The present study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis, hematological and serum biochemical changes in sheep naturally infected with Toxoplasma gondii and compared between T. gondii positive and negative sheep in Multan and Khanewal districts, Punjab (Pakistan). Blood samples were collected from 500 sheep and T. gondii antibodies were tested by latex agglutination test (LAT) and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Information related to hosts and herds were recorded on questionnaire basis such as gender, age of animals, aborted or non-aborted sheep, cats association with herd, method of disposing aborted fetuses and herd size. The overall prevalence of toxoplasmosis in sheep was 33.6% by latex agglutination test (LAT) and 27.4% by ELISA (P-value = 0.033, OR = 1.341, 95 % CI = 1.023, 1.757). The area wise prevalence of toxoplasmosis was 34.02% and 33. 01 % by LAT (P-value = 0.813, OR = 1.031, 95 % CI = 0.802, 1.324) in Multan and Khanewal and 28.12 % and 26.41 % by ELISA (P-value = 0.672, OR = 1.065, 95 % CI = 0.796, 1.424) in Multan and Khanewal respectively. Difference was statistically non-significant (P>0.05). The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis was compared between aborted and non-aborted sheep and according to these results infection rate was 51.66% and 31.10% in aborted and non-aborted sheep by LAT (P-value = 0.002, OR = 1.661, 95 % CI = 1.248, 2.211) and 41.66 % and 26.22% in aborted and non-aborted sheep by ELISA (P-value = 0.013, OR = 1.589, 95 % CI = 1.128, 2.238) respectively. Difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) by both techniques. The relationship between sex of sheep and toxoplasmosis showed that infection was 31.37% and 33.85 % by LAT (P-value = 0.722, OR = 0.927, 95 % CI = 0.605, 1.419) in males and females respectively. Similarly prevalence was 19.6 % and 28.28% by ELISA (P-value = 0.188, OR = 0.693, 95 % CI = 0.390, 1.232) in males and females respectively. The prevalence was higher in females than males and difference was statistically non-significant (P>0.05) by both techniques. The prevalence of T. gondii was compared between different age groups and according to these findings infection rate was higher in age group 60-73 months (64.5% and 38.7%) and lowest in age group 4-17 months (26.4% and 22.4%) by LAT (P-value = 0.001) and ELISA (P-value = 0.404). Difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) by LAT and non-significant (P>0.05) by ELISA. Risk factors associated with prevalence of toxoplasmosis in sheep were also studied and according to these results a large flock size, presence of cats, and the aborted fetuses openly left on ground were all statistically significant (P≤0.05) risk factors that were positively associated with prevalence of toxoplasmosis in sheep flocks. Hematological and serum biochemical parameters were studied between T. gondii positive and negative sheep and according to these results mean values of haemoglobin, glucose, cholesterol, AST, ALT and LDH were 9.5 ± 2.6 g/dL, 50.6 ± 11.3 mg/dL, 211.6 ± 79.6 mg/dL, 216.4 ± 144.4 U/L, 79.0 ± 64.1 U/L, 613.9 ± 297.2 U/L in T. gondii positive sheep by LAT and 9.9 ± 3.1 g/dL, 52.3 ± 11.3 mg/dL, 198.5 ± 73.6 mg/dL, 209.44 ± 629.3 U/L, 98.7 ± 228.7 U/L, 578.3 ± 292.9 U/L in T. gondii negative sheep respectively. Similarly mean values of haemoglobin, glucose, cholesterol, AST, ALT and LDH were 9.5 ± 2.5 g/dL, 50.6 ± 11.3 mg/dL, 214.6 ± 79.9 mg/dL, 217.3 ± 140.7 U/L, 77.8 ± 66.4 U/L, 606.8± 291.5 U/L in T. gondii positive sheep by ELISA and 9.9 ± 3.1 g/dL, 52.3 ± 11.2 mg/dL, 198.4± 73.8 mg/dL, 209.6 ± 605.1 U/L, 97.6 ± 219.8 U/L, 583.8 ± 295.7 U/L in T. gondii negative sheep respectively. Hemoglobin, glucose and ALT concentration was lower in T. gondii positive sheep as compared to T. gondii negative sheep. Cholesterol, AST and LDH concentration was higher in T. gondii positive sheep than T. gondii negative sheep. Haemoglobin, Glucose, AST, ALT and LDH values varied statistically non-significantly (P>0.05) between T. gondii positive and negative sheep whereas cholesterol level varied statistically significantly (P<0.05) between T. gondii positive and negative sheep. In conclusion, cholesterol level was found higher in sheep infected with toxoplasmosis which may lead to certain complications including coronary artery diseases, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, hypertension, hemorrhage and vascular thrombosis in infected sheep. T. gondii is a blood parasite which can cause abortion, fetal death, stillbirth, neonatal death in sheep which can lead toward economic losses such as reduction in fur, wool, meat, milk and other dairy products etc. The results indicated the overall high rates of seroprevalence of T. gondii in sheep that warranted the threat to public health especially farmers and abattoir workers via zoonotic transmission of toxoplasmosis. Keeping in view, the medical and veterinary importance of T. gondii it is recommended that human population (especially farmers and abattoir workers), other livestock species and stray cats present in study area must also be screened for the Toxoplasma infection in the public interest.
ڈاکٹر اعجاز حسین ؍ ڈاکٹر مسیح الزماں گزشتہ مہینہ میں ڈاکٹر اعجاز حسین سابق صدر شعبہ اردو الہ آباد یونیورسٹی کا انتقال حرکت قلب بند ہوجانے سے مظفرپور میں ہوگیا، جہاں وہ ممتحن بن کر گئے ہوئے تھے، ان کی میت الہ آباد لائی گئی، اپنی ملازمت سے سبکدوش ہونے کے بعد بھی لکھنے پڑھنے کا شغل جاری رکھا تھا، اہم اور مفید کتابوں کے مصنف تھے، جن میں مختصر تاریخ ادب اردو اور نئے ادبی رجحانات وغیرہ زیادہ مقبول ہوئیں، اپنے شاگردوں میں بہت مقبول رہے، ان کی وفات سے اردو ادب ایک بہت ہی لائق مصنف اور خدمت گزار سے محروم ہوگیا، ان سے کچھ ہی روز پہلے ڈاکٹر مسیح الزماں ریڈیو شعبہ اردو الہ آباد یونیورسٹی کی بھی وفات اچانک ہوگئی، اردو کی مرثیہ نگاری ان کا خاص موضوع تھا، ان کی عمر وفا کرتی تو اس صنف میں ان کا ادبی کارنامہ بڑا قابل قدر ہوتا، وہ پروفیسر مسعود حسن رضوی سابق صدر شعبہ اردو لکھنؤ یونیورسٹی کے داماد تھے، جن کے لئے اس کبرسنی میں یہ سانحہ بڑا ہی جانکاہ ہوگا۔ دعا ہے کہ خدا اردو ادب کے ان دونوں خدمت گزاروں کو غریق رحمت کرے، آمین ثم آمین۔ (صباح الدین عبدالرحمن، مارچ ۱۹۷۵ء)
In an Islamic state, the leader is obliged by the Quran to run the affairs of the people using ‘Shura’ (consultation). He is elected based upon confidence to lead, not on his policies, because he is obliged to derive laws based upon the Quran and Sunnah، and has no option to not implement the clear laws cont-ained therein, even if not convenient for gov, which provides full protections for people’s rights at all times. In a (Western) secular Democracy, the leaders are not obliged to consult the people in running the affairs (nor fulfil their promises). They derive laws from what is convenient, and may (and do) take away people’s rights using that justification. In Islam, the leader remains in power until he becomes unjust or incompetent. In a (Western) secular Democracy, the leader remains in power despite being unjust or incompetent, and may get elected again if he can lie to the people to persuade them he is the lesser of two evils. An Islamic State is based upon sovereignty to the Creator, who doesn’t change his mind, it not prone to prejudice, bigotry or ignorance. A (Western) secular Democracy is based upon sovereignty of the Individual, who does change their mind, is prone to prejudice, bigotry and ignorance. This article explains deeply about Comparison of Islamic concept of state and non Islamic Idea of State.
Individuals‟ thinking styles play central role in their decision making process. Epstein, Pacini, Denes-Raj, and Heier, (1996) and Pacini and Epstein (1999) described two major types of thinking patterns i.e. rational and experiential. Prior research investigated different factors that affect thinking styles of people. These factors range from inherited instincts to environmental pressures. The current study aimed to examine the impact of religious affiliations of secondary school students on their rational thinking. Profound review of related literature leaded the researcher to adapt age-universal I-E scale developed by Allport and Ross (1967) and revised by Kirkpatrick, Moberg, and Lynn (1988) and rational experiential inventory for adolescents (REI-A) developed by Pacini and Epstein (1999) and revised by Marks, Hine, Blore, and Phillips (2008). The age universal I-E scale measures three dimensions of religiousness i.e. intrinsic, extrinsic personal and extrinsic social religiosity of the individuals of all ages. The REI-A is to scale rational and experiential thinking of adolescents. The 3517 secondary school students having religious affiliations with Hinduism (1050), Christianity (1073) and Islam (1394) were included in the sample using non-random sampling techniques. It was ensured that only the students studying government prepared syllabus were selected in the samples. The adapted instruments were translated into Urdu and validated through the opinions of ten field experts. All five subscales demonstrated high reliability of the data of Pakistani samples. Collected data were entered in SPSS files. The negative statements were recoded and results were presented in graphs and tables. Results of skewness, Kurtosis, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett‟s test of sphericity supported the normality of sample distribution and homogeneity of data. Principal component analysis, rotated component matrix and structural equation models endorsed the structures of scales and subscales. Statistical analysis of the data was done using t test, ANOVA, correlation coefficients and regression analysis. Findings revealed that Muslim secondary school students were comparatively more intrinsically religious and rational in thinking than their Hindu and Christian fellows. In contrast the Christian students were comparatively more extrinsic personal and extrinsic social religious than their Hindu and Muslim secondary school fellows. Similarly, the Christian students were more experiential in thinking than their fellows. Major contribution of xvi the study was to trace out the relationship between religious orientations and thinking patterns of the students. It was concluded that rational thinking of Hindu, Christian and Muslim secondary school students (separately and collectively) was directly associated with their intrinsic and extrinsic personal religiousness and indirectly correlated with their extrinsic social religiosity. The three aspects of religious orientations moderately explained the variances in rational thinking of the Hindu and Muslim secondary school students whereas for the Christian students this share was significantly small. The study proposed further research in the field to investigate the factors (social, cultural, political, financial etc.) that played role in forming religious orientations of the students having different faith. The study also suggests further investigation of factors that transform students thinking styles with the passage of time.