The Monocular Trial: Does Response to Glaucoma Therapy in One Eye Predict Response in the Fellow Eye?

Purpose: To study if the intraocular pressure (IOP) change observed after starting a glaucoma medication in one eye is predictive of the change in IOP observed in the fellow eye once the same medication is used in both eyes. Methods: In a retrospective study, 55 patients with glaucoma underwent monocular drug trials with various medications before the drug was added to the second eye. The change in IOP of the first treated eye during monocular therapy was compared with the IOP change of the second eye during binocular therapy. Relative changes in IOP of each eye were calculated by subtracting the change in IOP of the fellow eye from the treated eye. Results: The IOP of the first eye decreased 5.8 ± 6.1 mmHg (mean ± standard deviation) during monocular therapy and the IOP of the second eye decreased 3.4 ± 5.7 mmHg during binocular therapy. The absolute IOP changes in the first and second eyes were poorly correlated (r = 0.095, p = 0.49). When relative changes in IOP were used, the first eye decreased 6.3 ± 5.3 mmHg and the second eye 4.2 ± 4.5 mmHg. The relative changes were well correlated (r = 0.404, p = 0.002). Excellent correlation was noted in the subset of glaucoma suspect patients when using absolute IOP changes (r = 0.590, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The data supports that the absolute response of one eye to a medication is predictive of the future response of the fellow eye to the same medication in patients with glaucoma suspect, but not in the overall glaucoma population. If one uses one eye as a control when assessing the efficacy of a drug in the fellow eye, then the response of one eye to a glaucoma medication is predictive of the response of the fellow eye

Towards multi-criteria cloud service selection

Cloud computing despite being in an early stage of adoption is becoming a popular choice for businesses to replace in-house IT infrastructure due to its technological advantages such as elastic computing and cost benefits resulting from pay-as-you-go pricing and economy of scale. These factors have led to a rapid increase in both the number of cloud vendors and services on offer. Given that cloud services could be characterized using multiple criteria (cost, pricing policy, performance etc.) it is important to have a methodology for selecting cloud services based on multiple criteria. Additionally, the end user requirements might map to different criteria of the cloud services. This diversity in services and the number of available options have complicated the process of service and vendor selection for prospective cloud users and there is a need for a comprehensive methodology for cloud service selection. The existing research literature in cloud service selection is mostly concerned with comparison between similar services based on cost or performance benchmarks. In this paper we discuss and formalize the issue of cloud service selection in general and propose a multi-criteria cloud service selection methodology

Effect of transgene introgression site on gene migration from transgenic b. napus to b. rapa [abstract]

Abstract only availableThere is a growing concern of the possible transgenic introgression from GM plants into agricultural weeds, which has stimulated research in the process of crop to weed gene flow. Crop to weed gene flow often involves the hybridization of a polyploidy crop to a diploid weed. An example is canola (Brassica napus with AACC genomes) which can hybridize with B. rapa (AA) to produce fertile triploid F1 hybrids (ACC) in the wild. It is hypothesized that there are "safe sites" on the C genome because the C genome is likely to be lost from wild populations after a few generations of repeated backcrossing with B. rapa. However, there is homoeology between the A and C genomes of Brassica, which allows potential recombination between genomes and the movement of transgenes from the C to A genomes by chromosomal rearrangements. Recent advances in molecular markers and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) now allow us to observe the frequency of homoeologous exchanges following hybridization. Our research is focused on finding safe sites within the B. napus genome which are least likely to be transferred into B. napus and B. rapa hybrids and their progeny. To test this, we have crossed a transgenic B. napus with a natural B. rapa three times to make three different F1events. Then we backcrossed each of the three F1 three times with B. rapa. We are measuring the germination rate of each generation and using transgene specific PCR primers to check the presence or absence of the transgene in hybrids. We will also use molecular cytogenetics (FISH) to count chromosome numbers. This study will help determine the possibilities of a "safe" site in B. napus and offer insight in the mechanisms of crop to weed transgene introgression in B. napus x B. rapa hybrids.MU Monsanto Undergraduate Research Fellowshi

Comparison of QTC Interval Prolongation in Cirrhotic and Non-Cirrhotic Chronic Hepatitis C Patients

Objective: To determine frequency of QTc interval prolongation in hepatitis C infection. To compare QTc interval prolongation in patients with cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic chronic hepatitis c infectionStudy design: Descriptive Case SeriesSetting: Medical Unit-III, Fauji Foundation Hospital, RawalpindiDuration of study: 06 months duration of study i.e 10th May, 2017 to 10th Nov, 2017Methodology: Patients having chronic hepatitis c infection with cirrhosis was taken from medical ward and non-cirrhotic chronic hepatitis c infection was taken from general medical OPD. Consent was taken. For QTc interval calculation ECG was performed by ECG technician having 22 years of experience as ECG technician in Fauji Foundation Hospital Rawalpindi. Information was recorded on the form. The variable of interest was age, gender, cirrhosis, QTc interval and comparison of prolongation of QTc between hepatitis c positive cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients. Results: Total 110 patients were included according to the inclusion criteria of the study. Mean age (years) in the study was 56.84+11.05. There were 48 (43.6) male and 62 (56.4) female patients who were included in the study according to the inclusion criteria. Mean duration of QTc interval was 0.48+0.04. Out of 110 patients, there were 27 (24.5) patients who have prolonged QTc interval. The frequency of QTc interval prolongation in patients with cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic chronic hepatitis C infection was 22 (57.9) and 05 (6.9) respectively which was statistically significant (p-value 0.000).Conclusion: The study concludes that QTc interval prolongation in cirrhotic patients was high which showed that cirrhotic patients are at risk of developing ventricular arrhythmias due to cardiomyopathy, so a simple ECG test can be used to diagnose and prevent cardiac events in cirrhotic patients as it is simple as well as easily available.Keywords: Cirrhosis, Hepatitis C, Prolonged QT interval, non-cirrhotic Chronic Hepatitis C Infectio

Analysis of Syntactic Errors in English Writing: A Case Study of Jazan University Preparatory Year Students

The present study focuses on the most common syntactic errors which Arabic speaking learners in Preparatory Year, Jazan University (Saudi Arabia) face in learning English as a foreign language. The results of this study reveal that the most common syntactic errors made by the learners are in sentence structure; subject verb agreement, tense, auxiliary verb, number, use of conjunction, preposition, article, etc. Many students in this study were categorized as slow learners who were not even aware of the importance of writing skill. Non-seriousness and less concentration of learners result errors and mistakes in their writing. In addition to that, the errors were hypothetically associated to the transfer of mother tongue and over generalization. In the Arab context, writing is not an easy task; it is, indeed, a challenging job for the teacher. Therefore, traditional methodologies do not help. Unless the teachers create interest about writing skill in the minds of the learners, the desired results can’t be achieved. For the present study, the researchers used the primary source. Different colleges at Jazan University were selected for data collection. The students were tested by asking to write compositions on different topics related to their academic or day to day life. Analysis of previous answer scripts was also a part of study to trace out a common pattern or a series of errors made by the students. Keywords: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Writing skill, Syntactic errors, Error analysis

Chromosomal evolution in Brassicacae: Allopolyploidy, aneuploidy and transgene transmission [abstract]

Abstract only availablePolyploidy is a eukaryotic phenomenon common to plants that serves as an evolutionary mechanism for speciation. Diploid species undergo polyploidization through single genome duplication (autopolyploidy) or by the hybridization of genomes from two or more distinct progenitor species (allopolyploidy). Aneuploidy can arise where offspring possess extra or fewer chromosomes than their progenitors. Over successive generations, changes in chromosomal number and rearrangement can lead to speciation or differentiation of ecotypes within a species. Using advanced molecular cytogenetics and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), we can distinguish chromosomes and genomic markers among different ecotypes and species. In the agricultural industry where genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are used, aneuploidy and homoeologous recombination of transgenic elements presents a potential mechanism of moving transgenes from GMO crops into the genomes of wild diploids. These wild diploids then have the potential to become "superweeds" that can disrupt ecological systems. The goal of this study was to investigate the movement of a transgene from an allopolyploid to a diploid in controlled greenhouse crosses. Transgenic Brassica napus allopolyploid plants (AACC) were backcrossed to natural Brassica rapa (AA) recurrently over three generations. We examined each of the three backcross generations for chromosome number and gene transmission. Molecular cytogenetic analysis was performed on flower buds from each backcross, chromosome numbers were recorded and gene transmission was analyzed by PCR. As expected, we found aneuploidy in Brassica napus x Brassica rapa hybrids suggesting potential for homoeologous recombination of transgenes into non-transgenic diploid species. Surprisingly, despite aneuploidy, we also found a high rate of both germination and transmission of the transgene into wild Brassica rapa, suggesting the need to find safe sites in Brassica napus to insert transgenes

Traditional suburethral sling operations for urinary incontinence in women

Funding Information: We are grateful to Adrian Grant, Jonathan Cook, Aldemar Araujo Castro, and several anonymous peer-referees for assistance and valuable comments on this and previous versions of the review. Sheila Wallace provided support for each version of the review as well as for this update and in the classification and identification of new studies. Fiona Stewart assisted with rewriting the effects of interventions section, conversion of incontinence to continence outcomes, and related changes in 'Summary of findings' tables. The review was originally conceived and conducted by Carlos CB Bezerra and Homero Bruschini. An earlier version of this review was completed as part of a project to add brief economic commentaries to Cochrane Incontinence's Reviews on surgery for urinary incontinence in women (Dean 2017). This project was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) via the Cochrane Review Incentive Scheme 2016.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Cancer in Faisalabad and Nankana Sahib, Pakistan: 2017-2019; an Observational study

Introduction: The Punjab Cancer Registry's catchment area includes the districts of Faisalabad and Nankana Sahib. It is an observational, descriptive study that covers the three years from 2017 to 2019, evaluating the distribution of cancer in these two districts. Material and Methods: Data on incident cancer cases diagnosed between 2017 and 2019 among residents of Faisalabad and Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, reported by the participating centers of the Registry, were reviewed retrospectively. Figures and proportions for adults, children, and adolescents were computed. Results: During 2017 and 2019, 5,678 cases were reported from Faisalabad and 390 from Nankana Sahib, with over 50% seen in females. In both districts combined, among adult females, cancers of the breast, reproductive system, and hepatobiliary system were commonly diagnosed, while cancer of the lip/oral cavity/pharynx, hepatobiliary system, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma were the leading diagnoses among adult males. In children and young adults (0-19 years), acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma were the most common diagnoses. Conclusion: The cancer distribution reported from Faisalabad and Nankana Sahib is of utmost importance. However, the underreporting of cancer cases cannot be ruled out. More input from the collaborators is needed to ensure the completeness of cancer surveillance in the region

A rule-based approach for discovering effective software team composition

Human aspects in software engineering play a key role in composing effective team members.However, to date there is no general consensus on the effective personality types and diversity based on software team roles.Thus, this paper aims to discover the effective personality types and diversity based on two software team roles – team leader and programmer by using a rule-based approach.The rule-based approach by employing the rough set technique was used to discover patterns of the data selected.In this study, four main steps were involved to discover the patterns – reduct generation rules, rules generation, rules filtering, and rules evaluation.The results show that the rules generated achieved acceptable prediction accuracy with more than 70 per cent accuracy.In addition, the ROC value achieved 0.65, which indicates the rule-based model is valid and useful.The results reveal that the extrovert personality type is dominant for both software team roles and a homogeneous or heterogeneous team plays an equal role to determine an effective team.This study provides useful rules for decision makers to understand and get insight into selecting effective team members that lead to producing high quality software