Intellectual disability (ID), also called mental retardation, is defined by below-average intelligence or mental aptitude as well as a lack of life skills. It has a significant association with residency, family history, and chromosomal disorder. An analytical cross-sectional study was performed over a period from December 2019 to January 2021 in special educations centers and hospitals of Lahore, Faisalabad, Shahkot, Sialkot, Gujranwala and Sangala, Punjab, Pakistan. This study was aimed to access the prevalence and risk factors of Intellectual disability (ID). Questionnaires were designed and filled with the help of general doctors, pediatricians, and psychiatrists who diagnosed both intellectual and adaptive functioning of individuals Association between these parameters was analyzed by using SPSS software (Chi-square test) between ID and risk factors and the level of significance was considered as P<0.05. The frequency of mild, moderate, severe, and profound ID was 46.7 %, 32.1 %, 14.6 %, and 6.7 % respectively. More males (56.82 %) as compared to females 43.17 % were observed.

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Ameliorating role of ascorbic acid against Pb toxicity in three genotypes of sugarcane under six different concentrations of Pb(NO 3 ) 2 (control, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 1mM) was studied under in vitro conditions. The morphological parameters like callus fresh weight and dry weight, shoot and root length, number of shoots and roots per cultured plant and biochemical parameters included antioxidants enzymes, total protein contents, ascorbic acid, Pb contents in Pb treated calli were compared with 0.5mM ascorbic acid pretreated calli at each level. It was observed that all the morphological parameters were negatively affected by Pb stress but ascorbic acid pretreatment recovered this damage. Biochemical parameters like antioxidants enzymes activity ( POD, SOD, CAT) increased under elevated Pb concentration while ascorbic acid pretreatment further enhance the POD and SOD activity while CAT activity and total soluble protein contents did not change signi cantly. Different genotypic behaviors towards different treatments were also observed.

We optimized the expression and purification of outer membrane proteins SpaO and LamB from Salmonella typhi. We investigated various factors in the expression and purification processes, including the use of isopropyl β-d-1 thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG), imidazole, and urea. First, PCR amplification was carried out on SpaO and LamB genes. The genes were then cloned in pTZ57R/T, and then expressed in pET28a vector and transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). Gene insertion was confirmed by enzymatic digestion with NdeI and XhoI. Inclusion bodies expressing recombinant SpaO and LamB were induced with 200 and 400 µL 0.5 mM IPTG, respectively. The formed protein inclusion bodies were then isolated from the pellet and solubilized in IB buffer containing 8 M urea for SpaO and 6 M urea for LamB. Proteins were refolded by dialysis in 3M urea. Purified proteins with nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid affinity chromatography and eluted with buffer containing 250 mM imidazole for SpaO and 150 mM imidazole for LamB. The protein expression profiles were analyzed by SDS-PAGE, which identified the 33 and 49 kDa bands corresponding to rSpaO and rLamB. Western blotting Purification was carried out by nickel affinity resin with 250 mM and 150 mM imidazole for rSpaO and rLamB and refolded through stepwise dialysis with anti-His tag antibodies confirmed their expression. These optimized methods can be used to generate recombinant proteins for the development of future vaccines.

To find out the association of polymorphism of the TLL1 gene in hepatocellular carcinoma. A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2020 to September 2020. Subjects were enrolled from Mayo Hospital, Lahore, Jinnah Hospital Lahore and the Liver Transplant Unit of Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore. A total of 200 individuals were registered and segregated into the Control group (n=100) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) group (n=100). DNA was extracted from obtained blood samples and Restriction Fragments Length Polymorphism (RFLP) was carried out at the laboratories of LCWU by using specific primers and restriction endonuclease enzymes. The data were analyzed statistically. The high proportion of smoking, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, cirrhosis and Body Mass Index (BMI) were established risk factors in the HCC group. Subjects with hepatocellular carcinoma had low socioeconomic status. Heterozygous bands in the HCC group were observed after RFLP. TLL1 genotype was AA (72 %) and AT/TT (28 %). The patient’s clinical aspects were similar across TLL1 genotypes. It was concluded that RFLP on the exon region by using their specific enzymes HpyCH4III showed heterozygous bands in the HCC group that indicated a mutation in the TLL1 gene though this mutation does have a significant association with HCC.