A multi-sector multi-region economic growth model of drought and the value of water: A case study in Pakistan

This study integrates ecohydrological vegetation and multi-sector multi-region economic growth models to evaluate the impacts of drought on markets and value the economic value of water. The values of several parameters of the agricultural production function are identified by applying leaf area indices that are simulated by the ecohydrological model, AgriCLVDAS. The three-sector three-region closed-economy model with the agricultural production functions of both irrigable and rainfed farmland as well as the stochastic process of precipitation and availability of river water are formulated to analyze the water rent as well as GDP growth in Pakistan under drought stress. According to the characteristics of the closed-economy model, the crop price is increased during drought periods because of the price hike in water (i.e., an increase in the marginal productivity of water, which is double that in high-water periods in Pakistan). The study further presents a way of investigating water resource management policies by applying comparative dynamics

Physiological response of late sown wheat to exogenous application of silicon

Late planting of wheat in rice-wheat cropping system is perhaps one of the major factors responsible for low crop yield. The main cause of reduction in yield is due to supra-optimal conditions during the reproductive growth. High temperature during reproductive phase induces changes in water relations, decreases photosynthetic rate, and transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and antioxidative defence system. Silicon (Si), being a beneficial nutrient not only provides significant benefits to plants growth and development but may also mitigate the adversities of high temperature. A field study was conducted at Agronomic Research Area of University of Agriculture; Faisalabad, Pakistan to assess the performance of late sown wheat with the soil applied Si. Experiment was comprised of three sowing dates; 10th Nov (normal), 10th Dec (late), 10th Jan (very late) with two wheat varieties (Sehar-2006 and Faisalabad-2008), and an optimized dose of Si (100 mg per kg soil), applied at different growth stages (control, crown root, booting and heading). Results indicated that 100 mg Si per kg soil at heading stage offset the negative impact of high temperature and induced heat tolerance in late sown wheat. Silicon application improved 34% relative water contents (RWC), 30% water potential, 26% osmotic potential, 23% turgor potential and 21% photosynthetic rate, and 32% transpiration rate and 20% stomatal conductance in wheat flag leaf than control treatment. Further it was observed that Si application preventing the oxidative membrane damage due to enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes, i.e. 35% superoxide dismutase (SOD) and 38% catalase (CAT). In conclusion results of this field study demonstrated that soil applied Si (100 mg per kg soil) at heading stage enhanced all physiological attributes of wheat flag leaf. Which in turn ameliorated the adverse effects of high temperature in late sown wheat. Study depicted that Si can be used as a potential nutrient in order to mitigate the losses induced by high temperature stress

An occasional diagnosis of myasthenia gravis - a focus on thymus during cardiac surgery: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Myasthenia gravis, an uncommon autoimmune syndrome, is commonly associated with thymus abnormalities. Thymomatous myasthenia gravis is considered to have worst prognosis and thymectomy can reverse symptoms if precociously performed.</p> <p>Case report</p> <p>We describe a case of a patient who underwent mitral valve repair and was found to have an occasional thymomatous mass during the surgery. A total thymectomy was performed concomitantly to the mitral valve repair.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The diagnosis of thymomatous myasthenia gravis was confirmed postoperatively. Following the surgery this patient was strictly monitored and at 1-year follow-up a complete stable remission had been successfully achieved.</p

Imaging Modalities for the Glenoid Track in Recurrent Shoulder Instability: A Systematic Review

A grant from the One-University Open Access Fund at the University of Kansas was used to defray the author's publication fees in this Open Access journal. The Open Access Fund, administered by librarians from the KU, KU Law, and KUMC libraries, is made possible by contributions from the offices of KU Provost, KU Vice Chancellor for Research & Graduate Studies, and KUMC Vice Chancellor for Research. For more information about the Open Access Fund, please see http://library.kumc.edu/authors-fund.xml.Background: The glenoid track (GT) concept illustrates how the degree of glenoid bone loss and humeral bone loss in the glenohumeral joint can guide further treatment in a patient with anterior instability. The importance of determining which lesions are at risk for recurrent instability involves imaging of the glenohumeral joint, but no studies have determined which type of imaging is the most appropriate. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and accuracy of different imaging modalities for measuring the GT in shoulders with recurrent anterior instability. We hypothesized that 3-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) would be the most accurate imaging technique. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines using PubMed, Scopus, Medline, and Cochrane libraries between database inception and July 2019. We included all clinical trials or cadaveric studies that evaluated imaging modalities for assessing the GT. Results: A total of 13 studies were included in this review: 1 study using 2-dimensional CT, 6 studies using 3D-CT, 4 studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 1 study using magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA)/MRI, and 1 study combining CT and MRI. The mean sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for 2D-CT was 92%, 100%, and 96%, respectively. For MRI, the means were 72.2%, 87.9%, and 84.2%, respectively. No papers included 3D-CT metrics. The mean intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for intraobserver reliability were 0.9046 for 3D-CT and 0.867 for MRI. ICCs for interobserver reliability were 0.8164, 0.8845, and 0.43 for 3D-CT, MRI, and MRA/MRI, respectively. Conclusion: There is evidence to support the use of both CT and MRI imaging modalities in assessing the GT. In addition, few studies have compared radiographic measurements with a gold standard, and even fewer have looked at the GT concept as a predictor of outcomes. Thus, future studies are needed to further evaluate which imaging modality is the most accurate to assess the GT

Exogenously Applied Trinexapac-ethyl Improves Photosynthetic Pigments, Water Relations, Osmoregulation and Antioxidants Defense Mechanism in Wheat under Salt Stress

The impact of trinexapac-ethyl (TE) on salinity subjected wheat plants was evaluated via pot based experiment. The treatments applied to wheat seedlings included (Ck) control (no NaCl nor TE spray), foliar spray of TE (1.95 ml L−1), only NaCl (50 mM) and NaCl+ TE (50 mM + 1.95 ml L−1). Foliar application of TE was done seven days after imposition of salinity. Growth parameters (root length, shoot length, fresh weight, and dry weight) and photosynthetic pigments content (chlorophyll a, b, a + b and a/b), water relation (water potential, osmotic potential, turgor potential and relative water contents) as well as catalase (CAT) activity exhibited marked reduction in comparison to control. In addition, an increment was noted in organic solutes content (proline, soluble protein and soluble sugar) and enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in stressed seedlings over control seedlings. The foliar applied TE mostly enhanced growth of salt stressed seedlings, accompanied by reinforcement in photosynthetic pigments, organic solutes, and enzyme activity (SOD, CAT, POD, and APX) in comparison to stressed seedlings. It is worthy to mention that, TE has potential to enhance salt tolerance of wheat seedlings. Thus, our findings suggest that seedling treated with TE is an effective strategy that can be used to enhance salt tolerance of wheat crop

A novel application of Lobatto iiia solver for numerical treatment of mixed convection nanofluidic model

The objective of the current investigation is to examine the influence of variable viscosity and transverse magnetic field on mixed convection fluid model through stretching sheet based on copper and silver nanoparticles by exploiting the strength of numerical computing via Lobatto IIIA solver. The nonlinear partial differential equations are changed into ordinary differential equations by means of similarity transformations procedure. A renewed finite difference based Lobatto IIIA method is incorporated to solve the fluidic system numerically. Vogel's model is considered to observe the influence of variable viscosity and applied oblique magnetic field with mixed convection along with temperature dependent viscosity. Graphical and numerical illustrations are presented to visualize the behavior of different sundry parameters of interest on velocity and temperature. Outcomes reflect that volumetric fraction of nanoparticles causes to increase the thermal conductivity of the fluid and the temperature enhances due to blade type copper nanoparticles. The convergence analysis on the accuracy to solve the problem is investigated viably though the residual errors with different tolerances to prove the worth of the solver. The temperature of the fluid accelerates due the blade type nanoparticles of copper and skin friction coefficient is reduced due to enhancement of Grashof Number

Stress induced polarization of immune-neuroendocrine phenotypes in Gallus gallus

Immune-neuroendocrine phenotypes (INPs) stand for population subgroups differing in immune-neuroendocrine interactions. While mammalian INPs have been characterized thoroughly in rats and humans, avian INPs were only recently described in Coturnix coturnix (quail). To assess the scope of this biological phenomenon, herein we characterized INPs in Gallus gallus (a domestic hen strain submitted to a very long history of strong selective breeding pressure) and evaluated whether a social chronic stress challenge modulates the individuals’ interplay affecting the INP subsets and distribution. Evaluating plasmatic basal corticosterone, interferon-γ and interleukin-4 concentrations, innate/acquired leukocyte ratio, PHA-P skin-swelling and induced antibody responses, two opposite INP profiles were found: LEWIS-like (15% of the population) and FISCHER-like (16%) hens. After chronic stress, an increment of about 12% in each polarized INP frequency was found at expenses of a reduction in the number of birds with intermediate responses. Results show that polarized INPs are also a phenomenon occurring in hens. The observed inter-individual variation suggest that, even after a considerable selection process, the population is still well prepared to deal with a variety of immune-neuroendocrine challenges. Stress promoted disruptive effects, leading to a more balanced INPs distribution, which represents a new substrate for challenging situations.Fil: Nazar, Franco Nicolas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Estevez, Inma. Centro de Investigación. Neiker - Tecnalia; EspañaFil: Correa, Silvia Graciela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Marin, Raul Hector. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas; Argentin

Gender Bias in Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review

Cardiovascular disease (CVDs) has been perceived as a ‘man’s disease’, and this impacted women’s referral to CVD diagnosis and treatment. This study systematically reviewed the evidence regarding gender bias in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of CVDs. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. We searched CINAHL, PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, British Nursing Index, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The included studies were assessed for quality using risk bias tools. Data extracted from the included studies were exported into Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS, v26; IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Armonk, NY), where descriptive statistics were applied. A total of 19 studies were analysed. CVDs were less reported among women who either showed milder symptoms than men or had their symptoms misdiagnosed as gastrointestinal or anxiety-related symptoms. Hence, women had their risk factors under-considered by physicians (especially by male physicians). Subsequently, women were offered fewer diagnostic tests, such as coronary angiography, ergometry, electrocardiogram (ECG), and cardiac enzymes, and were referred to less to cardiologists and/or hospitalisation. Furthermore, if hospitalised, women were less likely to receive a coronary intervention. Similarly, women were prescribed cardiovascular medicines than men, with the exception of antihypertensive and anti-anginal medicines. When it comes to the perception of CVD, women considered themselves at lower risk of CVDs than men. This systematic review showed that women were offered fewer diagnostic tests for CVDs and medicines than men and that in turn influenced their disease outcomes. This could be attributed to the inadequate knowledge regarding the differences in manifestations among both genders

1281O Atezolizumab (atezo) vs platinum-based chemo in blood-based tumour mutational burden-positive (bTMB+) patients (pts) with first-line (1L) advanced/metastatic (m)NSCLC: Results of the Blood First Assay Screening Trial (BFAST) phase III cohort C

Background: TMB is a promising biomarker for immunotherapy in NSCLC, but current data are mostly retrospective. As not all pts may have sufficient tissue for comprehensive biomarker testing, bTMB was prospectively tested as a novel biomarker using targeted next-generation sequencing. BFAST (NCT03178552), a global, open-label, multi-cohort trial, evaluated safety and efficacy of targeted therapies or immunotherapy in biomarker-selected pts with unresectable mNSCLC. Here we present results from Cohort C of 1L atezo vs platinum-based chemo in pts with bTMB+ mNSCLC. Methods: We planned to randomise ≈440 pts with 1L mNSCLC with measurable disease per RECIST 1.1 and bTMB ≥10 (9.1 mut/Mb; FMI bTMB assay) 1:1 to atezo 1200 mg IV every 3 weeks or chemo and stratified by tissue availability, ECOG PS, bTMB and histology. The primary endpoint was INV-PFS per RECIST 1.1 in bTMB ≥16 (14.5 mut/Mb) pts. Key secondary endpoints included OS in bTMB ≥10 (intent to treat, ITT) and bTMB ≥16 pts, and INV-PFS in ITT pts. Results: 471 pts were assigned to atezo (n=234) or chemo (n=237). At baseline, 72% had non-squamous histology, 2% never smoked and median SLD was 103 mm. 145 pts with bTMB ≥16 were assigned to atezo and 146 to chemo. At data cutoff (21 May 2020) minimum follow up was 6 mo. INV-PFS difference in bTMB ≥16 pts for atezo vs chemo was not significant (P=0.053; Table). Grade 3-4 TRAEs occurred in 18% (atezo) vs 46% (chemo) of pts. Serious TRAEs occurred in 12% (atezo) vs 14% (chemo). Results at other bTMB thresholds and by F1L CDx will also be presented as an exploratory analysis. Conclusions: The primary PFS endpoint in bTMB ≥16 pts was not met. OS was numerically better with atezo vs chemo but the difference was not statistically significant. The safety profile of atezo vs chemo was favourable and consistent with atezo monotherapy across indications