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Objective: β- thalassemia Minor (BTM) and Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) are the main causes of microcytic hypochromic anemias currently in Asian subcontinent. Healthcare facilities in Pakistan have to encounter massive number of patients with anemias every day, where we need to distinguish between (IDA) and (BTM). A number of discrimination indices have been suggested for rapid differentiation of these entities over parameters achieved from automated blood-count analyzers. Objective. To determine the prevalence of β-thalassemia and IDA amongst the unmarried youngsters of Rahim Yar Khan. Methods: A cross-sectional study performed in Sheikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan in 04 months from October 2021 to February 2022, 506 unmarried youngsters were included in the study. CBC, Serum Ferritin and Hb Electrophoresis were performed in Hematology Section, Pathology Department of SZMC Rahim Yar Khan. Results: Out of 506 subjects, the prevalence of beta thalassemia trait was found 3.3% in males followed by 2.2% in females whereas the prevalence of IDA was 1.7% in males followed by 1.3% in females. Conclusion: These results indicates that intensive education and awareness strategies are necessary to increase consumption of iron-rich dietary sources. This screening program is beneficial in prevention of high-risk marriages. Screening of spouses by pre-marital screening program is an actual way to control β-thalassemia major. Keywords: βeta-thalassemia trait (BTT), iron deficiency anemia (IDA), premarital screening.

ABSTRACT… Normal vaginal flora contains a wide range of microorganisms. Hydrogen peroxide produced by Lactobacillus strains plays a vital role in maintaining the microenvironment of the vagina and in the inhibition of overgrowth of potentially pathogenic bacteria. Bacterial vaginosis BV is the main reason of vaginal discharge. Many gram positive and gram negative rods i.e. E.coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas spp. are major contributors in bacterial vaginosis. Aim: The present study was conducted to elucidate the frequency of various gram-negative rods in high vaginal swabs and sensitivity pattern of bacteria to antibiotics that are currently used. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi, a tertiary health care center for the people of Rawalpindi. Period: January 2015 to May 2016. Material and Methods: A total of 220 High vaginal swabs (HVS) were collected both from indoor and outdoor patients presenting with symptoms of vaginal discharge aged between 20 to 65 years. Swabs were inoculated on blood, Chocolate and MacConkey's agar. After overnight incubation plates were examined for growth, colonial morphology, final confirmation was done on the basis of biochemical testing and API 20-E system (BioMerieux, France) up to species level. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was done by (modified Kirby-Bauer's) disc diffusion method using amikacin, ampicillin, amoxicillin clavulanic acid, imipenem, ceftazidime, tigecycline, ciprofloxacin, sulzone and cefixime. After overnight incubation plates were examined to read the susceptibility zone. Results: Out of 220 HVS samples, 100 samples showed bacterial growth and confirmed as Gram negative bacilli. Age wise distribution of infection showed highest rates b/w age 20-30 was 36% followed by 31-40 (23%), 41-50 (25%) and 11% above 50 years of age. Bacteria isolated from HVS were E.coli (53%), Klebsiella (22%), Pseudomonas (12%), citrobacter (6%), Proteus (5%) and Acinetobacter (2%) respectively. Highly sensitive antibiotics against bacteria were imipenem (96%), sulzone (90%) and Ciprofloxacin (88%), whereas least affective antibiotics against gram negative rods were penicillins (ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid), amikacin due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics. Conclusion: High prevalence of gynecological infections demands that the patients who have vaginosis must be investigated regularly and carefully through culture and identification of causative bacteria. Emergence of antibiotic resistance must be controlled in order to avoid improper use, frequent abuse, insufficient dosages, trouble-free availability of antibiotics and treatment schedule must be designed subsequent to proper laboratory investigations. Key words:HVS, Bacterial vaginosis, Imipenem, E.coli, Sulzone.

In recent times, many parts of the world are experiencing drastic levels of air pollution, which includessmog, the mixture of fog and smoke, polluted air formed by human activities like burning of coal, excessive use ofvehicles and many others. During November 2016, Lahore city also experienced the smog due to increased level of airpollutants. In earlier studies, very limited research work has been done related to smog, therefore, this research is aimedto study the pattern of smog in Lahore and its impact on visibility through remote sensing and GIS. Satellite images ofMODIS and Landsat OLI, of November, 2016 is used to study the pattern of smog, whereas the visibility data wasacquired from Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). For the processing and analysis of data ERDAS IMAGINE14 and ArcGIS 10.1 software were used. The findings of this research reveal that the dense smog cover on 2nd, 3rd,and 4th November 2016 leads to the considerable reduction in visibility. As on 2nd November’16, it was only 111.6meters (m) while during bright days it was recorded more than 300 m or 400 m.

The usage of artificial light is excessive and improper. Earth's night picture has changed significantly from space and studies have shown that over-exposure to artificial light in the night can influence animals, the environment and human beings. The purpose of this study was to monitor and measure skylights of Lahore City and temporary light pollution from 2012-2019. The Suite-Day/Night band of the Visible Image Radiometer was used for time changes analysis with GIS and Remote Sensing tools. Indicators were established as a table tool through zonal statistics, and a field survey was also undertaken to measure the Sky-Glow of Lahore with Sky Quality Meter-L. The results suggest that from 2012 to 2019, light pollution rose by 23.43 percent. Results suggest that around 53.99% of Lahore suffered from light pollution. The number of lights in Lahore has increased by 161.82 percent between 2012 and 2019. In the study period, the mean night light and the standard night light deviation were 127.87 and 98.22 percent, respectively. Lahore's night sky was heavily polluted by light. Lahore's average skylight is 17.15 meters above sea level, which means low quality skies at night. This research aims to provide people an insight into light pollution and the causes of local light pollution. Furthermore, this study aims to enhance public attention to light pollution mitigation attempts by governments and politicians.