IntroductionChildhood tuberculosis (TB), although estimated to account for a major proportion of the global TB disease burden, has a lower public health priority. Reliable research and surveillance data on childhood TB is limited in most regions of the world. This study was conducted to assess the burden of childhood TB among the household contacts of new TB patients in Karachi, Pakistan.MethodsA retrospective analysis of children (<15 years) who were household contacts of new adult TB patients presenting to Marie Adelaide Leprosy Center (MALC) clinics in Karachi during the period of 2008 to 2010 was conducted.ResultsOf the household children contacts (n = 6613) screened, 317 were suspected and 121(1.8%) diagnosed with TB. These included 89 (73.6%) with pulmonary and 32 (26.4%) with extra-pulmonary disease. Smear positivity rate in pulmonary cases was 32.6%. Mean age of children diagnosed with TB was 11.7 (±2.8) years. Within the child-contacts screened, disease was found to be significantly higher among females (2.3%) in comparison to males (1.2%) (p-value <0.01). The commonest relationship of source cases to diagnosed children was the mother (n = 51, 42.1%). The source case was a female for 66.1% (n = 76) of the children.ConclusionA smear positivity rate of 32.6% amongst pulmonary cases suggests their potential to spread disease and emphasizes a need to review the contribution of children in transmission of TB within communities. Greater vulnerability of the female child and considerable role of mother in disease transmission highlights a need to increase focus on females in TB control programs in Pakistan.

This study was planned to determine the relationship between semen quality parameters and the levels of biochemical constituents of seminal plasma of Teddy (Capra hircus) buck semen. For this purpose, semen ejaculates were collected from five mature healthy Teddy bucks. All the experimental bucks were kept under natural environmental conditions. Semen was collected twice in a week for the duration of 6 weeks by Artificial Vagina (AV) in the breeding season (February-April). Two successive ejaculates of single buck were pooled at time of collection, and a total of 60 semen samples were processed for semen analysis. Sperm per cent motility, sperm concentration, dead sperm percentage, morphological abnormal spermatozoa, plasma membrane integrity were correlated with biochemical constituents of seminal plasma. The mean per cent motility (89.18% ± 0.37%), sperm concentration (1.86 ± 0.04 × 10 /ml), dead sperm percentage (8.08% ± 0.29%), morphological abnormal spermatozoa (6.05% ± 0.29%) and plasma membrane integrity (88.22% ± 0.34%) were recorded. The seminal plasma contained Na (144.12 ± 1.59 mEq/L), K (27.38 ± 0.49 mEq/L), Cl (65.73 ± 0.45 mEq/L), Ca (9.34 ± 0.22 mg/dl), P (19.32 ± 0.97 mg/dl), aspartate aminotransferase (AST; 26.48 ± 1.30 IU/L), alanine aminotransferase (ALT; 168.47 ± 5.18 IU/L), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; 215.98 ± 6.06 IU/L), albumin (1.90 ± 0.10 g/dl), globulins (2.08 ± 0.11 g/dl) and total protein (3.98 ± 0.20 g/dl). The collected data were analysed by applying Pearson's correlation coefficients. Dead sperm percentage had negative correlation with sodium (r = -.278, p < .05), albumin (r = -.294, p < .05), globulin (r = -.266, p < .05) and total protein (r = -.295, p < .05). Phosphorus was negatively associated with sperm concentration (r = -.262, p < .05). AST was negatively correlated with plasma membrane integrity (r = -.292, p < .05). It was concluded that most of the semen quality parameters of Teddy bucks were positively correlated with biochemical constituents, but opposite trends were found in case of dead sperm percentage. The seminal biochemical constituents dynamically interact with each other.

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Contents This study compares the factors associated with variable interval to oestrus and ovulation between early versus late ovulating goats following PGF2α administration. The time of ovulation in Beetal goats (n = 38) was monitored through transrectal ultrasound at every 6 hr following a single dose of PGF2α (experiment 1). Variations in oestrus and ovulation times were further explored through the changes in follicular dynamics, endocrine profiles and behaviour in another set of goats (n = 13) following single PGF2α given randomly during the luteal phase (experiment 2). The ovulation time varied between 60 and 96 hr, and 57% of ovulations occurred by 72 hr following PGF2α (experiment 1). Accordingly, the goats (n = 13) in the second experiment were retrospectively divided either into early and/or late ovulating, that is, ≤72 and/or ≥84 hr following PGF2α. The onset of oestrus, peak estradiol‐17β concentration and LH surge after PGF2α was first observed in early than late ovulating goats (p < 0.05). The goats ovulating early had larger follicle and smaller CL in diameter at the time of PGF2α administration than those ovulating late (5.4 ± 0.2 vs. 4.3 ± 0.2 mm and 10 ± 0.6 vs. 11.8 ± 0.3 mm, respectively; p < 0.05). Likewise, plasma progesterone concentration tended to be lower (p = 0.087) in early than late ovulating goats. In conclusion, the size of dominant follicle and CL at the time of PGF2a determines the interval to ovulation following a single dose of PGF2a during the luteal phase.

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The present study aimed to investigate effects of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH) on the quality of frozen-thawed semen of Sahiwal bulls. Semen was collected twice a week for 8 weeks by artificial vagina from six Sahiwal bulls, kept at the Semen Production Unit Qadirabad, Sahiwal-Pakistan. After gross and microscopic evaluation, qualifying semen ejaculates were divided into 10 equal aliquots and diluted in extenders enriched with no antioxidants (control); or supplemented with either SOD (50, 100 and 200 IU/mL), or GSH (0.5, 1 and 2 mM) or their combinations (50 IU/mL SOD and 0.5 mM GSH, 100 IU/mL SOD and 1 mM GSH and 200 IU/mL SOD and 2 mM GSH). Samples were then frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen at -196°C for 24 h. The following parameters were evaluated for semen quality: post-thawed sperm motility, viability, acrosome and membrane integrity. According to the results, sperm motility, viability, acrosome and membrane integrity were significantly (P<0.05) higher in samples treated either with 100 IU/mL of SOD; 1 mM and 2 mM of GSH or 50 IU/mL of SOD plus 0.5 mM of GSH. In conclusion, semen quality might be improved by supplementing semen extenders with 100 IU/mL of SOD; 0.5 and 1 mM of GSH and combination of 50 IU/mL and 0.5 mM of SOD and GSH, respectively.