Background and Objective:Birth weight is the most important factor that affects infant and child mortality. The most common cause of low birth is malnutrition before and during the pregnancy period. The present study was conducted to explore the associated risk factors of low birth weight which will be helpful to undertake effective measures to reduce the incidence of the low birth weight babies.Methods:The study was conducted at Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayad Al-Nayan Hospital Muzaffarabad. A sample size of 1603 live births over a period of five months were analyzed. The pregnant women were recruited in the last trimester of their pregnancy and followed up till their delivery. Information regarding maternal age, parity, income of family, gestational age, maternal occupation, degree of illiteracy, birth interval was collected. The birth weight was recorded within 24 hours of delivery. Data analysis was done using Graph Pad Prism version 6.0.Results:Data of 1863 birth out of which 1603 were live births and among these live births, 1442 were normal birth weight babies and 161 number of low birth weight (LBW) were analyzed. The incidence of LBW in this study was (10.04%). LBW was more common in female (n=84) than in male (n=77) babies. However, this difference was statistically insignificant. Among different risk factors maternal age (p<0.05), parity (P = 0.0167), income of family (P = 0.0190), has a statically significant association with incidence of LBW. The gestational age of mother, maternal occupation, degree of illiteracy was found to affect the incidence of LBW babies, however the difference was found to be statistically insignificant for LBW. Birth interval less than three years and low hemoglobin level (P<0.0260) was found to have a significant association with LBW babies.Conclusion:LBW a common problem in Pakistan is an important factor for perinatal mortality and morbidity. Among different risk factors maternal age, parity, income of family, gestational age of mother, maternal occupation, degree of illiteracy, birth interval less than three years were found to be the important risk factors contributing to LBW babies born in Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayad Al- Nayan Hospital Muzaffarabad.

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The current research aimed to evaluate in vitro biological activities of green-synthesized silver nanoparticles using the Allium sativum clove extract. The stability of green-synthesized silver nanoparticles was evaluated via storage at 4°C, room temperature (37°C), and calcined at 300°C, 500°C, and 700°C. The antibacterial effect was evaluated using agar well, spread plate, biofilm reduction, and cell proliferation inhibition assays. The cytotoxic and antidiabetic effects were determined via brine shrimp lethality, protein kinase inhibition, and α-amylase inhibition assays. DPPH scavenging, iron-chelating, anticoagulant, and hemolytic effects were evaluated. The highest inhibition of Klebsiella pneumoniae was observed when freshly prepared, calcined (300°C), and stored nanoparticles (4°C and 37°C) were applied (9.66, 9.55, 7.33, and 6.65 mm) against freshly prepared and calcined at 700°C which showed the highest inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.55 and 7.66 mm). Cell viability assay, biofilm reduction assay, and spread plate method showed a significant antibacterial effect of freshly prepared silver nanoparticles. Freshly prepared and calcined nanoparticles at 300°C and 500°C possessed strong antioxidant and iron-chelating activity. Among all the synthesized silver nanoparticles, freshly prepared and calcined nanoparticles (300°C and 500°C) increases the prothrombin time. Silver nanoparticles possessed significant anticoagulant properties and less toxic at least concentration toward human RBCs. In brine shrimp lethality assay, freshly prepared nanoparticles showed a stronger toxic effect and caused high mortality of larvae. Protein kinase inhibition assay revealed that freshly prepared nanoparticles had the highest zone of inhibition (18.0 mm) at 50 µg/disc. Green-synthesized nanoparticles would be used as potential therapeutic agents to overcome both infectious and noninfectious diseases.

The lower recovery of competent oocytes in buffalo species limits the commercialization of in vitro embryo production technology in field conditions. The present study aimed to improve the cytoplasmic and nuclear maturation of in vitro matured oocytes of Nili Ravi buffalo in the presence of hormones. The denuded oocytes (DOs) obtained by repeated pipetting were collected from 2-8mm follicles. A series of experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of oestradiol (2 μg/ml), recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone (0.05 IU/ml), human chorionic gonadotrophin (2 IU/ml) and insulin (0.12 IU/ml) alone or together in different combinations at intervals of 8, 16 and 24 h of incubation period during in vitro maturation on buffalo oocyte. The supplementation of TCM-199 with E 2 +rhFSH showed a highly significant increase in the diameter and maturation of oocytes (P<0.0001), as a greater number of the oocytes progressed to the metaphase II stage, and a lower proportion of the oocytes became degenerated (P<0.0001) after 24 h of incubation. The supplementation of medium with E 2 +rhFSH+hCG or E 2 +rhFSH+hCG+insulin also showed a significant increase in the meiotic maturation rate after 24 h (P<0.01 and P=0.04 respectively) and a significant decrease in the degeneration of the oocytes (P=0.001). The addition of insulin was not found to be effective for in vitro maturation. It is concluded that the addition of E 2 +rhFSH in culture media was found to be the best combination of hormones for in vitro maturation of denuded buffalo oocytes.