72 research outputs found
Experimental and Numerical Seismic Evaluation of RC Walls Under Axial Compression
Recent studies show that code-based equations usually do not provide an accurate estimate for the shear strength of short reinforced concrete (RC) walls due to the negligence of many important factors including the beneficial effect of axial compression. In the current study, quasi-static reversed cyclic testing is conducted for two RC wall specimens, one under axial load and one without axial load to assess the effect of the axial compression on the shear strength of RC walls in high-rise buildings. The results of the experimental study show that the axial compression load significantly improves the shear strength of RC walls. Results are also compared with the performance-based seismic evaluation code practices. Based on the experimental findings, recommendations are made for improvements in the existing codes. The experimental results are further compared with different numerical models to explore the suitable computer modeling options for non-linear response prediction of RC walls
Antidiarrheal and antispasmodic activities of polygonum bistorta rhizomes are mediated predominantly through K+ channels activation
Polygonum bistorta is a popular medicinal herb used to treat diarrhea. This study provides pharmacological basis to its folk use in diarrhea using in vivo and in vitro assays. Administration of P. bistorta rhizomes extract to mice offered protection against castor oil-induced diarrhea at 300-1,000 mg/kg and was found safe up to the dose of 5 g/kg. In isolated rabbit jejunum, the extract caused a dose-dependent relaxation of spontaneous and low K+ (25 mM)-induced contractions with weak effect against high K+ (80 mM). In tissues pretreated with glibenclamide or tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA), the relaxant effect of the extract was markedly inhibited by TEA only. While verapamil showed complete relaxation of spontaneous, low K+, low K+ with TEA and high K+-induced contractions. In guinea-pig ileum, mild atropine-sensitive effect was observed. This study indicates that P. bistorta possesses anti-diarrheal and antispasmodic activities mediated predominantly through K+-channels activation along with weak Ca++ antagonist effect
A Case of Esophageal Squamous Papilloma, an Unusual Cause of Dysphagia and Hematemesis in a Patient with Concurrent Malignancies
Introduction: The oesophageal squamous papilloma (ESP) is a rare cause of dysphagia and hematemesis. The malignant potential of this lesion is uncertain; however, the malignant transformation and concurrent malignancies have been reported in the literature. Case description: We report a case of oesophageal squamous papilloma in a 43-year-old female who had a background diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer and liposarcoma of the left knee. She presented with dysphagia. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy showed a polypoid growth, and its biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. Meanwhile, she presented again with hematemesis. A repeat endoscopy showed that the previously seen lesion had likely broken off, leaving behind a residual stalk. This was snared and removed. The patient remained asymptomatic, and a follow-up upper GI endoscopy at six months did not show any recurrence. Practical implications: To our knowledge, this is the first case of ESP in a patient with two concurrent malignancies. Moreover, the diagnosis of ESP should also be considered when presenting with dysphagia or hematemesis
Permutation-Aware Action Segmentation via Unsupervised Frame-to-Segment Alignment
This paper presents an unsupervised transformer-based framework for temporal
activity segmentation which leverages not only frame-level cues but also
segment-level cues. This is in contrast with previous methods which often rely
on frame-level information only. Our approach begins with a frame-level
prediction module which estimates framewise action classes via a transformer
encoder. The frame-level prediction module is trained in an unsupervised manner
via temporal optimal transport. To exploit segment-level information, we
utilize a segment-level prediction module and a frame-to-segment alignment
module. The former includes a transformer decoder for estimating video
transcripts, while the latter matches frame-level features with segment-level
features, yielding permutation-aware segmentation results. Moreover, inspired
by temporal optimal transport, we introduce simple-yet-effective pseudo labels
for unsupervised training of the above modules. Our experiments on four public
datasets, i.e., 50 Salads, YouTube Instructions, Breakfast, and Desktop
Assembly show that our approach achieves comparable or better performance than
previous methods in unsupervised activity segmentation.Comment: Accepted to WACV 202
Babesia bovis in Large Ruminants in Pakistan - Molecular Detection and Haemato-Biochemical Alterations
Background: Babesiosis is endemic in Pakistan and is one of the most important bovine diseases that causes huge economic losses and high mortality in young animals. A hematobiochemical study was conducted to unveil the difference between diseased and healthy animals in selected districts i.e., Faisalabad (31° 25' 7.3740'' N and 73° 4' 44.7924'' E), Toba Tek Singh (30° 58' 9.7392'' N and 72° 27' 40.7484'' E) and Jhang (31° 16' 40.9656'' N and 72° 18' 42.3360'' E) of Punjab, Pakistan.
Materials, Methods & Results: A total of 518 (Cattle = 360, Buffalo = 158) blood samples were collected. The samples were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting apocytochrome b-gene (Babesia bovis-gene) (CYTb) followed by haemato-biochemical analysis. Chi-square test for univariate analysis was used to analyze the data. In summer the PCR-based prevalence was 29.4 (53/180) and 24.05% (19/79) in cows and buffaloes, respectively. On the other hand, in winter results showed that 12.7 (23/180), 13.92 % (11/79) samples positive for Babesia genus from cows and buffaloes, respectively. The positive samples were further investigated for hematological and biochemical analysis. The results revealed that, the mean value of hematological parameters like RBCs, Hb, PCV, MCV and MCHC was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in infected animals (cows and buffaloes) as compared to the non-infected ones. While the biochemical parameters like Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), cholesterol and Lactate dehydrogenase were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in infected animals as compared to healthy animals. This study is the first molecular and hematobiochemical evidence of Babesia bovis in dairy herds of Punjab province, Pakistan.
Discussion: Bovine babesiosis is one of the important tick-borne diseases (TBD) affecting dairy industry. In bovines, among 3 Babesia species that cause the disease B. bovis is more pathogenic with high mortality and morbidity. Pakistan is situated in tropical and sub-tropical region where the humidity is high in some part of countries. This high humidity mostly favors the reproduction of the ticks thus higher prevalence of TBDs in this region. Initially the babesiosis was diagnosed by light microscopy using thin blood smear stained with Giemsa stain. Many studies verified that PCR is a more specific and sensitive tool than conventional techniques for the detection of carrier / asymptomatic ruminants. The haemato-biochemical profile is another valuable footprint to track the disease. Keeping in view the above-mentioned fact the present project has been planned to evaluate the haemato-biochemical alteration between health and Babesia infected cattle along with the molecular detection of Babesia species involved in bovine babesiosis. The mean values of haemato-biochemical parameters in clinically ill and healthy animals revealed that the mean values of hematological parameters like RBCs, Hb, PCV, and HCT were significantly decreased in diseased animals as compared to the healthy ones. All these might be due the fact that the parasite is intra-erythrocytic in nature and destruction of red blood cells results in significant (P < 0.05) decrease level of all the hematological parameters. The mean value of ALT in babesiosis infected cattle was significantly higher as compared to healthy cattle. The mean values of AST and LDH in babesiosis infected cows was significantly higher as compared to that in healthy cows. The elevation in liver enzymes in babesiosis may be due to the hepatic damage and lesions induced by the parasite during its multiplication in the blood followed by disturbed liver function. These enzymes are present in high concentrations in the muscles and liver. High level of these enzymes in the blood is indicator of organ necrosis or damage.
Keywords: bovines, buffaloes, tick-borne diseases, babesiosis, liver enzymes, PCR
Experimental study to optimize cold working, aging temperature, and time on the properties of AA6061 tubes: analysis using design of experiment
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of various process parameters, such as cold work, aging temperature, and aging time, on the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and elongation of AA6061 tubes. The experimental plan is carried out, and the data is analyzed using Design Expert software. Main effects plots and interaction plots are generated to visually examine the effects of individual factors and the interaction between two factors on the output response variables. ANOVA analysis is conducted to assess the statistical significance of the model and individual model coefficients. The results reveal that all input factors had a significant impact on yield, whereas cold work and temperature and their interaction are significant for UTS. However, the model is not significant for elongation. The most notable finding is that the aging temperature’s effect is significant than the other two factors. These study findings can inform future experiments or process optimization efforts by considering the combined impact of these factors and their interactions. The study also found that the optimal temperature range is between 155°C to 170°C, along with a recommended cold work percentage of 10% or more and preferred time of above 10 h up to overage time. The model achieved an overall accuracy rate of over 90%, indicating its ability to predict the response variable with a high degree of precision
Role of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in addiction disorders
Background: Addiction disorders pose significant challenges to public health, necessitating innovative treatments. This assesses deep brain stimulation (DBS) as a potential intervention for addiction disorders.
Methods: A literature review was carried out with a focus on the role of DBS in addiction disorders and its future implications in neurosurgical research.
Results: The online literature shows that DBS precisely modulates certain brain regions to restore addiction-related neural circuits and promote behavioral control.
Conclusion: Preclinical evidence demonstrates DBS’s potential to rebalance neural circuits associated with addiction, and early clinical trials provide encouraging outcomes in enhancing addiction-related outcomes. Ethical considerations, long-term safety, and personalized patient selection require further investigation
Paclobutrazol Improves Sesame Yield by Increasing Dry Matter Accumulation and Reducing Seed Shattering Under Rainfed Conditions
Several biotic and abiotic stresses significantly decrease the biomass accumulation and seed yield of sesame crops under rainfed areas. However, plant growth regulators (such as Paclobutrazol) can improve the total dry matter and seed production of the sesame crop. The effects of the paclobutrazol application on dry matter accumulation and seed yield had not been studied before in sesame under rainfed conditions. Therefore, a two-year field study during 2018 and 2019 was conducted with key objectives to assess the impacts of paclobutrazol on leaf greenness, leaf area, total dry matter production and partitioning, seed shattering, and seed yield of sesame. Two sesame cultivars (TS-5 and TS-3) were treated with four paclobutrazol concentrations (P0 = Control, P1 = 100 mg L-1, P2 = 200 mg L-1, P3 = 300 mg L-1). The experiment was executed in RCBD-factorial design with three replications. Compared with P0, treatment P3 improved the leaf greenness of sesame by 17%, 38%, and 60% at 45, 85, and 125 days after sowing, respectively. However, P3 treatment decreased the leaf area of sesame by 14% and 20% at 45 and 85 days after sowing than P0, respectively. Compared with P0, treatment P3 increased the leaf area by 46% at 125 days after sowing. On average, treatment P3 also improved the total biomass production by 21% and partitioning in roots, stems, leaves, capsules, and seeds by 23%, 19%, 23%, 22%, and 40%, respectively, in the whole growing seasons as compared to P0. Moreover, under P3 treatment, sesame attained the highest seed yield and lowest seed shattering by 27% and 30%, respectively, compared to P0. This study indicated that by applying the paclobutrazol concentration at the rate of 300 mg L-1 in sesame, the leaf greenness, leaf areas, biomass accumulation, partitioning, seed yield, and shatter resistance could be improved. Thus, the optimum paclobutrazol level could enhance the dry matter accumulation and seed production capacity of sesame by decreasing shattering losses under rainfed conditions
Can sulphur improve the nutrient uptake, partitioning, and seed yield of sesame?
Sulphur (S) is considered to improve the nutrient uptake of plants due to its synergistic relationship with other nutrients. This could ultimately enhance the seed yield of oilseed crops. However, there is limited quantitative information on nutrient uptake, distribution, and its associated impacts on seed yield of sesame under the S application. Thus, a two-year field study (2018 and 2019) was conducted to assess the impacts of different S treatments (S-0 = Control, S-20 = 20, S-40 = 40, and S-60 = 60 kg ha(-1)) on total dry matter production, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, S uptake and distribution at the mid-bloom stage and physiological maturity. Furthermore, treatment impacts were studied on the number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule, thousand seed weight, and seed yield at physiological maturity in sesame. Compared to S-0, over the years, treatment S-40 significantly increased the total uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and S (by 13, 22, 11% and 16%, respectively) at physiological maturity, while their distribution by 13, 36, 14, and 24% (in leaves), 12, 15, 11, and 15% (in stems), 15, 42, 18, and 10% (in capsules), and 14, 22, 9, and 15% (in seeds), respectively. Enhanced nutrient uptake and distribution in treatment S-40 improved the total biomass accumulation (by 28%) and distribution in leaves (by 34%), stems (by 27%), capsules (by 26%), and seeds (by 28%), at physiological maturity, as compared to S-0. Treatment S-40 increased the number of capsules per plant (by 13%), number of seeds per capsule (by 11%), and thousand seed weight (by 6%), compared to S-0. Furthermore, over the years, relative to control, sesame under S-40 had a higher seed yield by 28% and enhanced the net economic returns by 44%. Thus, our results suggest that optimum S level at the time of sowing improves the nutrient uptake and distribution during the plant lifecycle, which ultimately enhances total dry matter accumulation, seed yield, and net productivity of sesame
Determinants of response at 2 months of treatment in a cohort of Pakistani patients with pulmonary tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection continues to be a major global challenge. All patients with pulmonary tuberculosis are treated with a standard 6-month treatment regimen. Historical data suggest that even with shortened treatment, most patients achieve long-term remission. Risk stratification is a goal for reducing potentially toxic prolonged treatment. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with the early clearance of sputum acid-fast bacilli (AFB). A total of 297 freshly diagnosed patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were included and enrolled in this study. Information related to their ethno-demographic and anthropometric characteristics was collected. We also assessed their complete blood counts, and blood iron, folate, and vitamin B12 levels. We found that the presence of higher levels of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in diagnostic sputum microscopy was the single most significant prognostic factor associated with early clearance of sputum AFB after 2 months of treatment. All of our patients achieved treatment success after 6 months of treatment and were disease free. Our results support the data obtained from previous studies indicating that AFB clearance at 2 months is unlikely to be a clinically useful biomarker or indicator for therapeutic stratification. Furthermore, demographic, anthropometric, and nutritional factors are not clinically useful biomarkers
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