Catamenial pneumothorax: a case report.

Abstract Catamenial pneumothorax (CP) is a rare and complex clinical condition caused by endometrial tissues, commonly found in reproductive women (age 15-49 years).Its diagnosis is often delayed or overlooked by clinicians, which may result in recurrent hospitalizations and other complications. A case of Catamenial pneumothorax is presented of a 38-year-old young married woman, admitted to hospital with signs and symptoms including chest pain and shortness of breath that started with her menstrual period. Right pneumothorax was observed in the Chest x-ray. Patient underwent Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Patient was kept under observation, and was discharged when stable with no pain.Catamenial pneumothorax is still considered to be a mysterious disease and difficult to diagnose. Surgery is the best treatment

A 37 GHz Millimeter-Wave Antenna Array for 5G Communication Terminals

This work presents, design and specific absorption rate (SAR) analysis of a 37 GHz antenna, for 5th Generation (5G) applications. The proposed antenna comprises of 4-elements of rectangular patch and an even distribution. The radiating element is composed of copper material supported by Rogers RT5880 substrate of thickness, 0.254 mm, dielectric constant (εr), 2.2, and loss tangent, 0.0009. The 4-elements array antenna is compact in size with a dimension of 8 mm × 20 mm in length and width. The radiating patch is excited with a 50 ohms connector i.e., K-type. The antenna resonates in the frequency band of 37 GHz, that covers the 5G applications. The antenna behavior is studied both in free space and in the proximity of the human body. Three models of the human body, i.e., belly, hand, and head (contain skin, fat, muscles, and bone) are considered for on-body simulations. At resonant frequency, the antenna gives a boresight gain of 11.6 dB. The antenna radiates efficiently with a radiated efficiency of more than 90%. Also, it is observed that the antenna detunes to the lowest in the proximity of the human body, but still a good impedance matching is achieved considering the −10 dB criteria. Moreover, SAR is also being presented. The safe limit of 2 W/kg for any 10 g of biological tissue, specified by the European International Electro Technical Commission (IEC) has been considered. The calculated values of SAR for human body models, i.e., belly, hand and head are 1.82, 1.81 and 1.09 W/kg, respectively. The SAR values are less than the international recommendations for the three models. Furthermore, the simulated and measured results of the antenna are in close agreement, which makes it, a potential candidate for the fifth-generation smart phones and other handheld devices

Pattern of panic-buying and its psychosocial correlates among Pakistani adults during COVID-19 pandemic

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, one bizarre yet ubiquitous human behavior has resurfaced. Globally, people have engaged in panic buying and hoarding (PBH). This irrational practice of panic buying is driven by deficient, manipulated news amid COVID-19 crisis.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with Pakistani adults (≤18 years). Data was collected through an anonymous self-reported online survey from 17th April 2020 (0800 hours) through 20th April 2020 (2200 hours) via social media platforms. The survey consisted of sociodemographic characteristics, questions regarding food/essential supplies PBH and its psychosocial correlates- attitudes about COVID-19 severity (CA), values related to social responsibility (SR), social trust (ST), and self-interest (SI). Data was entered and analyzed using IBM Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20.Results: There were 786 participants in the survey; 59% were females. Mean age was 26.6±7.6 years. Mean PBH score was 2.31±0.85 (range: 1-5). Overall, 28.4% hoarded supplies a few times or more and 47% agreed to have bought more food/essential supplies due to COVID-19. Correlation analysis showed a 12.3% positive correlation of PBH with ST and 8.5% positive correlation with SI (p<0.05). In the multivariate regression model, PBH showed a statistically significant (p<0.05) positive impact on ST and SI.Conclusions: More than one-fourth of the individuals indulged in panic buying and hoarding during the COVID-19 in Pakistan. Fear of contracting the virus and uncertainty about the duration of lockdown was the common reasons behind PBH. Social trust and self-interest were significant psychosocial contributors to hoarding behavior.

The Framework of Car Price Prediction and Damage Detection Technique

In this paper, the research area has always been car price forecasting. We demonstrate that using the proposed object detection method, the type of damage can be categorized into two classes with good accuracy damaged and undamaged. So, when we discovered these issues, we decided to develop a mobile application called Car Price Prediction, which allows users to anticipate the price of a used car. So, we trained the damage identification model using our data using a state-of-the-art image detection method convolutional neural network and evaluated the accuracy on a GPU server and a smartphone

BHPR research: qualitative1. Complex reasoning determines patients' perception of outcome following foot surgery in rheumatoid arhtritis

Background: Foot surgery is common in patients with RA but research into surgical outcomes is limited and conceptually flawed as current outcome measures lack face validity: to date no one has asked patients what is important to them. This study aimed to determine which factors are important to patients when evaluating the success of foot surgery in RA Methods: Semi structured interviews of RA patients who had undergone foot surgery were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of interviews was conducted to explore issues that were important to patients. Results: 11 RA patients (9 ♂, mean age 59, dis dur = 22yrs, mean of 3 yrs post op) with mixed experiences of foot surgery were interviewed. Patients interpreted outcome in respect to a multitude of factors, frequently positive change in one aspect contrasted with negative opinions about another. Overall, four major themes emerged. Function: Functional ability & participation in valued activities were very important to patients. Walking ability was a key concern but patients interpreted levels of activity in light of other aspects of their disease, reflecting on change in functional ability more than overall level. Positive feelings of improved mobility were often moderated by negative self perception ("I mean, I still walk like a waddling duck”). Appearance: Appearance was important to almost all patients but perhaps the most complex theme of all. Physical appearance, foot shape, and footwear were closely interlinked, yet patients saw these as distinct separate concepts. Patients need to legitimize these feelings was clear and they frequently entered into a defensive repertoire ("it's not cosmetic surgery; it's something that's more important than that, you know?”). Clinician opinion: Surgeons' post operative evaluation of the procedure was very influential. The impact of this appraisal continued to affect patients' lasting impression irrespective of how the outcome compared to their initial goals ("when he'd done it ... he said that hasn't worked as good as he'd wanted to ... but the pain has gone”). Pain: Whilst pain was important to almost all patients, it appeared to be less important than the other themes. Pain was predominately raised when it influenced other themes, such as function; many still felt the need to legitimize their foot pain in order for health professionals to take it seriously ("in the end I went to my GP because it had happened a few times and I went to an orthopaedic surgeon who was quite dismissive of it, it was like what are you complaining about”). Conclusions: Patients interpret the outcome of foot surgery using a multitude of interrelated factors, particularly functional ability, appearance and surgeons' appraisal of the procedure. While pain was often noted, this appeared less important than other factors in the overall outcome of the surgery. Future research into foot surgery should incorporate the complexity of how patients determine their outcome Disclosure statement: All authors have declared no conflicts of interes

Exploring context specific anti-smoking warning labels on cigarette packs: a quasi-experiment

Objective: To evaluate the impact of introducing newly-designed warning labels in relation to the available conventional cigarette packs. Method: The quasi-experimental study was conducted at four co-educational academic institutions selected using cluster random sampling technique in Gulshan-e-Iqbal town of Karachi from September 2016 to October 2017. The respondents, aged 16-24 years, were exposed with an experimental condition using five graphic cards; each comprising of two separate labels; label 1 being a cigarette pack currently rotated, and label 2 being the newly designed graphic and text warning label.  Each participant responded over efficacy measures for each label separately. The difference in the efficacy scores between the two labels was assessed using repeated measure ANOVA with Bonferroni correction in analysis. Results: Of the 388 students, 256(66%) were males and 132(34%) were females. The overall mean age was 18±2.76 years. Also, 188(48.5%) subjects were studying in higher secondary, 179(46.1%) undergraduate and 21(5.4%) postgraduate levels. Of them, 104(26.8%) were ever-smokers and 284(73.2%) reported to be never-smokers. In the newly-designed warning label elements of ‘poverty’ and ‘not to start smoking’ in the current cigarette pack were significant (p=0.006). Non-smoking males perceived newly-designed label element ‘dead person’ as fear-arousing (p=0.045), while non-smoking females considered ‘look after family’ as efficacious (p=0.024). Conclusion: There was some evidence of variation in efficacy scores after stratifying on gender and smoking status. A more holistic approach is needed in this regard. Key Words: Cigarette packaging, Cigarette smoking, Health warning labels, Quasi-experiment, Self-efficacy, Tobacco. Continuous..

Acinetobacter - A Hard to Treat Resilient ICU Pathogen

Objective: To isolate Acinetobacter sp and identify MDR (multidrug resistant) and XDR (extensively drug resistant) isolates from intensive care unit in a tertiary care hospital, Lahore. Methodology: This cross-sectional research was performed retrospectively in a tertiary care hospital, Lahore from January 2022-December 2022. It consisted of 435 specimens from ICU patients processed for culture and sensitivity in microbiology section of Pathology Laboratory, SMCH. The specimens included blood, pus, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and other body cavity fluids, sputum, bronchial aspirates, wound swabs, ETT, etc. The specimens were cultured on Blood agar (Oxoid UK) and Mac Conkey agar (Oxoid UK) but CLED agar (Oxoid UK) was used for urine.  After overnight incubation at 37°C, Acinetobacter sp were identified by morphology and biochemical reactions using Analytical profile index (API) 20 NE (Biomerieux, France). Results: One hundred and seventy-five cases revealed Gram negative bacteria (GNB) and 31 (17.71%) of the GNB were Acinetobacter sp. Fifteen isolates of Acinetobacter sp were obtained from respiratory secretions,7 from pus, 6 from urine, 2 from ETT, and 1 isolate from blood sample. A total of 31 isolates were obtained. Thirteen (41.9%) Acinetobacter isolates were MDR and 9 (29.0%) turned out to be XDR. The remaining 9 isolates exhibited satisfactory susceptibility. Conclusion: Acinetobacter sp. is responsible for a significant bulk of drug resistant ICU associated infections and is increasingly developing resistance as evident by 41.9% MDR and 29.0% XDR isolates

Thermogravimetric, differential scanning calorimetric, and experimental thermal transport study of functionalized nanokaolinite-doped elastomeric nanocomposites

A simple technique to synthesize and functionalize kaolinite nanoparticles having analogous shape and size in single step using layered silicate microclay as starting material is presented. The morphology, composition, and functionalization study of the activated nanokaolinite were determined by scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy, atomic-force microscope, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, correspondingly. Various concentrations of activated nanokaolinite were doped in acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) by conventional industrial elastomeric mixing techniques to fabricate composite specimens. The accumulated data simulated that the thermal conductivity was diminished 92 % by increasing 15 mass% filler loading in the polymer matrix. Thermogravimetric analyzer showed that thermal stability and heat-absorbing capability were remarkably augmented by increasing activated nanokaolinite concentration in the NBR base formulation. Differential scanning calorimetric study revealed that glass transition and crystallization temperatures were reduced, whereas first and second melting phase temperatures were enhanced by increasing filler-to-host matrix ratio. Tensile strength, elongation at break, and elastic modulus at 200 % elongation were remarkably improved to a level of 144, 66, and 90 %, respectively, with increasing filler-to-matrix ratio. Efficient enhancement in elastomeric hardness was also observed

Increased Expression of Circulating Stress Markers, Inflammatory Cytokines and Decreased Antioxidant Level in Diabetic Nephropathy

Background and Objectives: The main objective of the present study was to determine the role of oxidative markers (glutathione (GSH), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and malondialdehyde (MDA)) and inflammatory biomarkers (interleukin-6 IL-6, tumor necrosis factor &alpha; (TNF-&alpha;), myeloperoxide (MPO)) in the development of diabetic nephropathy along with routinely used biochemical parameters. Materials and Method: This was a case control study. All the selected patients were screened and enrolled by convenient non-probability sampling technique at the Jinnah hospital in Lahore. Informed consent was obtained before enrollment of the study subjects. A total of 450 patients enrolled in the study, and they were divided into three groups, 150 subjects with type 2 diabetes and 150 diagnosed diabetic nephropathy (DN) vs. 150 healthy individuals as a control group. Five mL of venous blood sample was taken from the antecubital vein of each participant. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS. The results of all variables were evaluated by using one way ANOVA. Results: The mean value of biochemical parameters (WBCs, platelets, prothrombin time, HbA1c, glucose, urinary albumin-to creatinine ratio (UACR), triglycerides, LDL, HDL, serum creatinine, urinary albumin (creatinine)) were increased and Hb (g/dL), red blood cells (RBCs), hematocrit (Hct), free serum insulin levels, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were decreased in the nephropathy group compared to the control and type 2 diabetes groups. The mean values of MDA, AGE, and AOPPs in type 2 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy were significantly increased compared to the control group. GSH level was decreased in type 2 diabetics and DN patients as compared to the control group. In addition, IL-6, TNF&alpha;, and MPO levels were also increased in case of diabetes nephropathy compared to controls. Conclusions: ROS mediated injuries can be prevented by the restoration of an antioxidant defense system, through the administration of antioxidant agents. Moreover, increased levels of inflammatory mediators are responsible for enhancing inflammation in patients with diabetic nephropathy