The Influence of Epidural Steroids on Postoperative Pain and Hospital Stay in Patients Having a Single-Level Lumbar Discectomy

Objective:   In this study, we looked at how intra-operative epidural steroids affected postoperative pain and stay duration in patients with unilateral single-level lumbar discectomy. Material & Methods:  A randomized control trial was conducted at Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad. Group A (n = 30) was given intraoperative epidural methylprednisolone, while group B (n = 30) was given normal saline only. The outcome was measured between the two groups in terms of postoperative pain (visual analog scale), time of mobilization, length of hospital stay, and duration to return to work. Results:  At discharge, the VAS score in group A was 0.40 compared to 2.4 in group B (p = 0.000). At 2 weeks follow-up, the mean VAS score was 1.10 in group A in contrast to 1.4 in group B (p = 0.001). Patients who received local epidural methylprednisolone were mobilized after an average of 1 day, stayed for an average of 1.16 days, and returned to work following 18.2 days, whereas patients in the control group were mobilized after an average of 1.2 days, stayed for an average of 1.86 days and returned to work following 25.9 days. An incidental Dural tear occurs in 2 cases. Conclusion:  Intra-operative epidural steroid is beneficial in reducing post-operative pain, hospital stay, and time to return to work. It allows early mobilization with enhanced recovery and few complications

Optimization of Multi-Band Characteristics in Fan-Stub Shaped Patch Antenna for LTE (CBRS) and WLAN Bands

This study aims to optimize a fan-stub slot patch to get better suitability and performance for Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS). The transition from the tedious configuration of slotted patch antenna in fan-stub shape is evaluated. Also, the impact of stub width W, stub length L, and its orientation are tested. Multiple simulation tests ensure the uniqueness in the type of slots or stubs that affect the multiband nature of patch. The optimization of basic fan-stub structure on return loss S11, Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR), and the operating band at the desired frequency is performed to accommodate the federal and non-federal use of the band. The simulation results show that the designed antenna is technically suitable to cover 4G LTE in CBRS (LTE-43 and LTE-48 band) as well as 5.5 GHz Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) band of operation

Instability Risk and Beam Profile Variation in Optical Ring Resonator due to Thin Gradient Index Lens

In this study, a simple ring resonator model in presence of thin gradient index (GRIN) lens is investigated to characterize the optical beam maginification quality beyond its traditional modalities. This model allow us to vary and control the limit of resonator stability more significantly.It consist of two folding arms and each arm can be realized by its cavity components. Insertation of thin GRIN lens ( thickness < 9.3mm) in ring resonator, mainly in between first folding range gives the magnified output beams and meets the beam expander feature for the laser. Variation of GRIN lens thickness (L) is an emphatic and influencing parameter than its refractive index (n) to disturb the resonator stability. Resonator stability in Tangential (T) plane is relatively more sensitive than sagittal (S) plane. Vigorous magnification in optical beam size at the end of output range in a cavity is the noticeable consequences because of GRIN lens

Biological significance of Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) in human health – a review

The recognition of vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) is associated with history of an unrelenting search for the cause of the ancient hemorrhagic disease scurvy. Isolated in 1928, vitamin C is essential for the development and maintenance of connective tissues. It plays an important role in bone formation, wound healing and the maintenance of healthy gums. Vitamin C plays an important role in a number of metabolic functions including the activation of the B vitamin, folic acid, the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids and the conversion of the amino acid, tryptophan, to the neurotransmitter, serotonin. It is an antioxidant that protects body from free radicals’ damages. It is used as therapeutic agent in many diseases and disorders. Vitamin C protects the immune system, reduces the severity of allergic reactions and helps fight off infections

EFFECT OF SPORTS PARTICIPATION ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS AT SECONDARY LEVEL IN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS OF QUETTA, PAKISTAN

The importance of school environment in to of students in secondary schools today in particular cannot be overemphasized. Participation in sport reduces the time off the classroom and shifts the student's attention from the study. They added that it was not probable for students to attain superiority and gratification in sports as well as in schooling. Researchers showed that extracurricular (sport and physical) activity participation was positively related to Grade Point Average, educational aspirations, educational /occupational attainment, and standardized achievement test scores. This study was done in different government and Private high schools comprised of both genders i.e., male and female from Quetta city were included as papulation in this research. Questionnaire responses were recorded to analyze sports impact on education. Most of respondents 49 (42.2%) strongly agreed on participation in sports activities has a link with academic's achievements. Current findings showed respondents were agreed on students participating in sports activities get good marks than those not participating in sports activities which is consistent with findings where they observed contribution in school sports, solely with other additional actions, is related with higher levels of psychosocial functioning and strong conduct than participation in other supplementary doings alone or nonparticipation. Participation in these activities improves mental development or cognition of students, grade point average and test scores. These activities have a positive effect on the memory and concentration of students in education. Key words: Sports, Participation, Academic Performance, Secondar

Management of Hydrocephalus in Posterior Fossa Tumors in Children. An Experience of 30 Cases at Govt: Lady Reading Hospital Department of Neurosurgery, Peshawar

Treatment of hydrocephalus in posterior fossa tumors in children is debatable issue especially in developing countries like Pakistan where the patients present very late. It depends upon the clinical presentations of patients and duration of hydrocephalus. In this regard hospital records of all children with posterior fossa tumors treated in our center during 2005-2008 were reviewed. Patient’s demographic and diagnostic data were analyzed. Chai square test was applied to compare the frequencies of post operative complications in various groups. In our series of 30 patients, 15 were male and 15 were female with equal male to female ratio 1:1. Ten patients with hydrocephalus were treated with External ventricular drain (EVD) per-operative while fifteen patients were treated with pre-operative VP shunt. Five patients did not have any treatment for hydrocephalus. It was proved that in our setup, pre-operative shunting is the best way of management of hydrocephalus in posterior fossa tumors

Comparison of Hematological and Inflammatory Markers to Predict Outcome in Covid-19 in 1st and 4th Wave

OBJECTIVES: To compare the values of the hematological and inflammatory markers in 1st and 4th waves to predict the outcome of COVID-19 in a hospital-based study. METHODOLOGY: This comparative study was conducted in the Department of Hematology, Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar, from April 2020 to 20 August 2021. Tests of significance (Independent t-test/Mann Whitney U test) and Chi-square test were used. Relevant information was recorded on a pre-designed proforma prepared following the study's objectives. RESULTS: A total of 178 patients, 71 from (the 1st wave) and 107 from (the 4th wave) with known outcomes, were studied. A statistically significant difference exists between the groups (1st vs 4th wave) regarding hematological markers; neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (p=0.02), Absolute Neutrophilic count (ANC) (p=0.01) and platelet count (p=0.001). Similarly, significantly higher inflammatory markers values were recorded in the 1st  wave compared with the 4th wave regarding inflammatory markers; CRP (p=0.002) and D-dimer (p=0.001). During the 1st wave, Total Leukocyte Count (TLC), ANC and d-dimer were the leading prognostic indicators to predict mortality/worst outcome in COVID-19 with an Area Under Curve (AUC) of 0.74, 0.70 and 0.7  on receiver operating characteristics (ROC) respectively. In 4th, the Area under the curve (AUC) of d-dimer was 0.84 to predict mortality.  CONCLUSION: TLC, ANC, NLR, and low platelet count were the worst hematological markers in COVID-19 in the first wave, while d-dimer and CRP were the primary prognostic inflammatory markers. Unlikely in the 4th wave, the prognostic values of hematological markers were merely significant. The d-dimer values in both the waves proved to be reliable for predicting the severity and mortality of COVID-19

Smart handoff technique for internet of vehicles communication using dynamic edge-backup node

© 2020 The Authors. Published by MDPI. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics9030524A vehicular adhoc network (VANET) recently emerged in the the Internet of Vehicles (IoV); it involves the computational processing of moving vehicles. Nowadays, IoV has turned into an interesting field of research as vehicles can be equipped with processors, sensors, and communication devices. IoV gives rise to handoff, which involves changing the connection points during the online communication session. This presents a major challenge for which many standardized solutions are recommended. Although there are various proposed techniques and methods to support seamless handover procedure in IoV, there are still some open research issues, such as unavoidable packet loss rate and latency. On the other hand, the emerged concept of edge mobile computing has gained crucial attention by researchers that could help in reducing computational complexities and decreasing communication delay. Hence, this paper specifically studies the handoff challenges in cluster based handoff using new concept of dynamic edge-backup node. The outcomes are evaluated and contrasted with the network mobility method, our proposed technique, and other cluster-based technologies. The results show that coherence in communication during the handoff method can be upgraded, enhanced, and improved utilizing the proposed technique.Published onlin