A comparison of reading, in people with simulated and actual central vision loss, with static text, horizontally scrolling text, and rapid serial visual presentation

Reading with central vision loss (CVL), as caused by macular disease, may be enhanced by presenting text using dynamic formats such as horizontally scrolling text or rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP). The rationale for these dynamic text formats is that they can be read while holding gaze away from the text, potentially supporting reading while using the eccentric viewing strategy. This study was designed to evaluate the practice of reading with CVL, with passages of text presented as static sentences, with horizontal scrolling sentences, or as single-word RSVP. In separate studies, normally sighted participants with a simulated (artificial) central scotoma, controlled by an eye-tracker, or participants with CVL resulting from macular degeneration read passages of text using the eccentric viewing technique. Comprehension was better overall with scrolling text when reading with a simulated CVL, whereas RSVP produced lower overall comprehension and high error rates. Analysis of eye movement behavior showed that participants consistently adopted a strategy of making multiple horizontal saccades on the text itself. Adherence to using eccentric viewing was better with RSVP, but this did not translate into better reading performance. Participants with macular degeneration and an actual CVL also showed the highest comprehension and lowest error rates with scrolling text and the lowest comprehension and highest errors with RSVP. We conclude that scrolling text can support effective reading in people with CVL and has potential as a reading aid

Neonatal Out Come in High Risk Pregnancy

A 12 months study was carried out on 226 pregnant high risk patients attending in Rajshahi Medical College Hospital from January 2008 to December 2008. The aim of the study was to identify various type of high risk pregnancies and to determine social and educational status as well as new born conditions of birth. Among the 226 recruited patients 69.5% came from rural area. Among the 69.5% rural high risk patients 63.69% were illiterate. Live born baby in this study was 95.13%. In our study neonatal out come was excellent. Excellent out come was attributed to early diagnosis of high risk pregnancy and suitable intervention both by Obstetrician and Paediatrician. DOI: 10.3329/taj.v22i1.5016 TAJ 2009; 22(1): 26-29</jats:p

Carcinoma of uterine cervix: Top ranking in our country

e16580 Background: Carcinoma of cervix is worldwide, the most frequent gynecological cancer particularly in developing countries like ours. Carcinoma of the cervix uterine is the second commonest gynecological cancer in the developed countries and top ranking in the developing countries like ours. Methods: One hundred and fifty women having carcinoma of the cervix uteri were prospectively studied in the department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics and Radiotherapy department of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital from January 2004 to December 2007. The cases were diagnosed clinically and confirmed by histopathological examination. Results: In all 150 patients of carcinoma of the cervix were selected for this study. There mean age was 50.12 yrs. Most of the patients (78%) had marriage between the age of 10–15 years; 8% married below 10 years and 14% between 16–20 years of age.In this study the all were multipara; 30% patients had 6 pregnancies throughout life. 10% had more than 10 pregnancies, 8% had 8 pregnancies, 4% had 9 pregnancies, 14% had 5 pregnancies and 16% had 4 pregnancies.The study shows that the distribution of patients according to the staging of the carcinoma. 54 (36%) were of III A stage. 39 (26%) in II B stage, 21 (14%) in III B stage, 9 (6%) in IV A stage, 6 (4%) in I B stage, and 3 (2%) in IV B stage. No patient presented with O or IA stage. Conclusions: The study showed that the majority of the patients were between the ages of 40–50. HPV types 16/18 has a significant role for the development of the disease. Religious practices are of important role for its causation. It is less frequent in Jew and most frequent in Hindu. Histopathologically 90%-95% are squamous cell carcinoma and 1–5% are adnocarcinoma.From the findings it is observed that early marriage, creation of awareness about sex hygiene, discourage to have multiple sexual partners and marriages, discourage to have multiple pregnancies and providing adequate health care and health education to the women could reduce the development of carcinoma of cervix. No significant financial relationships to disclose. </jats:p

Augmentation of Heat Transfer in Shell and Coil Type Heat Exchanger Using Nano Fluid

The heat transfer efficiency of most thermal devices can be enhanced by increasing it. Some process sectors, such as power plants and automobiles, require heat transfer enhancement in either heating, cooling, or evaporation on equipment such as air conditioning, radiators, freezers, and condensers. The approaches that are accessible can be divided into two categories: passive and active techniques. The goal of the study was to use passive strategies to improve heat transmission in a twin pipe heat exchanger. Water and titanium dioxide nano-fluid are examples of nanofluid.</jats:p

Coordination and collaboration for humanitarian operational excellence : big data and modern information processing systems

Humanitarian operational excellence depends on effective coordination and collaboration not only between supply chain partners but also among other actors such as host government, local and international non-government organisations (NGOs), and donors. Importantly, effective coordination and collaboration are facilitated by big data and modern information processing (BDMIP) systems that are complex and interlocked with contemporary information and communication technology (ICT). This study simplifies BDMIP systems by using a comprehensive methodology (literature review and a multi-criteria decision-making approach, called the analytic network process) and explores its key determinants and other interconnected factors. The data were collected from humanitarian managers, working in horizontally (e.g. governments, local and international humanitarian organisations) and vertically (e.g. supply chain partners) collaborated organisations. Three systems (manual, semi-automated, and fully automated) are investigated, which depend on various determinants for operational excellence interlinked with modern big data technology and its components. The results indicate that dynamic compatibility is the most important determinant for such systems to support operational excellence, followed by real-time response, cost, end-to-end visibility, and operational service quality. The implementation of fully automated systems is less cost-effective. This attributes to contemporary dimensions and enablers (e.g. the internet of things, big data collection and analytics, effective data and information sharing, modern unmanned aerial vehicles (called drones), skills for mining structured and unstructured data, among others). Semi-automated systems are also imperative for certain enablers (e.g. data accuracy, data reliability, and personalised data exchange). This study concludes by discussing these findings and their implications for practitioners; how they can combine these technical and operational foundations to execute humanitarian operational excellence and to build effective coordination and collaboration among involved parties. It further provides suggestions for future research

Gene Expression Analysis Reveals the Concurrent Activation of Proapoptotic and Antioxidant-Defensive Mechanisms in Flavokawain B–Treated Cervical Cancer HeLa Cells

Flavokawain B (FKB) is known to possess promising anticancer abilities. This is demonstrated in various cancer cell lines including HeLa cells. Cervical cancer is among the most widely diagnosed cancer among women today. Though FKB has been shown to be effective in treating cancer cells, the exact molecular mechanism is still unknown. This study is aimed at understanding the effects of FKB on HeLa cells using a microarray-based mRNA expression profiling and proteome profiling of stress-related proteins. The results of this study suggest that FKB induced cell death through p21-mediated cell cycle arrest and activation of p38. However, concurrent activation of antioxidant-related pathways and iron sequestration pathway followed by activation of ER-resident stress proteins clearly indicate that FKB failed to induce apoptosis in HeLa cells via oxidative stress. This effect implies that the protection of HeLa cells by FKB from H2O2-induced cell death is via neutralization of reactive oxygen species