Status of Scar in Repeat Cesarean Section in a Tertiary Hospital

Introduction: In modern Obstetrics, with rising trends of primary Cesarean section (CS) for fetal and maternal interests, pregnancy over the scarred uterus is a challenge to all treating obstetricians. How better the cesarean scar is sutured, its exact fate in next pregnancy is still not measurable. Objective of this study was to evaluate the status of previous cesarean scar during repeat cesarean section (RCS) and calculate the maternal morbidity in those cases in a tertiary hospital. Methods: It was a descriptive, retrospective study conducted at department of Obstetrics of Lumbini Medical College Teaching Hospital. The study was conducted from 15th July 2014 to 14th July 2015. The data were retrieved from the department of Medical Records. Women undergoing RCS were enrolled. The status of scar was evaluated in terms of intact scar, scar rupture, scar dehiscence, thin lower uterine segment, scar placenta previa, and adhesions as indicator of scar integrity. Results: There were 534 (25.4%) CS among 2,098 deliveries during the study period. Ninety one (17.04%) of them were RCS. Elective RCS were 73.6% (n=67), and emergency RCS were 26.4% (n=24). Eighty two (90.1%) women had RCS once and 9 (9.9%) had RCS for second time. Scar was intact in 22 (91.6%), scar dehiscence in 1 (8.3%), scar with adhesions in 1 (8.3%) among  emergency RCS and intact in 53 (91.3%) and scar with adhesions in 5 (8.7%) among elective RCS. Among nine women of two RCS, three (37.5%) had thin scar, five (62.5%) had well formed scar,  seven (87.5%) had intact scar, and one (12.5%) had scar with adhesion. There was no scar dehiscence and no scar rupture in two RCS women.  Adhesions were documented twice higher in women whose primary CS was undertaken outside our hospital. Placenta previa and placenta accreta each were found in two cases. Conclusion: Most of the scars of repeat Cesarean section were healthy with no scar rupture. We can consider trial of labor for scarred uterus with strict vigilance and in need,  CS is always at option

Aerial Base Station Placement via Propagation Radio Maps

The technology of base stations on board unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as aerial base stations (ABSs), promises to deliver cellular connectivity in areas where the terrestrial infrastructure is overloaded, damaged, or inexistent. A central problem in this context is to determine the locations where these ABSs must be deployed to serve a set of users on the ground. However, nearly all existing schemes assume that the channel gain depends only on the length and (possibly) the elevation of the link. To alleviate this limitation, this paper proposes a scheme that accommodates arbitrary channel gains by means of a propagation radio map of the air-to-ground channel. The algorithm finds the locations of an approximately minimal number of ABSs to serve all ground terminals with a target rate while meeting the given constraints on the capacity of the backhaul links and respecting no-fly regions. A convex-relaxation formulation ensures convergence and the alternating-direction method of multipliers is utilized to derive an implementation whose complexity is linear in the number of ground terminals. Numerical results with three channel models corroborate the strengths of the proposed scheme

TrAgent: A Multi-Agent System for Stock Exchange

TrAgent is a software-agent based model for a stock exchange such as the New York Stock Exchange and the procedure of trading securities on the trading floor. The model comprises the complete process from the initiation of a trading order until its execution. The software agent paradigm is the framework for implementing the proposed model. The properties of intelligent software agents meet the characteristics of the actors on the trading floor and provide capabilities for efficient distributed computing. Because of the space restriction, the main focus of this paper is on stock broker agent, one of the most important agents in TrAgent. Intelligence is provided to the stock broker agent in order to make reasoning and decisions on the profitability of a firm. This intelligence is provided using Fuzzy Expert System. The paper further discusses the design and development issues concerning different components of the model

Characterization of Nepalese rice (Oryza sativa L.) landraces for qualitative traits

The characterization of rice (Oryza sativa L.) landraces enables to identify phenotypically unique variables which certainly aid in rice breeding program. So, an experiment was conducted in alpha designed to characterize 188 rice landraces from NAGRC (National Agriculture Genetic Resources center) Nepal for their qualitative agromorphologies in research farm of Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU), Rampur, Chitwan in 2020 AD. Twenty-nine qualitative variables viz; twelve leaf characters, six culm characters, four panicle character and seven grain characters were observed and 26 characters revealed diverse trait expressions for each variable in experimented 188 rice accessions. Two leaf characters namely ligule colour and flag leaf attitude for early observation and one grain character (stigma colour for early observation) showed no variation among studied rice accessions. The intensity of green colour of leaf blade, culm lodging resistance and culm habit, secondary branching of panicle, and lemma and palea colour, lemma apiculus colour and sterile lemma colour, elucidated the higher variation in studied characters. The distinction revealed in qualitative characters approves the presence of abundant phenotypic diversity in the landraces assemblage and that eventually signifies the efficient and effective utilization of landrace in rice breeding programs

Sexual Dimorphism of Maxillary Sinus: A Morphometric Analysis using Computed Tomography

 Introduction: Gender determination is the important aspect of forensic science. Most of the bones used for sex determination are badly disfigured and found in incomplete state, thus bones recovered intact are used. Maxillary sinus being recovered intact can be used for gender determination by measuring maxillary sinus dimension through computed tomography (CT). The aim of this study was to assess sexual dimorphism using morphometric maxillary sinus measurements through CT scan. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study included CT scan images of 80 patients (40 males and 40 females). Maxillary sinus mediolateral (ML), superoinferior (SI), anteroposterior (AP) linear dimensions and volume were measured. All the measured parameters were then subjected to Student’s t-test to determine mean difference between males and females and discriminative statistical analysis to determine gender. Results: The mean value of maxillary sinus length, width, height and volume in males on both right and left sides were (3.80±0.175, 3.74±0.209) cm, (2.57±0.317, 2.51±0.295) cm, (3.55±0.338, 3.5±0.286) cm and (17.49±3.909, 16.54±3.274) cm3 respectively and in females (3.67±0.250, 3.64±0.256) cm, (2.37±0.297, 2.34±0.3222) cm, (3.29±0.280, 3.23±0.254) cm and (14.42±2.935, 13.81±2.779) cm3 respectively. The discriminative analysis showed that the accuracy of maxillary sinus measurements was 72.5% in females and 75% ofmales (overall accuracy = 73.8%). Conclusion: The maxillary sinus measurements are valuable guide for sex determination with relatively good accuracy rate

Computed Tomography Findings in Patients with Seizure Disorder

Introduction: Seizure occurs in up to 10% of the population, whereas epilepsy is a chronic disease characterized by recurrent seizures that may affect up to 2% of the population. Modern neuroimaging is useful in diagnosis of  abnormalities underlying the epilepsies, but the information provided by imaging techniques can also contribute to proper classification of certain epileptic disorders and can delineate the genetics of some underlying syndromes. Neuroimaging is even more important for those patients who have medically intractable seizures. This study was carried out to establish different etiologies of seizures, to correlate the clinical data and radiological findings in cases of seizure, and to identify the common etiologies in different types of seizures. Methods: This was a retrospective hospital-based study conducted in the Department of Radiodiagnosis of Lumbini Medical College Teaching Hospital. Records of patients of past two years, admitted in any department of the hospital with history of seizure disorder and underwent a Computed Tomography  (CT) of brain were included. The CT patterns were assessed and the data were tabulated and statistically analyzed. Results: There were a total of 480 cases out of which 263 (55%) were male and 217 (45%) were female with M:F ratio of 1.2:1. Generalized seizure was more frequent than partial seizure in both gender. In 274 cases of generalized seizures, CT scan findings were abnormal in 151 cases and normal finding observed in 123 cases. In 206 cases of partial seizures, 125 cases were abnormal and 81 having normal CT scan findings. Age wise distribution showed highest number (n=218) of cases in young group (<20 yr) and least number (n=45) in eldest group (>60 yr). The most common cause of seizure  was  calcified granuloma (n=79, 16.5%) followed by neurocysticercosis (NCC, n=64, 13%). Diffuse cerebral edema, sub-arachnoid hemorrhage, and hydrocephalus was seen only in lower age group particularly among 1-20 years. Infarct and diffuse cortical atrophy were most common cause of seizure in older age group.  NCC and tuberculoma are the most common cause of partial seizure whereas cerebral infarcts, hemorrhage, malignancy, diffuse cortical atrophy are the most common cause of complex seizure. Few rare diseases like Fahr disease and tuberous sclerosis were also found in CT scan of  seizure patients. Conclusion: NCC and tuberculoma are the most common cause of partial seizure whereas cerebral infarcts, hemorrhage, malignancy, and diffuse cortical atrophy are the most common cause of complex seizure. CT scan plays an important role as a preliminary tool in radiological assessment of patients presenting with seizures

Generation and diagnostics of atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge in argon/air

In this paper, a technique for the determination of electron temperatures and electron densities in atmospheric pressure argon/air discharge by the analysis of optical emission spectra (OES) is reported. The discharge is produced using a high voltage (0-20 kV) power supply operating at a frequency of 27 kHz in parallel electrode system, with glass as dielectric. The dielectric layers covering the electrodes act as current limiters and prevent the transition to an arc discharge. Optical emission spectra in the range of 300 nm to 850 nm have been recorded for the discharge with different inter electrode gap keeping electric field constant. Electron temperature Te and electron density ne have been estimated from electrical and optical methods. Electron density has been calculated using power balance method. The optical methods are related with line intensity ratio from the relative intensities of Ar-I and Ar-II lines in Argon plasma. The electron density calculated by using line intensity ratio method has been compared with the electron density calculated by stark broadening method. The effect of dielectric thickness on plasma parameters has also been studied and it has been found that Te and ne increase as thickness of dielectric decrease for same inter electrode distance and applied voltage

Effects of Brewery Spent Grain (BSG) included poultry diet on growth performance and meat quality of New Hampshire chicken

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the inclusion effects of Dried Brewery Spent Grain (DBSG) to know its effect on growth performance and meat quality on poultry. Completely randomized design was used to compare the treatments in five replications. The treatments used were 15% DBSG (T1), 20% DBSG (T2), 25% DBSG (T3), Commercial feed (T4) and (0% DBSG) scavenging bird was used as a control. Each treatment contained 10 birds including 200 chickens in the whole investigation. The major factors body weight, carcasses and organs weight, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, and calcium were evaluated. Results showed that mean body weight of the experimental bird after 60 days was not significantly different (p>0.05) among the dietary treatments, i.e., T1 (781.46 g), T2 (738.36 g), T3 (728.91 g) and T4 (753.38 g). Carcass, breast muscle, thigh, wing, shank, liver and spleen were not significantly different (p>0.05) in weight between DBSG included diet and commercial feed. However, dressing percentage (59.3%) of T4 and gizzard (43.20 gm.) in T3 was significantly higher than other treatments. The significantly higher (p<0.05) amount of cholesterol found in T4 (312.01 mg/dl) followed by control diet (239.46 mg/dl), both of which were above than reference range (129-297 mg/dl). However, in other treatments i.e., T1, T2 and T3, the cholesterol content was in between the reference range. Similarly, same level (p>0.05) of total protein, albumin and calcium content in blood serum observed in BSG included diet and commercial diet. Hence, 15% to 20% inclusion of BSG could be the optimum level in diets of New Hampshire chickens

Climate-driven differences in growth performance of cohabitant fir and birch in a subalpine forest in Dhorpatan Nepal

Himalayan Silver Fir (Abies spectabilis) and Himalayan Birch (Betula utilis) are tree species often found coexisting in sub-alpine forests of the Nepal Himalayas. To assess species-specific growth performances of these species, tree-ring samples were collected from the subalpine forest in the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, Nepal. Standard ring width chronologies of both species were correlated with climatic variables in both static and running windows. Differential and contrasting temporal responses of radial growth of these species to climate were found. Warmer and drier springs appeared to limit birch radial growth. Whereas radial growth of fir showed weakened climate sensitivity. Moving correlation analyses revealed divergent influences of spring climate on both fir and birch. Significant warming that occurred in the 1970s coincided with growth declines in birch and an increase in fir, as indicated by basal area increment. In summary, recent warming has been unfavorable for birch, and favorable to fir radial growth.publishedVersio