A one health-focused literature review on bovine and zoonotic tuberculosis in Pakistan from the past two decades:challenges and way forward for control

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), is a globally prevalent zoonotic infectious disease. World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) estimates indicate that up to 10% of the total human TB cases in developing countries are attributed to M. bovis. Pakistan ranks 4th in global milk production with a livestock population of over 212 million animals. Over 8 million families are involved in raising these animals as a means of livelihood. To date, there is an absence of national-level data on the prevalence of bTB and an effective control program is still lacking. The multifaceted impacts and substantial economic losses render addressing bTB a daunting, but highly important challenge. In this review, we summarise all the freely available literature on M. bovis infection from Pakistan using Google scholar and PubMed databases. A total of 40 animal studies were identified using search terms: "bovine tuberculosis in Pakistan, bTB, Pakistan, Mycobacterium bovis in Pakistan, M. bovis in Pakistan"; while seven human studies were identified using the terms: zoonotic tuberculosis in Pakistan', 'M. bovis in humans Pakistan', 'zTB in TB patients in Pakistan". We have summarized all these studies to identify critical risk factors involved in transmission of bTB among animals and humans. Despite lack of comprehensive and geographically representative studies, the literature suggests a varying prevalence of bTB in animals, ranging from as low as 2% to as high as 19%. Regarding zTB prevalence in humans, estimates range from 1.5% to 13% in high-risk group of farm and abattoir workers, with notably higher percentages in extra-pulmonary TB cases. The review also addresses the challenges that Pakistan faces in formulating an effective policy for the control and eradication of bTB. We conclude with one-health based recommendations as a way forward for controlling TB caused by M. bovis in cattle and humans.</p

A High Gain Flexible Antenna for Biomedical Applications

In this paper, a miniaturized antenna is presented for biomedical applications due to its flexibility. The proposed antenna operates in the Industrial, Medical, and Scientific (ISM) 24.00 GHz to 24.25 GHz band. This antenna consists of a radiating element with circular and rectangular slots and the ground with cross plus four square slots. The dielectric material Rogers RO3003 with permittivity of 3, is used for substrate and superstrate. The miniaturization of the antenna is achieved by shorting pin and some other techniques. The total volume of the designed antenna is (6.8×6.8×0.26) mm 3 . The maximum gain achieved by the simulation of the proposed antenna is 5.44 dB at 24.25 GHz, and at the start of the band, the gain is 4.9 dB at 23.98 GHz, and at the end of the band, the gain is 5.1 dB at 24.47 GHz. The designed antenna has better results than the antennas discussed in the literature in terms of size, gain, and efficiency

Activation of nano kaolin clay for bio-glycerol conversion to a valuable fuel additive

High production of biodiesel results in a surplus of glycerol as a byproduct that leads to a drastic decline in the glycerol price as well as overall biodiesel production. Alternative methods must be introduced for the economical process for biodiesel production via utilization of crude glycerol into valuable chemicals or fuel additives. This study introduces an ecofriendly process of solketal synthesis from glycerol and acetone in the presence of a novel metakaolin clay catalyst, which is a useful additive in biodiesel or gasoline, in order to enhance the octane number and to control the emissions. Moreover, kaolin clay catalysts are low cost, abundantly available, eco-friendly and one of the more promising applications for solketal synthesis. In this study, raw kaolin clay was activated with an easy acid activation technique, modification in physicochemical and textural properties were determined by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope. Among all acid-treated catalysts, metakaolin K3 have shown best catalytic properties, high surface area and pore size after acid activation with 3.0 mol/dm3 at 98 °C for 3 h. Acetalization of glycerol with acetone carried out in the presence of an environmentally friendly and inexpensive novel metakaolin K3 catalyst. The maximum yield of solketal obtained was 84% at a temperature of 50 °C, acetone/glycerol molar ratio 6/1 and for 90 min with novel metakaolin clay catalyst. Effect of various parameters (time, temperature, acetone/glycerol molar ratio, catalyst loading) on the solketal yield and glycerol conversion was discussed in detail. This approach offers an effective way to transform glycerol into solketal—a desirable green chemical with future industrial applications

Cytogenetic abnormalities in myelodysplastic syndromes: An overview

Karyotype is one of the main constituents of the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) and revised-IPSS that are the cornerstones for the prognostication of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Del(5q), -7/del(7q), +8 and -Y are among the most extensively studied cytogenetic abnormalities in MDS. The same applies for normal karyotype. There are hundreds of other rare cytogenetic abnormalities that have been reported in MDS, included but not limited to -X, 3q abnormalities, +13/del(13q), i(17q), +21/-21. However, due to a very low number of patients, their impact on the prognosis of MDS is limited. Knowledge of the molecular consequences of different cytogenetic abnormalities allows us to modify treatment regimens based on drugs most active against the specific karyotype present, allowing for the opportunity to individualize MDS treatment and improve patient care and prognosis

Burnout, job dissatisfaction, and mental health outcomes among medical students and health care professionals at a tertiary care hospital in pakistan: Protocol for a multi-center cross-sectional study

Burnout, a state of vital exhaustion, has frequently been related to work-related stress and job dissatisfaction. Given the emotionally and physically challenging nature of their work, high rates of burnout have been reported among health care professionals. This may put them at a higher risk for of suffering from adverse mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety and stress. In our study, we aim to assess the prevalence i of and associations among burnout and job dissatisfaction and adverse mental health outcomes in a developing country, where the challenges faced by the health care system are unique. Facilities are over-burdened and there is a sharp contrast between doctor to patient ratios in developing and developed countries. We plan to conduct a cross sectional study at the largest tertiary care hospital in Pakistan and its peripheral affiliated health centers. A proportionate sampling technique will be employed to include medical and nursing students, interns, residents and consultants. Previously validated questionnaires, including the Maslach Burnout tool, DASS 21, and Job Satisfaction Survey will be disseminated through Survey Monkey. Statistical analysis will be conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 23 to study the association among burnout, job dissatisfaction, adverse health outcomes and demographic and work-related factors This study may begin laying the foundation for prioritizing the novel concept of physician mental health in the developing world. Further research building on to the results of this study will generate evidence to make recommendations about routine screening for mental illness and policy changes in the health care system

Energy and Exergy Analysis of Vapor Compression Refrigeration System with Low-GWP Refrigerants

In this paper, a first- and second-law analysis of vapor compression refrigeration is presented to estimate and propose the replacement of R134 with working fluids having less global warming potential (GWP) and less exergy destruction and irreversibilities. Six different refrigerants were studied, namely, R717, R1234yf, R290, R134a, R600a, and R152a. A thermodynamic model was designed on Engineering Equation Solver (EES) software, and performance parameters were calculated. The model was deployed on all six refrigerants, while the used output parameters of performance were cooling capacity, coefficient of performance, discharge temperature, total exergy destruction, relative exergy destruction rates of different components, second-law efficiency, and efficiency defect of each component. The performance parameters were estimated at different speeds of the compressor (1000, 2000, and 3000 rpm) and fixed condenser and evaporator temperatures of 50 °C and 5 °C, respectively. The isentropic efficiency of the compressor was the same as the volumetric efficiency, and it was taken as 75%, 65%, and 55% at the compressor speeds of 1000 rpm, 2000 rpm, and 3000 rpm, respectively. A comparison of the performance parameters was presented by importing the results in MATLAB. It was found that the compressor had the highest exergy destruction compared to the other components. It was found that R152 was the refrigerant with zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) and a GWP value of 140 with less exergy destruction and irreversibilities. Moreover, it was easy to use R152a with good thermodynamic characteristics. It is estimated that R152a is a suitable replacement for R134a, as it can be used with few modifications

Three-Dimensional Holographic Refractive-Index Measurement of Continuously Flowing Cells in a Microfluidic Channel

The refractive index of biological specimens is a source of intrinsic contrast that can be explored without any concerns of photobleaching or harmful effects caused by extra contrast agents. In addition, the refractive index contains rich information related to the metabolism of cells at the cellular and subcellular levels. Here, we report a no-moving-parts approach that provides three-dimensional refractive-index maps of biological samples continuously flowing in a microfluidic channel. Specifically, we use line illumination and off-axis digital holography to record the angular spectra of light scattered from flowing samples at high speed. Applying the scalar diffraction theory, we obtain accurate refractive-index maps of the samples from the measured spectra. Using this method, we demonstrate label-free three-dimensional imaging of live RKO human colon cancer cells and RPMI8226 multiple myeloma cells, and obtain the volume, dry mass, and density of these cells from the measured three-dimensional refractive-index maps. Our results show that the reported method, alone or in combination with the existing flow cytometry techniques, shows promise as a quantitative tool for stain-free characterization of a large number of cells.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (9P41EB015871-26A1)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (P41 EB002503)Hamamatsu Corporatio

Retrograde bullet migration from inferior vena cava into right common iliac vein following gunshot: a case report

Abstract Bullet embolization cases are rare and even rarer are its retrograde migration in the veins. We report the case of a 14 year old male with a gunshot wound to the left side of his chest. CT scan revealed bilateral haemothorax and foreign body in the right common iliac vein. The patient was immediately taken to the operating theatre and median sternotomy performed. Bullet entry tear was found in the inferior vena cava however, the bullet was found lodged in the right common iliac vein and slipped down against the flow of blood. The bullet was left in situ and after the necessary repair the chest was closed and the patient shifted to the CICU and discharged after 4 days in stable condition. Patient was followed after 1 week and reassured and advised for one year follow-up

Sustainable Funding Options for Texas Wildlife Conservation

Texas has an estimated need of $20 million in non-federal funding in order to receive$60 million in federal funding from the proposed Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. By exploring Texas’s political culture and surveying stakeholders, this student Capstone team report analyzes and proposes the best possible options to fund wildlife conservation based on the criteria of feasibility and sustainability

CORRELATION BETWEEN MOLARS ANGULATION, OVERBITE AND VERTICAL SKELETAL PATTERN

OBJECTIVE: To determine the correlation between molars angulation, overbite and vertical skeletal pattern. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from June to August 2019. Pretreatment records (lateral cephalograms and dental models) of 81 individuals were selected from the database of the Orthodontics Department. Overbite was measured from dental casts with a ruler and the values were recorded in both millimeter readings and percentages. Angulation of molars and the vertical skeletal pattern was evaluated from the lateral cephalograms. Correlation among molars angulation, overbite and vertical skeletal pattern was measured with the help of Pearson’s correlation. RESULTS: Out of 81 patients, 39 (48.1%) were males and 42 (51.9%) were females. Mean age of patients was 17+3 years. Mean angular measurements for upper 2nd molar angulation, upper 1st molar angulation, lower 2nd molar angulation and lower 1st molar angulation were 79.77±7.324, 82.38±5.967, 86.94±6.837, 82.38±6.638 degrees respectively. Mean linear measurements for posterior facial height (PFH), lower anterior facial height (LAFH), Jaraback’s Ratio (PFH/AFH), lower anterior facial height percentage (LAFH/PFH) were 74.70±7.410, 62±6.4502, 66.63±5.769, 55.24±3.6272 and 3.414±2.1727 respectively. A positive, significant correlation was found between angulation of lower 2nd molars and overbite. Correlation between angulation of lower molars, PFH and Jaraback,s ratio was positive and significant. Similar relationship was also determined between upper molars and vertical skeletal pattern. CONCLUSION: Angulation of upper and lower molars changed according to vertical skeletal pattern of an individual. Angulation of lower molars also changed with the overbite. Such a correlation was not found between upper molars and overbite