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This study aims to investigate the combined influence of varying concentration of waste steel fibre and fly ash on rheological and mechanical performance of fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC). Cement was substituted partially by fly ash at concentration of 5%, 10% and 20% by weight basis and waste steel fibre was incorporated as 1.5% and 3% in volume basis of concrete. Rheological tests of concrete, including slump, density, compacting factor, K-slump, and Kelly ball penetration were evaluated for the fresh state. Mechanical performances of concrete, including compressive, splitting tensile and flexural strength were determined at 7 and 28 days. Test results exhibited that fly ash enhanced the workability of all rheological tests; however, waste steel fibre reduced the workability and increased the density of fresh concrete. Substantial enhancement in compressive, splitting tensile and flexural strength was found for fly ash and waste steel FRC mixes than the control one. The optimum results of mechanical performance were achieved for mixture with concentration of 10% fly ash and 3% waste steel fibre among all mixes. Adding waste steel fibre with fly ash in concrete provided more pronounced mechanical performance at higher fibre concentration along with the minimisation of disposal problems and environmental damages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospital wastewater has been identified as a hotspot for the emergence and transmission of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens that present a serious threat to public health. Therefore, we investigated the current status of antibiotic resistance as well as the phenotypic and genotypic basis of biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa from hospital wastewater in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The disc diffusion method and the crystal violet assay were performed to characterize antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation, respectively. Biofilm and integron-associated genes were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction. Isolates exhibited varying degrees of resistance to different antibiotics, in which .80% of isolates showed sensitivity to meropenem, amikacin, and gentamicin. The results indicated that 93.82% of isolates were MDR and 71 out of 76 MDR isolates showed biofilm formation activities. We observed the high prevalence of biofilm-related genes, in which algDþpelFþpslDþ (82.7%) was found to be the prevalent biofilm genotypic pattern. Sixteen isolates (19.75%) possessed class 1 integron (int1) genes. However, statistical analysis revealed no significant association between biofilm formation and multidrug resistance (χ2 = 0.35, P = 0.55). Taken together, hospital wastewater in Dhaka city may act as a reservoir for MDR and biofilm-forming P. aeruginosa, and therefore, the adequate treatment of wastewater is recommended to reduce the occurrence of outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: The use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in the poultry industry has raised concern because of their potential harm to human health. Emerging evidence suggests that probiotics are a safer substitute, although little research has explored this in Bangladesh. We recently isolated local bacterial strains with probiotic properties. We aimed to determine their impact on the growth, hematobiochemical parameters, and production costs of broiler chicks relative to that of a commercial probiotic (CP) and AGP. Materials and Methods: Day-old male broiler chicks (Cobb 500, n=63) were divided equally into three experimental groups (three replicates per group and seven chicks per replicate). First group was fed a basal diet supplemented with the AGP, ciprofloxacin (CTL group), second group was fed a basal diet supplemented with the CP, Protexin® (CP group), and the third group was fed a basal diet supplemented with our isolated bacterial strains (study probiotic [SP] group) for 36 days. Body weight was recorded daily, and relative growth rate (RGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and organ weights and carcass yields were calculated at the study’s end. Blood obtained on day 36 was used to determine the number of red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cells (WBCs), hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, packed cell volume, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, as well as levels of serum glucose, total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides (TGs). Total production costs were estimated by summing the variable and fixed costs. Results: Chicks in both the CP and SP groups experienced significant decreases in blood glucose levels and significant increases in BW, RGR, FCR, levels of RBC and WBC, Hb concentration, and packed cell volume compared with those in the CTL group (p<0.05 for all).  Our data suggested a numerical reduction (p>0.05) in levels of total cholesterol, TGs, and HDL in the SP and CP groups when compared to the CTL group. In addition, both CP and SP treatments resulted in significant (p<0.05) gains in net profit compared with the treatment given to the CTL group. Conclusion: Administration of probiotics, either from a commercialized or local source, led to greater improvements in growth, hematological parameters, and net profits of broiler chicks when compared with that of an AGP. This suggests that they are suitable alternatives to the AGPs used in poultry feed and that our isolated strains, in particular, are an ideal option for farmers in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of medicinal plants as an unconventional health treatment is gaining considerable recognition and popularity worldwide. The current study was designed to inspect five medicinally important species (such as Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds., Mentha piperita L., Mentha spicata L., Ocimum basilicum L., and Rosmarinus officinalis L.) of Lamiaceae, collected from district Peshawar, through ethnoecological, phytochemical, and elemental analyses. Biological spectra expressed that therophytes (60%) were the dominant life-form class, while nanophyll (60%) was the leading class among leaf size. The ethnobotanical profile showed that all the species were medicinal and ornamental (100%) each, while 60% were used in spices. Quantitative analysis for the macro- and microminerals confirmed the presence of 13 elements (C, N, O, Mg, K, P, S, Ca, Al, Si, Fe, Cl, and Na), which were present in varying amounts from species to species. The methanol extract of leaf samples was used for the analysis of phytochemical constituents such as saponins, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, phlobatannins, steroids, and anthraquinones. The medicinal potential of these plants was correlated with the presence of these phytochemicals. Due to the presence of active constituents, the plants had high potential in antifungal, antidiuretic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have explored the effects of dissipation on the dynamics of charged bulk viscous collapsing cylindrical source which allows the out-flow of heat flux in the form of radiations. The Misner-Sharp formalism has been implemented to drive the dynamical equation in terms of proper time and radial derivatives. We have investigated the effects of charge and bulk viscosity on the dynamics of collapsing cylinder. To determine the effects of radial heat flux, we have formulated the heat transport equations in the context of Müller-Israel-Stewart theory by assuming that thermodynamics viscous/heat coupling coefficients can be neglected within some approximations. In our discussion, we have introduced the viscosity by the standard (non-causal) thermodynamics approach. The dynamical equations have been coupled with the heat transport equation; the consequences of the resulting coupled heat equation have been analyzed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically investigates the dynamic causal relationship among corporate financing patterns, industrial growth, domestic credit, capital expenditures and market capitalization and the direction of causality in Pakistan for the 1975 to 2013 period. Our empirical results favour the presence of long run relationship among variables under the consideration. We found that the capital structure deviations from the long run equilibrium due to random economic shocks are corrected by the system at the rate of 17.42% per year. In the short run the causality runs from industrial growth, domestic credit and market capitalization to the debt financing and from the debt financing to the capital expenditure. In the long run the unidirectional causality runs from the domestic credit, capital expenditures and market capitalization to the debt financing. However, the industrial growth and debt financing have reciprocal causal relation in the long run. The presence of long run reciprocal causality indicates that a multipronged long-term financial policy may effectively contribute to the industrial development through efficient utilization of capital in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth iron oxide (BiFeO3) ) is amongst the class of multiferroic materials that has attracted world’s attraction because of its high antiferromagnetic Neel temperature and high ferroelectric Curie temperature of 643 and 1103 K, respectively. However, synthesis of phase pure BiFeO3 is extremely difficult due to the volatile nature of Bi2O3 that results in formation of bismuth deficient and/or rich phases. Most of the previous research is based on obtaining pure BiFeO3 phase with variation in annealing/calcination temperature in the range 400 °C–700 °C. However, very little consideration is given to change Bi/Fe ratio during synthesis. Here, we report preparation of phase pure BiFeO3 thin films using cost effective sol-gel and spin coating method. Bismuth nitrate and iron nitrate are used as precursors whereas ethylene glycol is used as solvent. Molar ratio of Bi/Fe is varied as 0.9, 0.95, 1.0, 1.05, 1.1, and 1.20. Films are annealed at 300 °C for 60 mins in the presence of vacuum under 500 Oe applied magnetic field. X-ray diffraction results indicate formation of phase pure BiFeO3 thin films for Bi/Fe ratio of 1.0–1.1. However, both high (1.2) and low (0.9–0.95) Bi/Fe molar ratios result in the appearance of impurity phases. In addition, bismuth iron oxide shows ferromagnetic behavior as opposed to the antiferromagnetic nature of bulk BiFeO3. Strong ferromagnetic behavior, for Bi/Fe ratios of 1.0 and 1.05, can be explained on the basis of suppression of helical spin structure as the crystallite size reduces to \(\sim 30\) nm, which is well below the cycloidal spin arrangement of BiFeO3 (62 nm). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

During the last three decades, trade barriers have been drastically reduced under obligations of WTO. Due to freedom in trade, competition has increased, forcing industries to improve their productivity to compete in this free market. However there are still some trade barriers which are used to block market access. Technical Barrier to Trade (TBT) is one of such barriers. In this study the impact of TBT on export performance of Pakistan textile industry has been empirically evaluated. A model was framed which represented TBT and export performance as variables. Primary data was collected from top textile firms of Pakistan. Multiple regression analysis was applied on the primary data. Results indicated that TBT has positively affected the performance of Pakistan textile industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study mainly covers the mineralogical and petrographical characteristics of lithofacies of the Hangu Formation. The Hangu Formation in the Salt Range has unconformable contact with underlying formations of Permian to Cretaceous age. There are five lithofacies of this formation named as lithofacies-1, lithofacies-2, lithofacies-3 / 3a, lithofacies-4 and lithofacies-5. These lithofacies were identified by petrographic and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. In lithofacies-1 (laterite / bauxite / kaolinite) the goethite, kaolinite, boehmite, gibbsite and dickite minerals may owe to insitu leaching of older rocks. The minor minerals like glauconite, chamosite, chlorite and nacrite could be due to the influx of shallow marine water. The lithofacies-2 was formed due to the deposition of shale / clays along with chamosite in fresh water lagoon or delta front basin. The lithofacies-3 & 4 were rich in sandstone (upto 90%). The sand grains with muscovite flakes, feldspar grains and rock fragments were possibly derived from Sargodha Karana Highs of Indian shield. The lithofacies-5 is dominantly rich in micrite with subordinate dolomite, quartz, kaolinite microbioclasts and shell fragments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crude methanolic extract and chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions of Teucrium royleanum were examined as inhibitors of actylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, lipoxygenase and urease. A significant enzyme inhibition activity (52-83%) was shown by the crude methanolic extract and its fractions against acetylcholinesterase, while low to outstanding enzyme inhibitory activity was shown (19-93%) against butyrylcholinesterase. The crude methanolic extract and its various fractions demonstrated low activity against lipoxygenase and inactive against urease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Excessive use of antipsychotic medication by older people is an international concern, but there is limited comparative information on their use in different residential settings. This paper describes and compares antipsychotic prescribing to older people in care homes and the community in England and Wales. Method: Analysis of a primary care database (THIN) with 403 259 community and 10 387 care home residents aged 65–104 years in 2008–9. Results: 3677 (0.9%) patients in the community and 2173 (20.9%) in care homes (20.5% in residential homes, 21.7% in nursing homes) received an antipsychotic medication prescription in the last 90 days. Most patients had received prescriptions for more than three months and 60% of prescriptions were for atypical antipsychotics. In patients without severe mental illness, 2367 (0.6%) patients in the community and 1765 (18.2%) in care homes received antipsychotic medication; such prescribing was common for patients with recorded dementia (30.2% in care home, 10.1% in the community). In care homes, younger age and living in the North of England predicted prescribing, but care home type did not. In the community, female gender, increasing age, living in a deprived area and the North predicted prescribing. Conclusions: Despite safety concerns, antipsychotic prescribing is markedly higher in care homes than in the community, and strongly associated with dementia in both settings. In England and Wales, we estimate that 54 000 older care home patients and 50 000 community patients receive antipsychotic medication without a diagnosis of severe mental illness with important implications for health and social services. Copyright # 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crude methanolic extract and subsequent fractions of Teucrium royleanum (Labiatea) were screened for antibacterial and antifungal activities. Against tested pathogens, crude extract and subsequent fractions demonstrated moderate to excellent antibacterial activities. Highest antibacterial activity was displayed by the ethyl acetate fraction against S. typhi (100%), against E.coli (76.7%) and against P. aerugenosa (70.8%) followed by the chloroform fraction against S. typhi (85.7%). Similarly, the crude extract and its subsequent fractions showed mild to excellent activities in the antifungal bioassay with maximum antifungal activity against M. canis (87%) by the chloroform fraction followed by the ethyl acetate (71%) and n-butanol (70%) fractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crude methanolic extract of Andrachne cordifolia Muell. (Euphorbiaceae) and its various fractions in different solvent systems (chloroform, ethyl acetate and n- butanol) were screened for antibacterial and antifungal activities. Crude extract and subsequent fractions demonstrated moderate to excellent antibacterial activities against the tested pathogens. Highest antibacterial activity was displayed by both chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions (100%) followed by the crude extract (68%) against Salmonella typhi. Similarly, crude extract and its subsequent fractions showed mild to excellent activities in antifungal bioassay with maximum (76%) antifungal activity against Microsporum canis by the chloroform fraction followed by the crude extract (65%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crude methanolic extract and various fractions of Andrachne cardifolia Muell, including chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions were subjected to in vitro enzyme inhibition activity against acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, lipoxygenase and urease enzymes. A significant enzyme inhibition activity (40-89%) was shown by the crude methanolic extract and its fractions against lipoxygenase, while low to significant activity (40-71%) against butyrylcholinesterase. The crude methanolic extract and its various fractions demonstrated poor to significant activity (25-73%) against acetylcholinesterase and no activity against urease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the prevalence and determinants of hypertension among adults in mountainous rural villages in the Ghizar district Northern Areas of Pakistan, an area that recently has undergone substantial economic development. We selected a stratified random sample of 4203 adults (age > 18 years) from 16 villages in Punial Valley of Ghizar district where the number of study subjects from each village was proportionate to the size of the village. We obtained blood pressure (BP) records by taking the mean of the second and third BP measurement, using a standard mercury sphygmomanometer, and assessed risk factors for hypertension in the study subjects. The mean ± s.d. blood pressures (mm Hg) were 125 ± 19 systolic and 80 ± 12 diastolic in men and 125 ± 22 systolic and 78 ± 14 diastolic in women. The 125 ± 22 systolic and 78 ± 14 diastolic in women. The mm Hg, or systolic BP ≥ 140 mm Hg or currently taking antihypertensive medication) was 15%, increasing from 4% in the 18-29 year age group to 36% among persons 60 years of age or older. The age-standardised prevalence of hypertension was 14% (12.5% among men and 14% among women). There was no significant difference in prevalence of hypertension in males, and in females. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, and higher body mass index (overweight and obesity) were independently associated with higher prevalence of hypertension. People with hypertension were more likely to have a first-degree relative with physician-diagnosed hypertension (OR = 1.90, 95% CI 1.49, 2). Hypertension is a significant health problem in rural northern Pakistan. The primary health care programme in the Northern Areas of Pakistan needs to address this problem, especially identifying people at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents research which examined the exponential distributions testing equality. The study assessed the application of the union-intersection principle in the conceptualization of a test procedure for the analysis of scale parameters equality. The researchers tabulated the upper one and five percent values of the test statistic for three and two exponential distributions.

A novel fractional normalised filtered-error least mean squares (FN-FeLMS) algorithm is designed for secondary path modelling in active noise control systems. The update is formed as a combination of the conventional LMS and a fractional update derived from the Riemann-Liouville differintegral operator. The algorithm is considered for (machine) noise reduction for a primary path with zeromean binary or Gaussian sources as inputs. An anti-noise signal is generated to alleviate the effect of noise and to minimise the filtered error by improved secondary path modelling. The proposed arrangement is evaluated for a number of different scenarios by varying the step size and fractional orders. Simulation results show that the proposed technique is more robust to step size variation; it outperforms the traditional FeLMS approach in terms of convergence, model accuracy and steady-state performance for a given signal-to-noise ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the modified method of moments is applied to obtain an estimator of the parameter of a doubly truncated binomial distribution. The estimator is obtained in terms of the first three sample moments. Further, the efficiency of this estimator relative to the maximum likelihood estimator is also given here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Aim of this study was to assess the frequency of attending the continuing professional development CPD courses by dental practitioners working in hospitals and private setup of Punjab. A cross-sectional survey of 330 dental practitioners was done using a self-administered questionnaire. The collected data were processed using SPSS 23.0., percentage contribution of each of the significant variable was obtained. practitioners with 3-8 years of years of dental practice experience are keener in attending CDE courses and 31.5% of them are attending the CDE courses at least once in 6 months while the dentist with least clinical experience are 46.5% who are attending the courses rarely. 38.5% of the dentists who are practicing in Private groups are attending CDE courses at least once in 6 months while 60.8% of dental practitioners working in hospital setups are least bothered in attending CDE courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a case of early gastric cancer located in gastric volvulus associated with paraesophageal hiatal hernia. Two lesions of EGC were diagnosed in the distal third of the stomach, most of which had herniated into the left chest through a large hiatal defect in an organoaxial fashion. Routinely, laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) is our preferred approach for EGC, and the presence of hiatal hernia in this case did not alter our approach. Laparoscopic repair of hiatal hernia was performed successfully followed by LADG. A review of the literature supports a minimally invasive approach for both procedures and shows it to be safe, effective, and technically feasible. Further, LADG is shown to be oncologically adequate in terms of tumor margins and lymph node dissection, but its relevance to long-term disease-free survival still needs to be studied in well-designed prospective trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to the thermal evolution of shear-free charged gravitating compact objects which undergoes exhausted its inner heat during gravitational collapse. The evaluation equations have been formulated by applying the perturbation of first order to Einstein-Maxwell equations and Catteno-type heat transportation equation. We show that the temperature gradient (induced in the system owing to external effects), sufficiently depends upon multiple of relaxation time and total time during which the gravitating system oscillates. By taking some particular examples of nuclear matter, it has been noted that at a particular value of luminosity, the change in existing thermal profile is greater corresponding to higher values of times during which a system comes to rest position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the pattern and causes of traumatic dental injuries (TDI's) to permanent teeth in children of age 7 to 14 years. Methods: An analytical cross sectional study was carried out from July 2016 to June 2017. A total of 79 injured teeth in 58 patients were included in this study. The Federation Dentaire Internationale System of tooth numbering and Ellis's classification of traumatic dental injuries (TDI's) was used for teeth fractures. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to assess pattern of injury and type of teeth involved. P value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Boys had more injuries as compared to girls with ratio of 1.4:1. The most frequent age involved was 12 years. Amongst causes; fall was the most common cause (39.24%) followed by accident (24.05%) and bicycle (17.72%). The most prevalent tooth involved was right maxillary central incisor n = 26 (32.91%, p = 0.001) and Ellis's classification III (37.97%, p =.001) of teeth fracture was common. Conclusion: The study concluded that the most frequent cause was fall and right central incisor and Elis's II classification were the most common amongst traumatic dental injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel methodology is developed for blind equalisation where the output of the linear filter is passed through a nonlinear fractional update term derived from the cost function using fractional calculus. The final weights update is a combination of the conventional constant modulus algorithm (CMA) weights and a fractional update part. As an improvement over the traditional approach, the new fractional strategy helps capture the parameters of the model at a faster rate while keeping the error small. The algorithm is applied for the blind equalisation of flat and frequency-selective channels. To assess the suitability of the proposed technique, different fractional orders and step sizes are used; the performance metric considered is the mean squared error for a quadrature phase shift keying transmission scheme. The simulation results show that the proposed technique outperforms the conventional CMA, exhibits faster convergence and yields an improved steady-state response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dual-band harmonic suppression dipole antenna suitable for energy harvesting system is presented in this paper. A linear dipole with two parasitic elements is designed and fabricated with a capability to eliminate the harmonic of higher order modes. At first, the antenna resonates at 900 MHz and 2.7 GHz. Therefore, a parasitic element is added into each of the dipole's arm to tune the second frequency band to 2.4 GHz to fit into wireless application. However, the presence of two parasitic elements has generated an unwanted harmonic at 4.0 GHz. Thus, a stub has been integrated into the antenna's terminal (feed line) to suppress the 4.0 GHz frequency. This technique is suitable for developing a multiband antenna with harmonic suppression. The antenna is fabricated on a FR-4 board with the size of 72×152 mm2 which operates efficiently at 0.8 GHz and 2.4 GHz which is suitable for wireless communication applications. The prototype can suppress the undesired harmful harmonics present within the frequency range of 3 to 5 GHz. The antenna has a good potential to be used in a rectenna system with a dual-band frequency operation but with better performance. Simulation and measurement results obtained are in a good agreement, which have confirmed the proposed design concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a broadband tapered balun with different sizes using nonlinear transition particularly suitable for planar and three-dimensional (3-D) dipole antennas for ultra-wideband (UWB) applications such as communication, radar systems and geolocation precision. Four baluns with wideband microstrip-to-parallel-strip transition using an elliptical structure for an elliptical dipole antenna are proposed. The initial balun structure consists of a nonlinear profile with a quarter-wavelength for both height and width. By studying the current distributions at the balun surface, it can be reduced to 25%, 50% and 75% from the original size. Measured results based on the reflection coefficients for all baluns are shown to be better than -10 dB from 1.0 GHz to 10 GHz. These baluns are integrated with an elliptical dipole which acts as a feeding circuit. Eight set of antennas with a planar and 3-D configurations with four different sizes are proposed in this work. The planar configurations are named as Planar 1, Planar 2, Planar 3 and Planar 4 while the 3-D configurations are named as 3D Dipole 1, 3D Dipole 2, 3D Dipole 3 and 3D Dipole 4, respectively. The results show that all antennas with the proposed baluns operates within the UWB frequency range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of water for the livelihood of human beings is inevitable. This study was carried out to perceive the impact of ever increasing urbanization in the catchment area of Rawal Lake on inflows of water and sedimentation. Rawal Lake is constructed on Korang River and supplies water for domestic use to Rawalpindi city and Cantonment Area. The results argue that the population in the last eleven years has increased up to 85% at a growth rate of 5.7%, while the built up land has increased 9%. On the other hand area under forest area has been decreased up to 10%. As a result of increase in urbanization inflows to the lake have decreased even though there is no major change in rainfall trend and contributed to the amount of suspended sediment in the inflows. The suspended sediment load was found to be varies from 16.45 tons/day to 1045 tones/day during low to high inflow season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decreased compliance of the conduit arteries is now recognized as an independent risk factor for developing cardiovascular pathology. Aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) is regarded as the gold standard method for the non-invasive measurement of arterial compliance. Currently, there is no consensus about which sites should be used for optimal estimation of aPWV. True aPWV is a variable of great importance as the compliance of the aorta determines cardiac afterload. The most commonly used technique for measuring aPWV is tonometry, but measurement sites are limited to superficial vessels. The purpose of this study was to estimate the difference in pulse wave velocity measured between the ascending aorta and common femoral artery with values measured between the ascending aorta and abdominal aorta. Ethics Committee approval was obtained to study patients undergoing elective surgery requiring general anaesthesia. Doppler signals were recorded for 2 min with the proximal probe held on the supraclavicular fossa (to insonate the ascending aorta) and the distal probe held at the abdominal aorta at the umbilical level. Doppler signals were recorded again with the proximal probe in the same position and the distal probe moved to the inguinal ligament to insonate the femoral artery. Pulse transit times between the two Doppler signals were measured by cross-correlating the signals and the aPWV was calculated, knowing the distance between the probes (measured to the nearest millimetre with a flexible tape). There was good correlation between the pulse wave velocity measured at the abdominal and femoral sites (r=0.87, P<0.005, n=10). The Bland-Altman analysis showed that the mean difference between the two approaches was 20.28 ms-1. A paired t-test revealed that there was no significant difference in PWV between the two measurement sites [PWVabd=6.77 ms-1 (1.47) (SD); PWVfem=6.49 (1.42)]. There was one outlier (Fig. 14). The femoral measurement site provides a good estimate of true aPWV values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the case study "Multiorgan infestation with macrophages with PAS-negative material inclusions in long-term hemodialysis: a case report," by S. M. Shah, R. Heyny-von Haußen, I. Berger and G. Mall is presented.

Abstract: Aims: The study was planned to characterize Planomicrobium sp. MSSA‐10 for plant‐beneficial traits and to evaluate its inoculation impact on physiology of pea plants under different salinity levels. Methods and Results: Strain MSSA‐10 was isolated from pea rhizosphere and identified by the analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence. The strain demonstrated phosphate solubilization and auxin production up to 2 mol l−1 NaCl and exhibited 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid deaminase activity up to 1·5 mol l−1 salt. In an inoculation experiment under different salinity regimes, a significant increase in growth was observed associated with decreased levels of reactive oxygen species and enhanced antioxidative enzyme activities. The strain also promoted the translocation of nutrients in plants with subsequent increase in chlorophyll and protein contents as compared to noninoculated plants. It has been observed that rifampicin‐resistant derivatives of MSSA‐10 were able to survive for 30 days at optimum cell density with pea rhizosphere. Conclusion: Growth‐stimulating effect of MSSA‐10 on pea plants may be attributed to its rhizosphere competence, nutrient mobilization and modulation of plant oxidative damage repair mechanisms under saline environment. Significance and Impact of the study: Planomicrobium sp. MSSA‐10 might be used as potent bioinoculant to relieve pea plants from deleterious effects of salinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mineralogical composition, grain size, dry density, tensile strength, uniaxial compressive strength, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratios and ultrasonic wave velocities of fifteen igneous rocks from Raskoh Range Balochistan were determined and analyzed to find correlations between these properties. The rock types included in this study were granite, granodiorite, dolerite, basalt, and rhyolite. For statistical analysis, the rocks were placed into two groups based on their grain size. The first group consisted of coarse grained rocks including granite and granodiorite whereas the second group consisted of fine grained and cryptocrystalline rocks including dolerite, basalt, and rhyolite. The correlations found between various properties were evaluated through t test at 5% significance level for their usefulness as predictive relationships. The experimentally determined rock properties and the statistically significant correlations between them are presented in this paper. The results of this study show that the mechanical properties of rocks can be estimated by using established correlation equations between the sonic wave velocities and petrographic characteristics of rocks of Raskoh Range Balochistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AimTo determine the association between pseudoexfoliation (PEX) and peripheral vascular disease (PVD) among age-related cataract.SettingIladevi Cataract and IOL Research Center, Ahmedabad, India.Material and methodsAn observational age-matched case-control study of 160 patients over 60 years of age with age-related cataract. A total of 40 subjects with PEX (cases) were compared with 120 subjects with cataract but without PEX (controls). A detailed medical history, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular stroke and ischaemic heart disease, was recorded. Ankle brachial index (ABI) was used to determine the risk of PVD among age-related cataract patients. Color Doppler imaging was performed on the brachial and dorsalis pedis artery to measure ABI and detect PVD. Least mean ABI was the main outcome measure, as low ABI indicates higher risk for PVD. The lowest mean ABI was measured for each subject. An ABI ratio of <0.90 was considered abnormal. The Mann-Whitney U-test and logistic regression were used for analysis.ResultsThe lowest mean ABI in the controls was 0.98±0.03 (SD; a range of 0.86-1.08) as compared with 0.88±0.02 (SD) among the cases (a range of 0.79-0.92; P<0.001). When compared with controls, cases had a lower ABI (P<0.001) irrespective of the presence or absence of systemic illness. On multiple regression analysis adjusting for systemic illness, the presence of PEX increased the odds of a low ABI group 150 times (P<0.001).ConclusionSubjects with cataract and PEX had a significantly lower ABI as compared with controls (cataracts without PEX). PEX is associated with and may be a risk factor for PVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To aim of this study is to analyse the survival rate and prognostic indicators of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Pakistani population. A total of 198 patients with SLE diagnosed between 1992 and 2005 were reviewed retrospectively. Clinical features at presentation, subsequent evolving features, autoantibody profile, damage scores and mortality data were obtained. Prognostic factors for survival were studied by statistical analysis. Of 198 SLE patients studied, 174 were women and 24 were men. The women to men ratio was 7.2:1. Mean age at presentation was 31 years (range 14-76). Mean duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 2.8 years. Mean duration of follow-up was 34.21 months (±33.69). Mean disease duration was 15.6 years. At diagnosis, arthritis, malar rash, oral ulcers and alopecia were the commonest features. During the follow-up, the prevalence of nephritis, arthritis, neurological and hematological disease increased significantly. About 76% (n = 151) of the patients had organ damage at the time of data analysis, and renal disease was the commonest cause. Univariate analysis revealed that renal disease (P = 0.000), seizures (P = 0.048), pleural involvement (P = 0.019), alopecia (P = 0.000) and discoid lesions (P = 0.005) were predictors for damage. Multivariate model, however, revealed that only renal disease was independent risk factor for damage (P = 0.002). During the study period, 47 patients (24%) died (five due to disease-related complications and rest as a result of infections). The 3-, 5-, 10-, 15- and 20-year survival rates of our cohort were 99, 80, 77, 75 and 75%, respectively. Cox regression analysis revealed that renal involvement (P = 0.002) and infections (P = 0.004) were independent risk factors for mortality. The survival of our Pakistani SLE patients was significantly lower compared to that of the Caucasian series reported in last decade. Nephritis not only contributes to organ damage but also acts a major determinant for survival. Infection remains the commonest cause of death. Renal involvement and infections are independent risk factors for mortality. Judicious use of immunosuppressive agents is necessary to improve the short-term survival of lupus patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate cultural practices need to be determined for enhancing crop yields with low inputs under rainfed conditions. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of tillage practices and fertilizer levels on yield, nitrogen (N) uptake and carbon (C) isotope discrimination in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown under semi-arid conditions at three sites in north-west Pakistan: NIFA, Urmar and Jalozai. Two fertilizer levels, 60kgNha−1+30 kg P ha−1 (L1) and 60kgNha−1+60 kg P ha−1 (L2), were applied to wheat grown under conventional tillage (T1) and no-tillage (T0) practices. Labeled urea having 1% 15N atom excess at 60 kg N ha−1 was applied as aqueous solution in microplots within each treatment plot. A pre-sowing irrigation of 60 mm was applied and during the growing season, the crop relied entirely on rainfall (268 mm). Biomass yield, N uptake and stable C isotope composition (δ13C) of plants were determined at maturity. Yield of wheat was improved by tillage at two sites (Sites 1 and 2), while at the third site yield was reduced by tillage as compared with the no-tillage treatment. At Sites 1 and 2, nutrient addition (L2, 60kgNha−1+60 kg P ha−1) increased the yield of all plant parts (straw, grain and root) in contrast to Site 3 where only grain yield was increased significantly. Maximum grain yield of wheat was observed with tillage under nutrient level L2 at all sites. Generally, the tillage treatment did not affect the N content in plant parts compared with no-tillage (T0) treatment at all three sites. However, fertilizer N uptake by wheat was variable under different fertilizer levels and tillage practices. Nitrogen derived from fertilizer (Ndff) for grain at Site 2 was higher in tilled plots but was not affected by tillage practice at the other sites. The C isotope (δ13C) values varied from −28.96 to −26.03‰ under different treatments at the three sites. The δ13C values were less negative indicating more effective water use at Sites 2 and 3 compared to Site 1. The C isotope discrimination (Δ) values were positively correlated with yield of wheat straw (r=0.578∗), grain (r=0.951∗∗) and root (r=0.583∗). Further, the Δ in grain had significant negative relationship (r=0.912∗∗) with Ndff (%). The tillage practice exerted a positive effect on yield, N uptake and plant N derived from fertilizer by wheat compared to no-tillage. The positive correlation of Δ with grain, straw and root yields and negative correlation with the Ndff (%) by wheat suggest that this value (Δ) could be used to predict these parameters. However, further studies on different crops under varied environmental conditions are necessary. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: To evaluate the habits of betel quid use and areca nut chewing among school-aged children in Karachi, Pakistan. Areca nut (betel nut) is chewed by itself, in various scented preparations, and in betel quid (containing betel leaf, areca nut, slaked lime, condiments, sweeteners and sometimes tobacco) in various parts of Pakistan and India. It is associated with carcinogenesis, foreign body aspiration in children and oral submucous fibrosis, and may aggravate asthma.Methods: We selected a stratified random sample of 160 primary school children between 4 and 16 years of age in Baba Island, Karachi.Results: Seventy-four per cent of the children (118/159) used areca nut and 35% (55/159) used betel quid daily. More boys chewed areca nut than girls (72% vs 30%). The proportion of areca nut users increased by grade (from 48% in first grade to 90% in fifth grade). Most areca users first tried it with a family member (42%) or a friend (26%), and most (68%) consumed three or more packets a day. Children with fathers with three or fewer years of education were more likely to use areca nut (OR 3.2; 95% CI 1.2-8.4), and children whose mothers helped with homework less likely (OR 0.5; 95% CI 0.2-0.91; P = 0.027) to use it. Boys (OR 6.6; 95% CI 2.3-18.7) and areca nut users (OR 8.8; 95% CI2.8-27.0) were more likely to use betel quid.Conclusion: To reduce the use of areca nut, the Pakistan Government should consider imposing taxes on it, limiting advertising and actively communicating its health risks to the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: The goal of this study was to evaluate the Perception of dental undergraduates regarding need of psychological and psychosocial support throughout their undergraduate life. A total sample of 300 dental students participated from 3 private dental colleges of Lahore. A cross sectional study was done to evaluate their needs for psychological counseling. A questionnaire was made comprising of 15 questions regarding various aspects and perceptions of counseling to evaluate its need and outcomes. The data showed 62.2% of undergraduate dental students need counseling sessions and 84.4% believes that mentoring has high impact on dentist health and practice. Data showed 71.2% will attend if confidentiality is provided and 80.1% believes these sessions will be productive. Confidentiality in counseling sessions is the most important part as there is a reluctance seen for counseling because of lack of confidentiality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]