Land Utilization, Development Expenditure, Agricultural Productivity and Economic Growth: Evidence from Pakistan

The main purpose of this study was investigates and explores the association between land utilization, development expenditure, agricultural production and economic growth in Pakistan based on the time series data over the year of 1983 to 2014. Data were analyzed applying the Phillips-Perron (P-P) unit root test, and results were interpreted implying the cointegration test. OLS was adopted to assess the effect of land utilization, development expenditure and agricultural productivity on economic growth of Pakistan. The estimated results of cointegration test show that there presence a long-run association among development expenditure for agricultural sector, land utilization, agricultural productivity and economic growth in Pakistan. The results of OLS regression analysis show that development expenditure and agricultural productivity have a significant impact on economic growth of Pakistan while land utilization (total land used for crops) has a positive relation with economic growth but found statistically insignificant. This study suggested that the government should increase expenditure development for growth and development of agricultural sector that will enhance the economic growth of Pakistan

The Study of Polyurethane Modified with (Peel the Garlic , Cooked Tea Leaves and Ash Firewood) as Antibacterial Polymer

In this present paper, experimental results on anti-bacterial efficacy of poly urethane foam  added to various contents of Peel the garlic , Cooked tea leaves and Ash firewood) as anti-bacterial agents, were reported. All the results were obtained after 24 hours of microbial growing  .The ratio of doping with Peel the garlic , Cooked tea leaves and Ash firewood) was  1 to 17 W%. The size of egg shell foils used in this study was (< 400) μm. We compared the initial adhesion and growth of positive and negative gram bacteria . Bacteria brought from microbiology laboratory in Qurna general hospital   after insuring them by tests like Gram stain test ,Catalas test ,Manitol test, Urease test, H2S and Citrate tests  Coagulase test, Indol test,  Mthyl red  and Oxidase tests. The obtained results showed that the gram positive bacteria had a limited inhibition zone. Furthermore the obtained results were explained according to the bacterial cell wall  and it’s liquid contents

The Biodegradation Study of Polyurethane Foam Mixed with Local Additives

In this paper, three types of local additives including ash, powder of peel garlic and powder of cooked tea leaves are used. These additives are usually considered as a waste, so this research was based on the principle of using recycled waste to improve the properties of polyurethane foam. Three different weights ranged between 1 g to 17 g mixed with polyurethane were prepared for (1:1) weight ratio of polyol and isocyanate. All samples which mixed with these additives above had been cut to specific forms. The biodegradation of the polymers mixed with these additives had been studied by burial them in three types of soil such as: clayey, sandy and river soil. The burial process continued in the soils for 100 days. The biodegradation of samples had been calculated through measuring the difference in weight before and after the burial. The results showed that there was a kind of simple biodegradation resulted from the addition of these local cheap additives

A Case Report on Pancoast Tumor

AbstractTo present and discuss a case of Pancoast Tumor: an apical lung neoplasm, and subsequentlyhighlight the clinical importance of chronic and progressive complaints, pertaining to this pathology,in helping to detect it and form an early diagnosis.Case: A 55-year-old non-smoker male patient, with a known case of gout and uncontrolled diabetesmellitus, presented to emergency with complaints of severe right-sided pain in the chest, subscapularand axillary regions. His electrocardiogram (ECG) and cardiac enzyme came out to be normal. ChestX-ray showed an opacity in the apex of the right lung. On contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CECT), there were enhancing multi-focal lesions in the apical segment of the right lung making adiagnosis of Pancoast tumor.Even though, it may be missed in the early stages as the tumor cannot be seen on imaging investigationsand biopsy is more specific at this time, imaging studies do play a substantial role in diagnosing thistumor. Due to the challenges in diagnosing this rare type of lung neoplasm, it is usually diagnosedwhen it has locally invaded.Conclusion: Awareness regarding clinically important warning signs of Pancoast tumors such aschronic and progressive neck and shoulder pain can help healthcare professionals, most notably butnot exclusively, chiropractors, in prompt identification of these signs and symptoms, thus facilitatinga timely medical and/or surgical referral and an early diagnosis of this pathology. A thoroughexamination can assist in early diagnosis and lead to a subsequent decrease in mortality and animprovement in quality of life.Keywords: Pancoast syndrome, Neck pain, Lung neoplasms

Modified collection methods and quality of semen in Nigerian local turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo)

Semen collection in birds was initially achieved either via post-mortem drainage of the vas deferens or by cloacal retrieval after natural mating. Current techniques do not exclude stress and risk of injury during restraint or milking, especially in domestic turkeys. The present study was designed to develop more convenient methods of semen collection in turkeys. It involved five (n = 5) matured turkey toms weighing approximately 12 – 15 kg and two (n = 2) turkey hens. In the improved collection method, toms were stimulated by exposing them to hens, covered using a locally constructed wooden box. They were allowed to mount until there was evidence of ejaculatory response, demonstrated by increased abdominal pressure and cloacal contraction. After mounting, the tail feathers were lifted, and a collection vial was placed immediately below the cloaca to collect the ejaculates. In the modified abdominal massage, the turkey toms were restrained on sterna recumbency while the ejaculatory response was initiated by gently massaging the soft part of the abdomen and backward massage of the tail feathers. This is continued by rubbing either side of the cloaca till erection is achieved and semen is milked into a collection vial by gently squeezing the cloaca. Collections were made twice a week for four weeks using each method independently. The mean semen volume in the improved collection method was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than the modified abdominal massage. There was no significant (p > 0.05) difference in motility, abnormalities and concentration between both methods. The results from this study suggest that both collection methods were satisfactory for practical use and may offset some challenges associated with the most widely used abdominal massage technique of semen collection in turkeys

Identification of New Alleles and the Determination of Alleles and Genotypes Frequencies at the CYP2D6 Gene in Emiratis

CYP2D6 belongs to the cytochrome P450 superfamily of enzymes and plays an important role in the metabolism of 20–25% of clinically used drugs including antidepressants. It displays inter-individual and inter-ethnic variability in activity ranging from complete absence to excessive activity which causes adverse drug reactions and toxicity or therapy failure even at normal drug doses. This variability is due to genetic polymorphisms which form poor, intermediate, extensive or ultrarapid metaboliser phenotypes. This study aimed to determine CYP2D6 alleles and their frequencies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) local population. CYP2D6 alleles and genotypes were determined by direct DNA sequencing in 151 Emiratis with the majority being psychiatric patients on antidepressants. Several new alleles have been identified and in total we identified seventeen alleles and 49 genotypes. CYP2D6*1 (wild type) and CYP2D6*2 alleles (extensive metaboliser phenotype) were found with frequencies of 39.1% and 12.2%, respectively. CYP2D6*41 (intermediate metaboliser) occurred in 15.2%. Homozygous CYP2D6*4 allele (poor metaboliser) was found with a frequency of 2% while homozygous and heterozygous CYP2D6*4 occurred with a frequency of 9%. CYP2D6*2xn, caused by gene duplication (ultrarapid metaboliser) had a frequency of 4.3%. CYP2D6 gene duplication/multiduplication occurred in 16% but only 11.2% who carried more than 2 active functional alleles were considered ultrarapid metabolisers. CYP2D6 gene deletion in one copy occurred in 7.5% of the study group. In conclusion, CYP2D6 gene locus is heterogeneous in the UAE national population and no significant differences have been identified between the psychiatric patients and controls

Risk factors for progression from severe maternal morbidity to death: a national cohort study.

Women continue to die unnecessarily during or after pregnancy in the developed world. The aim of this analysis was to compare women with severe maternal morbidities who survived with those who died, to quantify the risk associated with identified factors to inform policy and practice to improve survival

Trust and distrust in contradictory information transmission

We analyse the problem of contradictory information distribution in networks of agents with positive and negative trust. The networks of interest are built by ranked agents with different epistemic attitudes. In this context, positive trust is a property of the communication between agents required when message passing is executed bottom-up in the hierarchy, or as a result of a sceptic agent checking information. These two situations are associated with a confirmation procedure that has an epistemic cost. Negative trust results from refusing verification, either of contradictory information or because of a lazy attitude. We offer first a natural deduction system called SecureNDsim to model these interactions and consider some meta-theoretical properties of its derivations. We then implement it in a NetLogo simulation to test experimentally its formal properties. Our analysis concerns in particular: conditions for consensus-reaching transmissions; epistemic costs induced by confirmation and rejection operations; the influence of ranking of the initially labelled nodes on consensus and costs; complexity results

Hepatocellular carcinoma in Pakistan: where do we stand?

Context: From the 1970s till the mid 1990s, hepatitis B was the most common etiological factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Pakistan. Afterwards, a shift in HCC etiology was observed with a steady rise in hepatitis C virus (HCV) related HCC cases. HCV-3a, which is the most prevalent genotype, is also most frequent in HCV related HCC. There was an increase in the proportion of non-B non-C (NBNC) HCC cases as well, which might be attributed to an increase in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Evidence Acquisition: The age-standardized rate for HCC is 7.64/100 000 in males and 2.8/100 000 in females. Male to female ratio is 3.6:1. Usual age of presentation is in the fifth and sixth decade. Most patients present with advanced disease, as they are not in a regular surveillance program. This is more so for patients with NBNC chronic liver disease. As many sonologists in Pakistan are practicing without sufficient training to pick up early lesions, alpha-fetoprotein is still recommended to compliment ultrasound in the surveillance of HCC. Results: Majority of HCC patients present with nonresectable disease. Interventions such as transarterial chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation, resection and chemotherapy including sorafenib are available in selected centers. Pakistan appears to be in an area of intermediate endemicity for HCC. There is a need for population based epidemiological studies to estimate the exact disease burden. Conclusions: Measures to prevent the spread of hepatitis C and B can slow down the epidemic rise in the incidence of HCC in the coming decades. There is a need to implement a proper surveillance program to identify HCC cases at an early stage