Optimal electrocardiographic limb lead set for rapid emphysema screening

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary emphysema of any etiology has been shown to be strongly and quasidiagnostically associated with a vertical frontal P wave axis. A vertical P wave axis (\u3e60 degrees) during sinus rhythm can be easily determined by a P wave in lead III greater than the P wave in lead I (bipolar lead set) or a dominantly negative P wave in aVL (unipolar lead set). The purpose of this investigation was to determine which set of limb leads may be better for identifying the vertical P vector of emphysema in adults. METHODS: Unselected consecutive electrocardiograms from 100 patients with a diagnosis of emphysema were analyzed to determine the P wave axis. Patients aged younger than 45 years, those not in sinus rhythm, and those with poor quality tracings were excluded. The electrocardiographic data were divided into three categories depending on the frontal P wave axis, ie, \u3e60 degrees, 60 degrees, ordegrees, by each criterion (P amplitude lead III \u3e lead I and a negative P wave in aVL). RESULTS: Sixty-six percent of patients had a P wave axis \u3e 60 degrees based on aVL, and 88% of patients had a P wave axis \u3e 60 degrees based on the P wave in lead III being greater than in lead I. CONCLUSION: A P wave in lead III greater than that in lead I is a more sensitive marker than a negative P wave in aVL for diagnosing emphysema and is recommended for rapid routine screening

Adaption of Wheat Genotypes to Drought Stress

Drought can serve to restrict the growth and development of wheat. The current research was conducted to screen for drought-tolerant wheat genotypes through phenotypic markers, including growth indicators and yield. We used a Randomized Complete Block (RCB) design with three replicate sites (about333 m2 area per replicate). Six wheat genotypes which are frequently grown under rain-fed conditions at the southern highland of West-Bank, Palestine were evaluated for specific phenotypes including stem length, spike with awns length, awns length, number of tillers, total grain, total hay, and mass of seeds (per 100). The results showed significant variations among the six wheat genotypes for most of the measured parameters. Yellow-Hetia genotype showed the highest stem length, spike with awns length, awns length, weight of 100 seeds, and yield (grain plus hay). However, the remaining genotypes presented almost similar production ranging from 475-488 kg/dunum. In contrary, Nab-El-Jamal genotype exhibited the lowest grain production and Um-El-Rabee' genotype revealed the minimum hay production. Based on our data, Yellow-Hetia could be a promising cultivar for future breeding programs, especially those involving drought tolerance

Effect of He-Ne Laser on Blood Serum Testosterone and Testicular Tissue in Adult Male Rat

The current study was conducted to examine the effect of He-Ne laser therapy on the blood serum testosterone level and testicular tissue in adult male rats. Thirty five Albino Western adult male rats aged 3-4 months and weighing approximately 250-300 g were used and divided in to three groups. The  testicular tissue of rats in the first treatment was exposed to a dose of irradiation 1.02 j/cm2 (40 second) once daily for three successively days, while second treatment was exposed to a dose of irradiation 2.03 j/cm2 (80 second) once daily for three successive date, while the third group remained without any treatments (control).  The results showed that the process of irradiation adversely affected on the level of blood serum testosterone in the first and second treatment compared to the normal level in the control group. The histological examination in treatment one showed  low reduction in numbers of sertoli , leydig  and spermatid cells   at day one, while in day two  showed medium reduction in numbers of sertoli , leydig  and spermatid cells,and high reduction in numbers of sertoli , leydig  and spermatid cells  in day three of irradiation. In treatment two, the results showed   medium reduction in numbers of sertoli , leydig  and spermatid cells at day one, while in day two  showed high reduction in numbers of sertoli , leydig  and spermatid cells and very high reduction in numbers of sertoli , leydig  and spermatid cells in day three of irradiation . In conclusion the current study revealed that steers factor cause reduction in numbers of sertoli , leydig  and spermatid cells  lead to  low fertility rate within  increasing of duration and repetition of irradiation

Repeatability and Reliability of New Air and Water Permeability Tests for Assessing the Durability of High Performance Concretes

This paper reports on the accuracy of new test methods developed to measure the air and water permeability of high-performance concretes (HPCs). Five representative HPC and one normal concrete (NC) mixtures were tested to estimate both repeatability and reliability of the proposed methods. Repeatability acceptance was adjudged using values of signal-noise ratio (SNR) and discrimination ratio (DR), and reliability was investigated by comparing against standard laboratory-based test methods (i.e., the RILEM gas permeability test and BS EN water penetration test). With SNR and DR values satisfying recommended criteria, it was concluded that test repeatability error has no significant influence on results. In addition, the research confirmed strong positive relationships between the proposed test methods and existing standard permeability assessment techniques. Based on these findings, the proposed test methods show strong potential to become recognized as international methods for determining the permeability of HPCs

Debilitating floods in the Sahel are becoming frequent

Despite the long-lasting and widespread drought in the Sahel, flood events did punctuate in the past. The concern about floods remains dwarf on the international research and policy agenda compared to droughts. In this paper, we elucidate that floods in the Sahel are now becoming more frequent, widespread, and more devastating. We analyzed gridded daily rainfall data over the period 1981–2020, used photographs and satellite images to depict flood areas and threats, compiled and studied flood-related statistics over the past two decades, and supported the results with peer-reviewed literature. Our analysis revealed that the timing of the maximum daily rainfall occurs from the last week of July to mid-August in the Eastern Sahel, but from the last week of July to the end of August in the Western Sahel. In 2019 and 2020, flash and riverine floods took their toll in Sudan and elsewhere in the region in terms of the number of affected people, direct deaths, destroyed and damaged houses and croplands, contaminated water resources, and disease outbreaks and deaths. Changes in rainfall intensity, human interventions in the physical environment, and poor urban planning play a major role in driving catastrophic floods. Emphasis should be put on understanding flood causes and impacts on vulnerable societies, controlling water-borne diseases, and recognizing the importance of compiling relevant and reliable flood information. Extreme rainfall in this dry region could be an asset for attenuating the regional water scarcity status if well harvested and managed. We hope this paper will induce the hydroclimate scholars to carry out more flood studies for the Sahel. It is only then encumbered meaningful opportunities for flood risk management can start to unveil

A mixed method study on the metacognitive awareness of reading strategies used by Saudi EFL students

Metacognitive awareness of reading strategy has a significant impact on language learning. It addresses how students organize context-based interactions and how they may employ reading comprehension strategies. Saudi students of English still face reading comprehension issues that significantly affect their overall language learning. Therefore, this mixed method study sought to assess Saudi English students’ metacognitive awareness of reading strategies, determine whether gender and university level affect their use of these strategies, and explore English instructors’ views on this issue. Two instruments were used to achieve these objectives. Two hundred ten students were surveyed for quantitative data. 15 English instructors were interviewed in a semi-structured manner for qualitative data. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to analyze the quantitative data gathered, while pattern matching and thematic content analysis were applied to analyze the qualitative data. The results demonstrated that Saudi EFL students’ metacognitive awareness of reading methods was generally moderate. This awareness was moderate regarding the use of global reading strategies and low regarding support and problem-solving strategies. The metacognitive awareness levels for global strategies vary significantly by gender, in favour of females. Senior and junior university students had better global and support reading methods than freshmen. The qualitative data from the interview supported the quantitative data suggesting Saudi EFL students had low to moderate metacognitive awareness. Their low-to-moderate level explains their poor reading comprehension. Based on these findings, limitations and recommendations are given