Effect of two techniques of parental interaction on children\u27s anxiety at induction of general anaesthesia - A randomized trial

Objective: Several non-pharmacological techniques, such as parental presence and behavioral preparation, are used to decrease children\u27s anxiety at anaesthesia induction. We compared the mean anxiety score in children at the time of anaesthesia induction with two different physical techniques of parental interaction and a control group with no parent present. The secondary objective was to determine the face mask acceptance during induction.Methods: This study recruited 123 ASA I & II children, aged 1 to 8 years, undergoing day care surgery, who were randomly allocated to three groups. Children either went to the operating room (OR) alone (Gp C), or one parent sat next to the child at induction (Gp PS), or the child sat in parent\u27s lap (Gp PH). The anxiety score on the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) was recorded in the preinduction area of OR and at the induction of anaesthesia before the face mask application. A cut-off value of less than 30 indicated low anxiety. The face mask acceptance was also rated.Results: All patients had the mYPAS scores higher than 30 in the preinduction area with no significant difference between groups. Prior to induction, the Gp C score was significantly high as compared to Gp PS (p=0.016) and Gp PH (p=0.001), but it was not different between the Gp PS and PH (p=1.00). The face mask acceptance was easy in 4.9 % patients in Gp C, 26.8% in Gp PS, and 56% in Gp PH.Conclusion: Parental presence during induction did not prevent children\u27s anxiety, but it reduced it, irrespective of the physical technique used. The face mask acceptance was better in Gp PH

Heritability Estimate of Yield Related Traits in Mungbean at Two Locations

Performance of 17 mungbean genotypes was tested at two diverse environments (Swat and Peshawar) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan during 2012 to study heritability estimate of yield related triats in mungbean. Data were taken on pods plant-1, pod length, seeds pod-1, 100-seed weight, seed yield. Pooled analysis of variance across locations revealed significant differences among the two locations and genotypes for all traits. Genotype × location interaction was also highly significant (P=0.01) for all traits demonstrating differential performance of mungbean genotypes over the two test locations. Means for pods plant-1, pod length, seeds pod-1, 100-seed weight, seed yield were 21.7 vs. 39.0, 9.2 vs. 8.5 cm, 11.3 vs. 10.2, 4.2 vs. 5.4 g, 1429 vs. 1828 kg ha-1 at Peshawar and Swat, respectively. All mungbean genotypes produced more pods plant-1 and heavier seeds resulting in more seed yield per unit area at Swat than Peshawar .Genotypes AUP1210-9, AUP1210-10 and AUP1410-5 were high yielding at Swat location as well as across the two locations. AUP1210-9 and AUP6310-4 were the high yielding genotypes at Peshawar location. Genetic variances at each location as well as across locations were greater in magnitude than environmental variances for most of the traits. Magnitude of heritability and selection response for most traits varied over two locations. Heritability and selection response across two locations were 0.67 and 4.33 for pods plant-1, 0.65 and 0.70 cm for pod length, 0.55 and 0.67 for seeds pod-1, 0.66 and 0.72 g for 100-seed weight, 0.68 and 328.4 kg ha-1 for seed yield, respectively. Keywords:Mungbean, genetic association, heritability

Optic nerve sheath diameter evaluated by transorbital sonography in healthy volunteers from Pakistan

Objective: Raised intracranial pressure (ICP) is a common manifestation of severe brain injury. Rapid diagnosis and timely intervention is required to prevent secondary brain damage and death. Measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) by ultrasound is increasingly used as a marker to detect raised ICP. Knowledge of normal ONSD in a healthy population is essential to interpret this measurement. We aimed to evaluate normal optic nerve sheath diameter in healthy volunteers in Pakistan. Methodology: It was a prospective, observational study in which one hundred healthy volunteers of Pakistani origin, aged more than 18 years were recruited in the study. The ultrasound probe was placed on the superior and lateral aspect of the orbit against the upper eyelid with the eye closed. For each subject, the primary investigator performed three measurements on each eye. The measurements of each eye were then averaged to yield a mean ONSD. Results: The median ONSD of right eye was 4.84 mm and 95% of individuals had mean ONSD in the range 4.84–4.97 mm while the median ONSD of left eye was 4.86 mm and 95% of individuals had mean ONSD in the range 4.85–4.96 mm. There was no difference among the 3 repeated measures of ONSD in each eye. There was no relationship between ONSD with age, gender and measurement taken between left and right eyes. Conclusion: 95% of study sample have an ONSD less than 4.82 mm. ONSD more than 4.82 mm in this population should be considered abnormal and may reflect raised intracranial pressure

Correlation between Serum and Tissue Markers in Breast Cancer Iraqi Patients

            يعد سرطان الثدي من أكثر الأورام الخبيثة انتشارًا بين النساء في جميع أنحاء العالم ، وفي العراق يحتل المرتبة الأولى والسبب الرئيسي لوفيات الإناث المرتبطة بالسرطان. صممت هذه الدراسة لبحث العلاقات بين معلمات المصل والنسيج من أجل توضيح دورها في تطور أو تراجع سرطان الثدي. معلمات الورم هي مجموعة من المواد ، تكون بشكل رئيسي ذات طبيعة بروتينية ، تنتج من الخلايا السرطانية أو من خلايا أخرى في الجسم استجابة للورم. أجريت الدراسة في الفترة من أبريل 2018 إلى أبريل 2019 بإجمالي عدد 60 امرأة مصابة بسرطان الثدي. تم جمع عينات الدم من النساء المصابات بسرطان الثدي في فترة ما بعد الجراحة وما قبل العلاج اللائي حضرن إلى مستشفى الأورام التعليمي في مدينة الطب في بغداد وتم تقييم معلمات المصل بتقنية ELISA وهي Carbohydrate Antigen 15-3 (Ca 15-3) و Carbohydrate Antigen 29 Ca 27.29)) ، هرمون مضاد مولر (AMH) ، عامل نخر الورم ألفا (TNF-α) ، إنترلوكين 6 (IL-6) ، إنترلوكين 10 (IL-10) وبروتين البربخ البشري 4 (HE4) . تم جمع عينات الأنسجة لنفس النساء المصابات بسرطان الثدي اللواتي حضرن إلى مدينة الطب ، بغداد بإجمالي عدد 30. تم تقييم معلمات الأنسجة باستخدام تقنية الكيمياء النسجية المناعية وهي مستقبلات هرمون الاستروجين (ER) ، مستقبلات البروجسترون (PR) ، مستقبل عامل نمو البشرة البشري 2  (Her 2 / neu) و Cyclin E.  أظهرت نتائج العلاقات بين معلمات المصل و معلمات الانسجة وجود ارتباط معنوي موجب (0.017) بين مستضد الكاربوهيدرات 27.29 و مستقبل عامل النمو البشرة البشري 2 ، (0.038) بين انترلوكين-6 مع النمط الظاهري لسايكلين اي ، (0.051) بين عامل نخر الورم-الفا و شدة سايكلين اي ، (0.005) بين بروتين البربخ البشري-4 و مستقبل عامل النمو البشرة البشري 2 و ارتباط معنوي سالب (0.058) بين انترلوكين-10 و مستقبل الاستروجين ، و (0.045) بين بروتين البربخ البشري-4 و شدة سايكلين اي. نستنتج من هذه العلاقات أن العلاقات الطردية تزيد من تطور المرض ، مثل العلاقة بين Ca 27.29 مع Her-2 / neu و cyclin E مع IL-6 و cyclin E مع TNF-α. وقد تساهم العلاقات العكسية في تأخر المرض ، مثل العلاقة بين IL-10 مع ER. من نتائج العلاقات في هذه الدراسة أتضح أن المعلمات Ca 27.29 ، Her-2 / neu ، cyclin E تلعب دورًا مهمًا في تطور المرض.Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy among women worldwide, in Iraq it ranks the first among the population and the leading cause of cancer related female mortality. This study is designed to investigate the correlations between serum and tissue markers in order to clarify their role in progression or regression breast cancer. Tumor Markers are groups of substances, mainly proteins, produced from cancer cell or from other cells in the body in response to tumor.  The study was carried out from April 2018 to April 2019 with total number of 60 breast cancer women. The blood samples were collected from breast cancer women in postoperative and pretherapeutic who attended teaching oncology hospital of the medical city in Baghdad and the serum markers evaluated by ELISA technique are Carbohydrate Antigen 15-3 (Ca 15-3), Carbohydrate Antigen 27.29 (Ca 27.29), Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH), Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Human Epidiymis Protein-4 (HE4). Tissue samples were collected for the same breast cancer women who attended medical city, Baghdad with total number 30. The tissue markers evaluated by Immunohistochemical technique are Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR), Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (Her 2/neu) and Cyclin E. The results showed a positive significant correlation (p = 0.017) between Ca 27.29 and Her-2/neu, (p = 0.038) between IL-6 and cyclin E phenotype, (p = 0.051) between TNF-α and Cyclin E intensity, (p = 0.005) between HE4 and Her-2/neu, and negative significant correlation (p = 0.058) between IL-10 and ER score and (p = 0.045) between HE4 with Cyclin E intensity. We conclude from these correlations that positive correlations increasing disease progression, like correlation between Ca 27.29 and Her-2/neu, cyclin E with IL-6 and cyclin E with TNF-α. And the negative correlations may contribute to delay disease, like correlation between IL-10 and ER. From the correlations results in this study, it is clear that the Ca 27.29, Her-2 / neu, cyclin E markers play an important role in disease progression

Study of Certain Biomarkers in Iraqi Female Patients with Breast Cancer

صممت الدراسة الحالية لتحديد بعض الماركرات في العراقيات المصابات بسرطان الثدي . تضمنت الدراسة 30 مريضة جمعت عيناتهم النسجية من مستشفى مدينه الطب و بعض المختبرات الاهلية في بغداد بعد موافقة المريضة نفسها و بأستخدام تقنية الكيمياء النسجية المناعية لتحديد هذه الماركرات . اوضحت النتائج علاقة معنوية طردية p ( 0.000 ) بين ماركي النسيج ER و PR و علاقة معنوية طردية p ( 0.000 ) اخرى بين cyclin E phenotype و cyclin E intensity . مما يوضح اهمية هذه الماركرات لسرطان الثدي .The prospective study has been designed to determine some biomarkers in Iraqi female patients withbreast cancer. The current study contained 30 patients whose tissue samples have been collected fromhospitals in Medical City in Baghdad after consent patients themselves and used immunohistochemicaltechnique to determine these markers. The results showed a significant correlation between ER and PR tissuemarkers (Sig = 0.000) and a significant correlation between cyclin E phenotype and cyclin E intensity (Sig =0.001)

The hymenopterous pollinators of Himalayan foot hills of Pakistan (distributional diversity)

Studies were undertaken to explore the diversity of hymenopterans pollinators from a diverse agroecosystems of Himalayan foot hills comprising the orchards of pome and stone fruits at different altitudes from 2200 to 3000 m from sea level. Field experiments were conducted on seven commercial fruit orchards at five various localities. Out of the total 448 specimens, 60.94% were found in an antemeridian (A.M.) phase and 39.06% specimens were found in post-meridian (P.M.) indicating their activity both diurnal and crepuscular. Rank abundance values revealed that 9 species in 5 genera belonged to four families of order Hymenoptera comprising the diversity of Osmia cornifrons Panzer, Anthophora niveo-cincta (Smith), Anthophora himalayensis Rad., Anthophora crocea Bangham, Bombus tunicatus (Smith), Xylocopa dissimilis Lepel., Xylocopa rufescens Smith, Andrena harrietae Bangham and Andrena anonyma Cam. The calculated values of all diversity indices showed that the lowest diversity was found in a monoculture fruit habitat with well weeded orchards, whereas the diversity of pollinators was found greater in multiple cultures with partially weeded orchards particularly during the successional stage of full bloom in both pomes and stone fruits. A significant difference in the pollinators’ population was seen in the orchards with undisturbed surroundings. The natural ecosystem offers more opportunities of refuges for the insect pollinators compare to those orchards with clean cultivation.Key words: Diversity, agro-ecosystem, fruit orchards, hymenopterans pollinators, monoculture

The interstellar polarization law

The work discussed in this thesis aimed to investigate the interstellar polarization law [p(lambda)/p[max] = exp (-K 2n[2]([lambda]max/(lambda)] and the behaviour of its characteristic parameters, K and lambda[max], in both max simple and complex cloud situations, i.e. for stars exhibiting rotation of polarization position angle, theta(lambda). As the law is difficult to deal with analytically, the work is here mainly based on numerical investigations. Chapter 1 contains a general review of starlight polarization including intrinsic linear and interstellar linear and circular forms but the main theme concentrates on interstellar linear polarization. In Chapter 2 existing data have been refitted to the interstellar polarization law using the method of the least squares. In Chapter 3 a numerical investigation has been made of the effect that noisy data have on deduced parameters such as K and lambda[max]. Chapter 4 contains a brief review of data for stars showing theta(lambda) with discussions of the different cloud models, especially Martin's Two-Cloud model. In Chapter 5 numerical investigations are presented of the Two-Cloud model with analysis of the results for different configurations of the two clouds. A general summary is placed at the end of the thesis

Transformation in the architectural identity of palaces

The establishment of the first National Palace in Malaya in 1957 reflects the transformation in the identity of palace architecture. Traditional palace architecture has developed from society’s traditional way of life, as well as the materials and techniques of local construction. However, in the 1950s, significant changes could be seen in the lifestyle, politics, economics and many other areas in Malaya due to modernisation. The changes in the political system and people’s values have influenced the traditional palace architecture during the 1950s. This research aims to highlight the palace’s architecture transformation as direct consequences of changes in the identity of the state and nation. The research employs interpretive historical methodology, with the first National Palace as the case study. The study concluded that the architecture of the first National Palace reflects an image based on the contemporary values of the local community, which meet the political aspiration of a modern democratic government at that time. These findings will contribute to the understanding of the changes in the traditional social contract between the rulers and the people, and the selection of modern architecture as an identity of the country’s current government

Acupuncture-Induced Tension Pneumothorax Presenting as Acute Heart Failure

Takotsubo syndrome (TSS) is a reversible, acute cardiomyopathy with transient heart failure, often secondary to other disorders. A 64-year-old woman, with no history of ischemic heart disease, was admitted to the emergency department after developing sudden-onset dyspnea after a planned acupuncture treatment for back pain. Acute echocardiography showed decreased left ventricular function with basal hypercontraction and apical akinesia and was interpreted, and treated, as acute heart failure. When the attending cardiologist arrived, the patient still had dyspnea with a declining blood pressure (97/65 mmHg) and tachycardia (111/minute). The cardiologist suspected a tension pneumothorax induced by the penetration of an acupuncture needle to the apex of the lung, as well as secondary TSS cardiomyopathy. An acute chest X-ray was performed, which showed a large left-sided rim pneumothorax. The attending surgeon placed a chest tube in the left 6th intercostal space in the midaxillary line, and the patient reported immediate pain relief and improvement in her dyspnea. The patient's clinical condition improved, and a control X-ray showed that the lung was fully expanded. The chest tube was removed, but after a few minutes, the patient developed a massive subcutaneous emphysema in the upper chest and in the face and her clinical condition deteriorated rapidly. A new chest tube was inserted, and the patient's tachycardia diminished, with her clinical condition improving immediately. The patient remained hospitalized for the next seven days. After three continuous days without any escaped air in the chest tube, the tube was removed, and the patient was observed for another 48 hours. This time, the removal was without any complications and within two days, the patient was ready for discharge. The follow-up echocardiography showed complete recovery of left ventricular function

Acute toxicity study of a polysaccharide based hydrogel from linseed for potential use in drug delivery system

Linseed hydrogel (LSH) was evaluated by acute toxicity for its potential application in oral drug delivery design. White albino mice and rabbits were divided in four groups (I–IV) and different doses of LSH (1, 2 and 5 g/kg body weight) were given except to the control group (I) that was left untreated. Rabbits were monitored for eye irritation, acute dermal toxicity and primary dermal irritation, whereas, body weight, food and water consumption, hematology and clinical biochemistry, gross necropsy and histopathology of vital organs were scrutinized in mice. LSH was considered safe after eye irritation test as no adverse signs or symptoms were seen in the eye. In dermal toxicity and irritation study, skin of treated rabbits was found normal in color without any edema or erythema. After oral administration, there was no sign of any abnormalities in treated group animals (II–IV). The hematology and clinical biochemistry of treated group animals was comparable with the control group. Histopathology of vital organs has not shown any lesion or abnormalities. In the light of these outcomes, it can be concluded that LSH is not a hazardous biomaterial and could be incorporated as an excipient in oral and dermal preparations