. The second set of interviews were focussed on feedback on prototype of programmatic assessment design. Pattern matching method was used for data analysis. Of the 65 subjects, 20(30.7%) were faculty members; 5(25%) lecturers and 5(25%) professors each from basic and clinical sciences. The remaining 45(69.2%) were students; 5(11.1%)from each year of medical and dental streams. Initial interviews revealed that after failure, students struggle to understand the cause of failure as assessment system lacked narrative feedback mechanism and numbers or pass/fail decisions were not self-explanatory. Students lacked attitude towards continued improvement, formative assessment were not taken seriously as they carried only 10% weightage. After the programmatic assessment design was presented to the participants, faculty members voiced concerns regarding faculty training, shortage of resources and legal issues related to its implementation. Students supported the design, especially continued narrative feedback for their academic improvement. Portfolio development was considered a time-consuming task and they had reservations regarding their ability to make quality assessment portfolio. Implementation of programmatic assessment required faculty development and was resource-intensive, but stakeholders, especially students, were found interested in its implementation in medical education.

Flipped Classroom Learning among Medical and Dental Faculty of Bahria University Medical and Dental College

Background: Flipped classroom technique (FCR) is a pedagogical approach where students watch pre-recorded video lectures or read educational materials before coming to class. During class, students engage in activities, discussions, and problem-solving exercises related to the pre-recorded content, with the teacher acting as a facilitator and guide. The key to the effective utilization of this instructional method is that both the teachers and the students understand its educational philosophy and technique. This study aims at exploring the faculty’s understanding and perceptions regarding flipping the classroom. Method: A Cross-sectional Descriptive study was carried out at Bahria university medical and dental college (BUMDC), Karachi, Pakistan from January to June 2020, after approval from the institutional ethical review committee. Data was collected through a self-designed questionnaire after obtaining verbal consent from 197 faculty members through non-probability purposive sampling. Data were analyzed by version 23.0 of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The mean scores of these identified factors were compared between genders, departments, designations, and teaching experience using an independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The results revealed that more than half of the studied participants had a moderate perception regarding Flipped Classroom and more than one-third of those who were female (67.5%), had a highly positive perception (<0.01). According to designation and teaching experience, mean scores were higher for senior faculty as compared to junior faculty (p=0.02). Conclusions: Contrary to popular belief, senior faculty also perceives this new technique as being beneficial for their teaching. This opportunity should be utilized to train the faculty in conducting flipped classrooms in order to optimize its benefits.

Hepatoprotective role of tecomella undulata bark extract in comparison with n- acetylcysteine on acetaminophen induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats.

Objective: To assess hepatoprotective effect of Tecomella Undulata bark extract on acetaminophen induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats as compared to N-Acetylcysteine. Study Design: Experimental Comparative Study. Setting: Bahria University Medical & Dental College Karachi in collaboration with Basic Medical Sciences Institute Karachi. Period: March 2020 till August 2020. Material & Method: Study included 56 Albino rats divided in four groups with 14 animals in each group. Group A was control, Group B was induced hepatotoxicity by giving Acetaminophen 500 mg as a single dose, Group C was given N–Acetylcysteine 140mg/kg intraperitoneally for 6 days and Group D was given Tecomella bark extract 200mg/kg for 15 days after acetaminophen induced liver damage. Their blood samples were collected and sent for hepatic enzyme levels. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 23. One way ANOVA was applied. For multiple comparison post hoc tukey’s test was used. P-value <0.05 was considered significant. Result: The mean Serum AST, ALT and ALP levels were increased in Group-B, however, Group-D showed significant reduction in hepatic enzyme levels as compared to Group-C. Tecomella bark extract showed hepatoprotective effect by reducing hepatic enzyme levels in acetaminophen induced hepatic damage in albino rats. Conclusion: Thus Tecomella plant extract could act as an alternative antidote to N-acetylcysteine in acetaminophen induced hepatic damage in albino rats.

Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine Among Undergraduate Students

Objective: To assess the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among medical and non-medical undergraduate students and compare the COVID-19 vaccine receptivity differences between medical and non-medical undergraduate students.
 Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
 Place and Duration of Study: Bahria University Medical & Dental College, and Bahria University Karachi Campus Pakistan, from Mar to Jun 2021.
 Methodology: In this study, a total of 392 participants, were selected by non-probability convenience sampling. Students aged 19-26 years were enrolled. Participants were required to sign a voluntary consent form prior to participation. The questionnaire included 21 questions inclusive of demographic characteristics, insight regarding COVID-19 disease, prior EPI vaccine exposure, attitude towards COVID-19 vaccine, including the importance of vaccine to end the pandemic, acceptance of vaccine along with reasons and non-acceptance and sent by email as a Google form to participants.
 Results: There were 171(43.6%) males and females 218(55.6%). The mean age of participants was 20.7±2.29 years. 217(55.4%) students were from the MBBS programs, and 175(44.6%) were from non-MBBS programs. COVID-19 vaccine acceptability was better amongst medical students, with 182(83.9%) considering it safe for use in contrast to 5(2.8%) non-medical students who considered it safe.
 Conclusion: The comparison of knowledge and attitudes towards accepting the COVID-19 vaccine between medical students and non-medical students revealed better acceptance amongst undergraduate medical students than non-medical undergraduate students.

Outcomes of Pioglitazone and Metformin on Anthropometric, Metabolic and Endocrine variables in POS

Aim: To evaluate the outcomes of Pioglita zone and Metformin on anthropometric, metabolic and endocrine variables in PCOS. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was executed at Pharmacology Department of Bahria University Medical and Dental College in collaboration with Mamji Hospital Karachi from September 2018 to March 2019. Eighty PCOS infertile patients as per Rotterdam 2003 criteria,aged 20-40 years were enrolled. They were divided into two groups of 40 patients each by using computer generated numbers. All patients had fasting insulin levels of >9 μU/mL, serum glucose levels ≥126 mg/dl and suffering from oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea. Group A received Tablet Pioglitazone 30 mg once daily and group B was given tablet Metformin 500 mg for three months along with lifestyle changes. Results: Sixty-one participants completed the study. Anthropometric variables included weight, BMI and W/H ratio. Metformin treated group reduced more weight and BMI as compared to Pioglitazone. Metabolic variables included glycaemic indices, lipid profile and hs-CRP estimation. Pioglitazone group improved glycaemic indices more compared to Metformin. Serum progesterone level was significantly increased in Pioglitazone group (5.20±1.18) than Metformin group. Pioglitazone produced more ovulation in comparison to Metformin. Hence it is proved that it is better option in those patients who are unable to tolerate Metformin and cannot continue treatment for infertility. Conclusion: Pioglitazone group produced highly significant increase in serum progesterone level indicating ovulation and improved insulin resistance than the metformin group. Keywords: Female infertility, ovulation induction, Metformin, Pioglitazone, polycystic ovarian syndrome

Anticancer effect of Illicium verum (star anise fruit) against human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line.

To investigate the anticancer effect of Illicium verum against human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line. An experimental study was conducted in Multidisciplinary and Tissue Culture Laboratory, Aga Khan University in collaboration with Pharmacology Department of Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan from January 2021 to June 2021. MCF-7 cells of Luminal-A breast cancer were seeded in 96-well plate and treated with I.verum methanol extract. After incubation, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) dye was used for cell viability and cell proliferation assays to determine the number of dead and viable cells, and the absorbance was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) plate reader. In cell viability assay, different doses of I. verum methanol extract were used to treat the MCF-7 (0.25, 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12, 25, and 50μg/ml) cells. For apoptosis analysis, the cells were processed with 4´, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole fluorescent nuclear dye (DAPI) and were examined for fluorescence intensity and apoptotic cells. For cell proliferation assay and apoptosis the IC50 dose of 5.5μg/ml I. verum methanol extract was used. The MCF-7 cells showed a significant reduction (p-value <0.01) in cell viability in the presence of all tested doses of I. verum methanol extract, except for the dose of 0.25μg/ml. The IC50 dose 5.5μg/ml of same extract also showed a significant reduction (p-value <0.01) in cell proliferation and apoptosis induction in MCF-7 cells. Illicium verum methanol extract possesses very potent anticancer action against MCF-7 cells through cytotoxicity, reduction, and inhibition of cancer cells and by inducing apoptosis.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Dental Erosion related to Acidic Dietary Intake among Medical Undergraduates.

Aim: To assess knowledge, attitude and practice of dental erosion related to dietary acidic intake among medical undergraduates. Methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted at Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi from March-2019 to November 2019. The validated questionnaire was used to assess the study objectives. There were five sections in the study tool including demographic data, knowledge, self-reported signs and symptoms, attitude and practices of acidic dietary intake. The data was entered on SPSS version 23.0 for analysis. P-value &lt;0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: From total of 500 subjects; 498 questionnaires were completed in all aspects; hence the response rate was 99.6%. Respondents comprised of both males and females having age range from 17 to 25 years with a mean age of 20.82+SD 1.76. Majority of participants (74.4%) had high level of knowledge regarding dental erosion. Statistically significant association was found (p-value=0.02) when compared to level of knowledge with attitude. While assessing the association between practice and self-reported sign/symptoms; significant association was found in regards to frequency and timing of acidic dietary intake at a p-value of 0.000. Conclusion: Majority of participants had high level of knowledge regarding erosion as related to acidic dietary intake and was positively reflected in their attitude. Overall, natural fruit juices were the highest consumed drinks followed by carbonated drinks. Keywords: Dental erosion, Dietary behavior, Medical Undergraduates, Carbonated drinks, Dietary habits.

Reasons for refusing orthognathic surgery by orthodontic patients: A cross-sectional survey.

To find out the most common reasons for refusing orthognathic surgery and to compare the responses along gender lines and in terms of open-ended and closed-ended approaches. The cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted from August to December 2020 at the Orthodontics Department of Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan, and comprised of patients who were planned for but refused orthognathic surgical treatment between January 2018 and July 2020. Data was collected through telephone-based interviews to record reasons of avoiding orthognathic surgery. The data-collection tool had both open-ended and closed-ended questions. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. Of the 60 patients, 42(70%) were females and 18(30%) were males with a mean age range of 23.25±2.19years. Overall, 19(31.7%) patients avoided surgery due to additional expense, while post-operative pain was cited as a reason by 35(58.3%) patients. Males were 9 times more concerned about their dental alignment compared to females (p=0.005). Fear of tooth injury (p<0.0001) and intra-operation and post-operation bleeding (p<0.0001) were found twice in males than females. The most common reasons for refusal to have orthognathic surgery were increased cost and post-operative pain. Males were more concerned about dental alignment and had higher fear of post-surgical tooth injury and intra- and post-operative bleeding compared to the females.

Online mentoring of medical students during COVID-19 pandemic: Another new normal.

To determine the impact of online mentoring sessions on the students during the pandemic time. The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi. The total study duration was 5 months from March 2021 to July 2021. Quantitative research design was used. Categorical data was scored on a three point Likert scale (1= 'Disagree', 2= 'Neutral' and 3= 'Agree'). Frequencies and percentages were calculated to determine the impact of online mentoring. Sixty two percent of 2nd year MBBS students were of the opinion that online mentoring was helpful as compared to 58% 1st year and 50% 3rd year students. Students were anxious while sharing their issues online. A total of 61.66% were eager to have classes on campus as compared to online as learning difficulties were felt in 70%, 77% and 81% of 1st, 2nd and 3rd year classes respectively. Of the 1st year 39%, 2nd year 46% and 3rd year 32% showed relief after the mentoring session but were in favor of face to face sessions. Technical issues were faced by 54% 1st year, 66% 2nd year and 64% 3rd year students. The study suggested that students were overall satisfied with the online mentoring sessions. They do have certain apprehensions like privacy and confidentiality issues but on the whole, they considered this medium as being a powerful one in times of the pandemic.

Survey of assessment of teaching learning methods for physiology among undergraduate medical students at a university.

Objective: To assess preference of first year MBBS students about teaching learning strategy used in Physiology course. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Bahria University Medical and Dental College (BUMDC). Period: October-December 2019. Material &amp; Methods: A detailed questionnaire was given to the students of first year MBBS aged 19-21 years. Results: The ideal teaching method for learning physiology was found to be tutorials (70%). The ideal teaching aid for understanding physiology was agreed by (45%) of the students to be white board and marker followed by power point presentation (25%). The ideal duration of time for a lecture found to be was 45 minutes (55%). The ideal duration of time for a small group discussion was 45 minutes (60%) and preferred time slots for lectures was early morning 9am to 10:30am which was agreed by most of the students (80%) and for tutorials was 11am-1pm which was agreed by (55%) of the students. Preferred timeslot for lab skills was agreed by (35%) of students to be at 2-4pm. (80%) of students agreed that the most preferred quality of teacher as perceived by students is their ability to teach followed by knowledge (70%). Conclusion: This study results conclude that students prefer student centered teaching learning strategies in order to learn physiology.

Anatomical variations of sacral hiatus and its associations.

Objective: To compare anatomy of sacral hiatus between the genders of case and control groups. To determine significance of hiatal variations between the genders of cases and controls. Study Design: Case-control study. Setting: PNS Shifa Hospital Karachi. Period: January 2020 to June 2020. Material &amp; Methods: Total of 178 participants aged 18-65 years were enrolled in the study. Approval was taken from Ethical Review Committee of Bahria University Medical and Dental College (BUMDC). Participants were arranged into case and control groups. The hiatus and its dimensions were identified on lumbosacral spine radiographs inferior to the sacral spine using spinous and alar processes. Data was recorded in subject evaluation proforma and analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. Results: The V shaped hiatus was more prevalent in males, whereas in females it was U. The most common variant was the irregular shape. The hiatal apex in males was at S3. In females it was at S2. The base was seen at S5 in both genders. The mean length, anteroposterior diameter and transverse width of the hiatus was more in males as compared to females. The mean values of all parameters were less in cases as compared to controls. Conclusion: The V shaped sacral hiatus were most prevalent in males, whereas U shape in females. The hiatal apex was at a lower level in males, whereas the level of base was similar in both genders. The hiatus was shorter in cases of backache in both genders as compared to controls. The anteroposterior diameter and width were also less in cases as compared to the healthy controls.

Anatomical aberration of palmaris longus agenesis muscle through clinical examination in relation to gender and hand dominance.

To determine the frequency of agenesis of palmaris longus muscle and its association with gender and hand dominance. The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi, from March 2021 to November 2021, and comprised medical students of either gender from 1st, 2nd and 3rd year of studies. Clinical examination of palmaris longus was done by using the classic Schaeffer's test, and it was confirmed using the Thompson's test. The agenesis of palmaris longus muscle and its association with gender and hand dominance was also tested. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. Of the 200 participants, 114(57%) were female and 86(43%) were male. The overall age range was 18-23 years. Of the total, 195(97.5%) subjects were right hand dominant and 5(2.5%) were left hand dominant. Agenesis was found in 67(33.5%) subjects with no significant difference in terms of gender or hand dominance (p>0.05). Statistically significant difference (p=0.01) was found related to bilateral agenesis. Bilateral agenesis was found significantly more in females compared to the males, while palmaris longus agenesis and hand dominance had no significant association.

Impacts of adiposity parameters on peak expiratory flow rate in healthy young adults of Bahria University Medical and Dental College Karachi: Cross-sectional study.

To explore the association of various adiposity parameters in young adults. The cross-sectional study was conducted at Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi, from January to February 2021, and comprised healthy medical students aged 19-21 years. Height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio and percentage body fat were recorded. Peak expiratory flow rate was determined using Wright's meter, and its association with adiposity markers was determined using regression analysis. Data was analysed using SPSS 22. Of the 162 subjects, 96(59.3%) were females and 66(40.7%) were males. The overall mean age was 20.18±1.01 years. Peak expiratory flow rate was significant positively associated with height, body mass index, waist circumference, and percentage body fat (p<0.05). It had weak negative association with waist-hip ratio(p>0.05). Peak expiratory flow rate increased with height, body mass index, waist circumference, and percentage body fat in healthy subjects.

Histopathological effects with marwar teak (tecomella undulata) bark extract and N-acetylcysteine on acetaminophen induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats.

Objective: The study aims to determine histopathological effects associated with Marwar Teak Tecomella Undulata bark extract and N-Acetylcysteine on Acetaminophen induced liver damage in rats. Study Design: Experimental Comparative Study. Setting: Bahria University Medical and Dental College Karachi in Collaboration with Basic Medical Sciences Institute (BMSI) Karachi. Period: March 2020 till August 2020. Material &amp; Methods: Study included 56 healthy albino rats which were randomly divided into four groups. Each group comprised of 14 experimental animals which included (Group-1) Control Group, (Group-2) hepatotoxicity induced rats, which were given Acetaminophen 500 mg as a single dose orally, (Group 3) which was induced hepatotoxicity by Acetaminophen 500mg orally as a single dose, then they were given N-Acetylcysteine standard drug at dosage of 140mg/ kg intraperitonealy for 6 days and (Group 4), which was induced hepatotoxicity by Acetaminophen 500 mg orally as a single dose, then they were given Tecomella bark extract at the dose of 200 mg/kg orally for 15 days. Experimental animals were dissected. Liver samples were sectioned (3-5µ) thickness and were stained with H&amp;E. Histopathological findings were noted. SPSS version 23 was used for statistical analysis. P-value &lt;0.05 was considered significant. Result: Deranged liver architecture with presence of moderate inflammatory cells were observed in Acetaminophen induced hepatotoxic rats (Group-2). However, there was presence of moderate inflammatory cells with normal liver architecture in rats treated with standard drug (Group–3). There was improvement in liver histology in Tecomella bark extract treated group (p-&lt;0.05) Group-4. Conclusion: The Tecomella Bark extract improved histoarchitecture on acetaminophen induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats in comparison with N-Acetylcysteine.

COMPARE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF KINESIO-TAPING WITH CORE STRENGTHENING EXERCISES FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT OF DYSMENORRHEA IN FEMALE STUDENTS

BACKGROUND AND AIM Dysmenorrhea is the most common gynecological problem in women, associated with painful menstruation, diarrhea, headache, low back pain, lower abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue, vertigo, etc. The current study is designed to compare the effectiveness of Kinesio-taping and core strengthening exercises in the pain management of dysmenorrhea. METHODOLOGY The current study was Randomized Controlled Trial with Probability, random sampling technique carried out at Bahria University Medical and Dental College Karachi from January to June 2021. Total 40 female students between 18-35 years with diagnosed dysmenorrhea and VAS Score 4 ≥ were randomly selected. Two groups A and B were separately treated with Kinesio-taping and core strengthening exercises respectively. The intensity and duration of pain are evaluated in both groups. The study questionnaire was completed and VAS was assessed in both groups after the first, second, and third menstrual cycles. RESULTS The result of second Menstrual cycle Post Treatment VAS in group A revealed 16 (80%) with moderate pain and 2 (10%) with severe pain, whereas in group B there were 10 (50%) with mild pain and 10 (50%) with moderate pain with significant P-value of 0.002. Third Menstrual cycle Post Treatment VAS in group A was present in 16 (80%) with moderate pain and 3 (15%) with severe pain, whereas in group B there were 5 (25%) with no pain, 14 (70%) with mild pain and 1 (5%) with moderate pain with significant P-value of 0.000. CONCLUSION There was a significant effect found in participants with Core strengthening exercises for managing dysmenorrhea. KEYWORDS Strengthening Exercise, Kinesiotaping, Dysmenorrhea, Pain, Physical Therapy, Gynecological problem, Menstural cycle.