The galactic tooth-fairy and a cosmic bullet: Amateur discoveries and a call for further research

There are countless digital sky surveys and automated scans of the night sky which use computer algorithms to detect and categorize objects. With the advent of Artificial Intelligence such surveys will become even more efficient in the near future. Despite this some objects are missed by surveys or pose no initial interest. At times such missed objects are unique in nature and of decent angular sizes, demanding research, unlike the billions of tiny specs of galaxies that would be too tedious to name and study. In this scenario the amateur astronomer and their spirit for old school astronomical discovery steps in, to manually comb the sky and catalogue unique objects as was done in the early days of astronomy. In this paper two unique, previously uncatalogued galaxy candidates, namely Shaheer I and Shaheer II are identified and studied. Both galaxies lay at a distance of 6.67 arc-minutes from each other in the constellation of Camelopardalis. One boasts an unusual morphological profile, akin to a molar tooth, while the other seems to be shooting through space at tremendous velocities. The objects were discovered during visual inspection of digital surveys and then imaged from amateur telescopes at Taqwa observatory, Pakistan's first and only dark sky observatory (bortle 1). We perform photometry using PetroFit to discuss the potential nature of the galaxies and implore further collaborative research to fully uncover their characteristics.Comment: 6 pages, 16 figure

Impact Of COVID-19 Pandemic On Ophthalmology Residency Training- A Cross-Sectional Survey Among Pakistani Residents

Background: The purpose of this study was to get an idea of the impact of COVID-19 on Ophthalmology post-graduate training. Materials & methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted at the College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Sciences/Eye Unit III (King Edward Medical University), Lahore from 01-03-2021 to 31-08-2021. A web-based close-ended questionnaire (Google form) was developed consisting of questions related to residency training in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eighty-one Ophthalmology residents from across the country participated in this survey. Based on the responses to 21 questions, percentages of various variables in questions were calculated. Data analysis was done on SPSS version 22. Responses to questions are mainly presented as percentages. A chi-square test was applied to see the significant difference in survey questions. For categorical variables, Fisher’s Exact test was applied. P-value ≤0.05 is considered significant. Results: Twenty-seven ophthalmology residents were 1st year residents 23 were 2nd year residents while 3rd and 4th year residents were 14 and 17 respectively. 33% of residents thought their surgical training was affected badly due to covid-19 pandemic while 55% of them were concerned about their basic cataract surgery skills. 67% of residents were in favour of their training extension for 6-12 months. The majority of residents stated that COVID-19 affected their training adversely (p=0.000) and cataract surgery training was the most affected one (p=0.000) Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the clinical and surgical training of post-graduate ophthalmology residents. Formulation of institution-based & nationwide short and long-term strategies regarding web-based teaching, surgical simulation courses and necessary adjustments in curriculum are the need of the hour. &nbsp

Effects of welding parameters on the integrity and structure of HDPE pipe butt fusion welds

Doctor of PhilosophyButt fusion welding process is an extensively used method of joining for high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe. With the increasing number of HDPE resin and pipe manufacturers and the diversity of industries utilising HDPE pipes, a wide range of different standards have evolved to specify the butt fusion welding parameters with inspection and testing methods, to maintain quality and structural integrity of welds. There is a lack of understanding and cohesion in these standards for the selection of welding parameters; effectiveness, accuracy, and selection of the test methods and; correlation of the mechanical properties to the micro and macro joint structure. The common standards (WIS 4-32-08, DVS 2207-1, ASTM F2620, and ISO 21307) for butt fusion welding were used to derive the six welding procedures. A total of 48 welds were produced using 180 mm outer diameter SDR 11 HDPE pipe manufactured from BorSafe™ HE3490-LS black bimodal PE100 resin. Three short term coupon mechanical tests were conducted. The waisted tensile test was able to differentiate the quality of welds using the energy to break parameter. The tensile impact test due to specimen geometry caused the failure to occur in the parent material. The guided side bend specimen geometry proved to be too ductile to be able to cause failures. A statistical t-test was used to analyse the results of the short term mechanical tests. The circumferential positon of the test specimen had no impact on their performance. Finite element analysis (FEA) study was conducted for the long term whole pipe tensile creep rupture (WPTCR) test to find the minimum length of pipe required for testing based on pipe geometry parameters of outer diameter and SDR. Macrographs of the weld beads supplemented with heat treatment were used to derive several weld bead parameters. The FEA modelling of the weld bead parameters identified the length to be a key parameter and provided insight into the relationship between the geometry of the weld beads and the stresses in the weld region. The realistic bead geometry digitised using the macrographs contributed a 30% increase in pipe wall stress due to the stress concentration effect of the notches formed between the weld beads and the pipe wall. The circumferential position of the weld bead had no impact on the pipe wall stresses in a similar manner to the results of the different mechanical tests. IV Nanoindentation (NI) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques were used to study the weld microstructure and variation of mechanical properties across the weld at the resolutions of 100 and 50 microns, respectively. NI revealed signature ‘twin-peaks and a valley’ distribution of hardness and elastic modulus across the weld. The degrees of crystallinity obtained from DSC followed the NI pattern as crystallinity positively correlates with the material properties. Both techniques confirm annealing of the heat affected zone (HAZ) material towards the MZ from the parent material. The transmission light microscopy (TLM) was used to provide dimensions of the melt zone (MZ) which displays an hour glass figure widening to the size of the weld bead root length towards the pipe surfaces. Thermal FEA modelling was validated using both NI and TLM data to predict the HAZ size. The HAZ-parent boundary temperature was calculated to be 105 ⁰C. The 1st contribution of the study is to prove the existence of a positive correlation between the heat input calculated from FEA and the energy to break values obtained from the waisted tensile test. The 2nd contribution providing the minimum length of pipe for WPTCR based on the pipe dimensions. The 3rd contribution is the recommendation for the waisted tensile test with the test using the geometry designed to minimise deformation of the loading pin holes. The 4th contribution related the weld bead parameters to pipe wall stresses and the effect of notches as stress concentrators. The 5th contribution is a new method of visualising a welding procedure that can be used to not only compare the welding procedures but also predict the size of the MZ and the HAZ. The 6th contribution of the study is the proposal of new weld bead geometry that consist of the MZ bounded by the HAZ, for butt fusion welded joints of HDPE pipes.Armourers & Brasiers Gauntlet Trust & Brunel University travel fun

Impact of Topical Nepafenac on Macular Thickness after Phacoemulsification with Intraocular Lens Implantation in Patients without Diabetic Retinopathy

PURPOSE:  To study the effect of post-operative Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory (NSAID) eye drops on macular thickness in patients without diabetic retinopathy measured by Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) STUDY DESIGN: Quasi experimental study PLACE & DURATION OF STUDY:  removed for blind review METHODOLOGY: Diabetic patients without retinopathy who required cataract surgery for visual rehabilitation were included in study. They were than divided into two groups. Group A included patients who received routine steroid+antibiotic post-operative drops while Group B comprised of patients who received nepafenac (0.1%) eye drops eight hourly in addition to routine post-operative eye drops. All patients underwent standard phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation followed by use of NSAID eye drops for a month. OCT measurements were done pre-operatively, 7 and 28 days post operatively. RESULTS: Comparison of central macular thickness between groups was significant at (Pre & 7 day post op) and insignificant at (7th day & 28th day post op) and (Pre & 28th day post op) i.e. 0.043, 0.834 and 0.084 respectively. However, difference of mean central macular thickness was significant at all follow-up periods i.e.0.003, 0.006, and 0.000 CONCLUSION: Post-operative NSAID in diabetic patients without retinopathy leads to a significant decrease in macular thickness as compared to controls after cataract surgery. KEY WORDS: Phacoemulsification, Optical Coherence Tomography, Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Agent

A study on Emotional Intelligence & Empathy in Allied Vision Sciences Students

Purpose: To study the emotional intelligence and empathy in allied eye care workers. Methods: After ethical approval of study, a google form was developed which included Schutte’s scale and Davis Interpersonal index questions in addition to those related to basic demographic information. The proforma was sent via social media application (whatsapp) to study participants. Allied vision sciences students enrolled in bachelors program at various colleges/universities were included in study. A total of 150 students were invited to participate in this study out of whom 119 responded. Comparison of emotional intelligence scores based upon gender, year of study and boarder/non-boarder were done by applying Mann Whitney and one way ANOVA test.  Results: Female responders were predominant (77.3%) in survey while majority (32.8%) of participants were in first year of study. When compared based upon boarder versus non-boarder, the sub scale of ‘’social skills’’ showed significant difference (p=0.017) with Non-Boarders scoring higher. Also, ‘’emotional regulation’’ scores were significantly higher (p=0.050) among second year students as compared to other years. Conclusion: Among allied vision sciences students, emotional intelligence significantly differs in some subscales when measured according to being boarder or not and year of degree program

Empirical Evidence of Co-Movement between the Canadian CDS, Stock Market And TSX 60 Volatility Index: A Wavelet Approach

Purpose- The prime objective of this study was to find the co-movement between the Canadian credit default swaps market, the Stock market and volatility index (TSX 60 Index) Design/ Methodology- To achieve this purpose, daily data containing 2870 observations starting from the 1st of January 2009 to the 30th of December 2019 were analyzed. This study employed the wavelet approach to present results in short-term, medium-term, long-term, and very long time. Findings- The findings of this study showed a negative correlation between the CDS market, stock market, and the TSX 60 index in the short-term as well as in the long-term term, while in medium-term and very long-term period correlation is strongly positive. The wavelet co-movement results in the short-term and long-term were negative, while this relationship in the medium-term and very long-term period was strongly positive. Practical Implications- This research provides simultaneous valuable information for investment decisions in the short, medium, and long term time horizons, as well as for the policymakers in the Canadian credit default swaps market, stock market, and the volatility index (TSX 60 Index)

CHANGES IN RETINAL NERVE FIBER LAYER ON OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY AFTER PANRETINAL PHOTOCOAGULATION IN PATIENTS WITH PROLIFERATIVE DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

OBJECTIVE: To study changes in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) measured on optical coherence tomography (OCT) after panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). METHODS: This quasi experimental study was conducted at Department of Ophthalmology, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore from 1-4-2017 to 30-3-2018. All patients (n=38) diagnosed with PDR requiring PRP were included. Patients having any coexisting ocular pathology hindering the OCT measurement were excluded. Pre-operatively, RNFL thickness in four quadrants and signal strength was measured on OCT and visual acuity (VA) on Snellen’s chart. Post-operatively, patients were followed-up after one-month and three-months and VA was measured and OCT performed. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 60.66±5.51years with 23(60.5%)males. PRP was performed in right-eye of 22 patients. Pre-laser VA in 28 patients was 6/60. Pre-laser total RNFL was 84.32±4.78µm reduced to 83.74±4.61µm one-month and 81.89±4.40µm three-months post-laser (p<0.001). Pre-laser, superior RNFL thickness was 84.97±4.13µm, reduced to 84.39±3.95µm one-month and to 82.21±3.84µm at three-months post-laser (p 0.024). Pre-laser inferior RNFL thickness was 84.89±4.68µm, reduced to 84.00±4.44µm one-month and to 81.71±4.50µm three months post-laser (p=0.032). Pre-laser temporal RNFL thickness was 83.26±3.47µm, reduced to 82.34±3.44µm one-month and to 80.21±3.49µm three-months post-laser (p<0.001). Pre-laser nasal RNFL thickness was 85.16±3.78µm, reduced to 84.26±3.88µm one-month post-laser and to 82.08±3.74µm at three-months post-laser (p=0.043). Pre-laser, signal strength on OCT was 8.26±0.69 and 8.66±0.48 one-month post-laser and 8.55±0.50 three-months post-laser (p=0.009). CONCLUSION: PRP leads to a decrease in thickness of RNFL after one month and three months as compared to pre-laser RNFL thickness