Frequency of Surgical Impactions of Mandibular Third Molar in Orthodontic Patients with Different Antegonial Notching

Background: Few studies have been reported so far on the frequency of lower third molar impactions in patients with different morphological characteristics. Our aim in this study was to find out the frequency of impacted lower third molars in orthodontic patients with different antegonial notch depths. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional research was conducted at Orthodontics Department of Dental Section, Faisalabad Medical University, Faisalabad, and de’Montmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore, Pakistan from June 2017 to June 2019. A total of 60 orthopantomograms (OPGs) of patients with impacted lower third molars were included. The depth of antegonial notch was calculated on all the selected OPGs by measuring distance between the deepest area of the notch cavity and the tangent on the inferior border of the mandible. The patients with depth of antegonial notch of 1 mm or less were labeled as having shallow antegonial notch, while those with 3 mm or more were considered as having deep antegonial notch. Percentages and mean + SD were calculated for different variables. Depth of antegonial notching was compared between genders using ANOVA with P-value <0.5 considered as significant. Results: Of 60 orthodontic patients, there was an equal number of male and female patients (n=30). The average age of the patients was 25.5±4 years. Overall frequency of impactions was similar in both the genders and frequency of impacted lower third molars was found to be greater in patients with deeper antegonial notches. Conclusion: Mandibular third molar impactions were most frequent in orthodontic patients with deep antegonial notche

Experimental and Performance Evaluation of the Soiling and Cooling Effect on the Solar Photovoltaic Modules

Solar photovoltaic (PV) system technology is a significant energy source that has no moving parts and can accomplish the desired work with less effort. The technology can help to alleviate the climate change phenomena and achieve sustainable development. One of the most important challenges to address before installing a solar PV system is dirt deposition, e.g., soil/sand/ash. The tiny debris particles accumulate on the top surface of the panel, which decreases the PV conversion efficiency and subsequently lowers the overall performance. This work aims to investigate the effect of soiling deposition (soil, sand, and ash) and surface temperature on the performance of PV modules. In this regard, the fabricated test rig was performed for experimental cleaning and cooling on the top of solar PV modules. Therefore, the module's performance in terms of the current produced, the voltage generated, and module efficiency is evaluated for different dust deposition volumes. The results indicate that the ash affects the PV performance badly, reducing 50 to 60 % of current production for only 50 mL volume, compared to sand and soil. Furthermore, the results also indicated that the efficiency of photovoltaic modules increases by 3-4% when water is used for cleaning and cooling purposes

Efficacy of Electroconvulsive Therapy and Ketamine Therapy in Major Depressive Disorder; A Comparative Study

Objective: To evaluate and compare the efficacy of Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and Ketamine infusions in hospitalized patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD). Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Place and duration of study: Armed Forces Institute of Mental Health, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Feb to Apr 2021. Methodology: Forty in-patients diagnosed as having MDD were randomly allocated ECT/Ketamine intervention as per international standards. Either group of patients acted as a control for the other. Their Beck Depressive Inventory (BDI) scores before and after the completion of treatment cycles were assessed to determine their response to treatment. Results: The Ketamine-Group showed fewer depressive symptoms than the ECT Group. The depressive symptoms were reduced in 16(80.78%) patients after Ketamine infusions, while 15(77.78%) patients showed improvement after ECT sessions.In addition, the response to Ketamine was quicker. Conclusion: This study has reported that low dose Ketamine has a more rapid impact than Electroconvulsive therapy in improving symptoms of depression in major depressive disorder patients

Effects of Host and virus related factors on Interferon-α+ribavirin and Pegylated-interferon+ribavirin treatment outcomes in Chronic Hepatitis C patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Current standard therapy commonly followed for chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in Pakistan is interferon alpha plus ribavirin combination therapy (IFN α/ribavirin) and pegylated interferon plus ribavirin (PegIFN/ribavirin). PegIFN/ribavirin has increased rate of sustained virological response than standard IFN α/ribavirin therapy. Objective of current study was to analyze rate of early and delayed response to antiviral treatment as well as rate of relapse response in patients following standard treatment IFN α/ribavirin and in patients following pegylated interferon treatment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Baseline serum samples of 153 patients enrolled for IFN α/ribavirin and 50 patients for PegIFN/ribavirin were collected. After total RNA extraction, genotyping was and HCV RNA viral load was done. Subsequently HCV RNA viral load was estimated at 4 weeks of treatment, at 12 weeks, at 24 or 48 weeks and finally after 6 months follow up period. All the data was statistically analyzed using fisher's exact test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Total 86 patients out of 153 patients following conventional IFN α/ribavirin therapy completed treatment and 69% of them showed Rapid Virological Response (RVR). Whereas 50 patients following PegIFN/ribavirin treatment completed treatment and 80% of them achieved RVR. Total 64 out of 86 patients following IFN α/ribavirin therapy completed follow up period and 53.5% of them achieved Sustainded Virologcal Response (SVR). Forty-five out of total 50 patients who received PegIFN/ribavirin treatment completed 6 months follow up period and among these 70% achieved SVR. SVR rates were significantly associated with RVR (p < 0.001), age (p < 0.001) and gender (p < 0.01)</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Rate of sustained virological response can be determined by factors like rapid virological response and age since they share significant association with one another. More over rate of SVR was more prominent in males than in females.</p

Mandibular Third Molars and Lower Anterior Crowding: Comparison of Opinions of Oral-Maxillofacial Surgeons and Orthodontists

Objective: To compare the opinion of orthodontists and oral-maxillofacial surgeons on relation between erupting mandibular third molars and lower incisal crowding.Patients and Methods: This descriptive study involved 100 Pakistani clinicians (50 orthodontists, 50 oral-maxillofacial surgeons) to answer online questionnaire regarding their opinions on link between erupting Mandibular Third Molars along with their extraction opinion with reference to development and prevention of lower incisal crowding. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. Pearson's chi-square test was applied and statistical significance was defined at &lt;=0.05.Results: Statistically insignificant differences were found between oral-maxillofacial surgeons and orthodontists regarding question of erupting mandibular third molars in causing lower incisal crowding. Similarly, statistically insignificant differences between oral-maxillofacial surgeons and orthodontists were found regarding question of recommending preventive extraction of mandibular third molars for developing lower incisal crowding.Conclusion: No opinion differences were observed between Pakistani oral surgeons and orthodontists, regarding the link of lower third molar as a cause of lower incisal crowding

Sonographic Evaluation of Causes of Right Hypochondriac Pain

Background: Right hypochondriac pain or right upper abdominal quadrant (RUQ) pain is the most common type of pain, reason of 7.9% patients presenting at the OPD and ET departments of hospitals. RUQ main has multiple recorded causes with different frequencies of presentation. Ultrasound is the essential imaging methodology of decision for introductory evaluation and fills in as a practical and dynamic methodology to give a conclusive finding. Various systems of organs are incorporated at standard RUQ US, and an assortment of ultrasonographically diagnosable infection cycles can be recognized, including states of hepatic, pancreatic, adrenal, renal, gastrointestinal, vascular, and thoracic, all of which may bring about RUQ torment and pain. Most common causes, however, incorporate acute hepatitis and issues with gall bladder such as cholelithiasis as reported in existing literature The present study was thus conducted to evaluate the causes of right hypochondriac pain adopting ultrasound as the modality of choice. All the patients were scanned using SIMENS Grey scale/doppler ultrasound machine. Scanning was done in both transverse, longitudinal and any other plane deemed necessary to adequately visualize the right upper quadrant. Patients of either sex suffering from right hypochondrium pain were included in the study. They were referred from surgical OPD/ward of Chaudhary Muhammad Akram Teaching and Research Hospital. Duration of study was 4 months, during this period 154 patients were selected on the basis of  age, gender and  radiological findings,  informed, verbal consent was taken and ultrasonographic reports were collected  from radiologist office. It was found that out of 154 recorded cases, 93 were females and 61 males. Patients presented with a mixed frequencies of pain, highest being generalized abdominal pain. For the causes of RUQ pain, hepatic cyst was found to be the major cause present in 38.3% study participants followed by cholelithiasis (13.6%), hepatic hemangioma (10.4%), and right renal cyst (6.5%). Other findings included conditions like fatty liver (5.8%), gallbladder polyp (5.8%), right renal stones and hepatocellular carcinoma (3.9%). It was concluded that hepatic cysts and gall bladder stones are the major cause of RUQ pain in the present study sample. Although in some cases  non-significant causes included hepatic calcification, focal nodular hyperplasia and lipomas are causes pain. As in our cases, US seems to be an important diagnostic modelity in both the diagnosis and follow-up of Right hypochondriac pain and it may provide a faster, easier method of diagnosis. Keywords: Right Hypochondriac Region, Cholelithiasis, Acute Hepatitis, Ultrasound, Inflammation. DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/91-06 Publication date:July 31st 202

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SLUDGE DEPOSITS IN CRUDE OIL STORAGE TANKS

Sludge obtained from the crude oil storage tanks is semi solid waste. It is a complex emulsion of numerous petroleum hydrocarbons, water, and solid particles. Petroleum sludge is generated during crude oil transportation, storage, refining and production. It includes many poisonous species, xylene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, heavy metals, toluene, and ethyl benzene. The physiochemical characteristics of the sludge from oil and gas fields were investigated in this research. Basic sediments, water, and oil was determined by centrifuge, pH meter was used to evaluate the alkalinity. Total solid residue was calculated by evaporating the samples in drying oven after setting the temperature up to 105oC .Moisture contents were determined as a percentage of total solid residues (TSR). The fixed residue and volatile solids were analyzed by using electric muffle furnace after ignition on the temperature of 600oC. Moisture in the sludge was in the range of 32.23 to 34.92, Total solid residue was 67.7 to 65.08, Volatile solids 89.29 to 90.45 and fixed residue 10.71 to 9.55.&nbsp

Clinical translation of a click-labeled 18F-octreotate radioligand for imaging neuroendocrine tumors

© 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc. We conducted the first-in-human study of 18F-fluoroethyl triazole [Tyr3] octreotate (18F-FET-βAG-TOCA) in patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) to evaluate biodistribution, dosimetry, and safety. Despite advances in clinical imaging, detection and quantification of NET activity remains a challenge, with no universally accepted imaging standard. Methods: Nine patients were enrolled. Eight patients had sporadic NETs, and 1 had multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 syndrome. Patients received 137-163 MBq (mean ± SD, 155.7 ± 8 MBq) of 18F-FET-βAG-TOCA. Safety data were obtained during and 24 h after radioligand administration. Patients underwent detailed wholebody PET/CT multibed scanning over 4 h with sampling of venous bloods for radioactivity and radioactive metabolite quantification. Regions of interest were defined to derive individual and mean organ residence times; effective dose was calculated with OLINDA 1.1. Results: All patients tolerated 18F-FET-βAG-TOCA with no adverse events. Over 60% parent radioligand was present in plasma at 60 min. High tumor (primary and metastases)-to-background contrast images were observed. Physiologic distribution was seen in the pituitary, salivary glands, thyroid, and spleen, with low background distribution in the liver, an organ in which metastases commonly occur. The organs receiving highest absorbed dose were the gallbladder, spleen, stomach, liver, kidneys, and bladder. The calculated effective dose over all subjects (mean ± SD) was 0.029 ± 0.004 mSv/MBq. Conclusion: The favorable safety, imaging, and dosimetric profile makes 18F-FET-βAGTOCA a promising candidate radioligand for staging and management of NETs. Clinical studies in an expanded cohort are ongoing to clinically qualify this agent

Petrography and geochemistry of dolomites of samanasuk formation, Dara Adam khel section, Kohat ranges, Pakistan

Replacement dolomite occurs in Jurassic Samanasuk Formation in Dara Adam khel area of Kohat ranges, North-Western Himalayas, Pakistan. This study, for the first time, document the process of dolomitization and evolution of strata bound dolomitic bodies. Field investigation, petrography and geochemistry helped in unraveling the formation of several dolomitic bodies. Petrographically dolomites comprises of: (1) medium grain crystalline planer subhedral dolomite (Dol-I); (2) fine grained crystalline anhedral non-planer dolomite rhombs (Dol-II); (3) medium to coarse grained crystalline subhedral-anhedral non-planer dolomite (Dol-III) and coarse to very coarse grained crystalline saddle dolomite cements (SD). The saddle dolomites (SD) postdate the replacement dolomites and precede telogenetic calcite (TC) cements. Stable O and C isotope analysis shows that these dolomites have δ18Ovpdb ranging from -4.09% to -10.4 whereas the δ13Cvpdb ranges from +0.8 to +2.51. Major and trace elements data show that Sr concentrations of 145.5 to 173 ppm; Fe contents of 2198 to 8215 ppm; and Mn contents of 93.5 to 411 ppm. Petrographically replacive dolomites, saddle dolomite, and δ18Ovpdb values depicts neomorphism of replacement dolomites that were formed earlier were exposed to late dolomitizing fluids. As a result of basin uplift during the Himalayan orogeny in Eocene time, dolomitization event was stopped through occurrence of meteoric water. The Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) and its splays were most likely essential conduits that channelized dolomitizing fluids from siliciclastic rocks that were buried deeply into the Jurassic carbonates rocks, leading to more extreme dolomitization