Mechanical properties of selected granitoids along the Karora hydropower project, Besham, Northern Pakistan: Insights from petrography and joint analysis

The stability of tunnel site depends upon the deformation behaviors of the surrounding rocks, including joint density, mineral composition, micro cracks, and grain boundaries. The aim of this study was to analyze the mechanical properties of the Besham Complex in Northern Pakistan in terms of petrography and joint analysis. The Besham complex is prone to deformation as it is bounded by the Main Mantle Thrust (MMT) in the north, the Thakot fault (Tf) in the east, and the Swat block in the west. In the study area, the deformation was observed at the mesoscopic scale, while alteration in grains and fractures were determined at a microscopic scale. Detailed petrographic study of the representative samples from each station revealed that the area is dominantly composed of granite, quartz syenite, quartz monzonite, granodiorite, quartz-rich granitoid, monzogranite, alkali feldspar granite, and quartz monzodiorite. Extensive field work was performed to determine the joint volume (JV), in which the number of joints per cubic meter was recorded for each joint set. The rock quality designation (RQD) was calculated through JV analysis. An RQD value <25% suggested that most rocks are very poor quality, while samples with RQD values between 25% and 50% are poor quality. The petrographic analysis revealed that the dominant contents of the rock samples are feldspar (55.6%), quartz (27%), and mica (17.4%). Petrographic control over surface joint volume was established, suggesting that abundant feldspar, coarse grain, anhedral to subhedral grain shape, microcracks, and alteration of minerals provide planes of weakness for joints and thus reduce the RQD value. Therefore, some serious precautions and supporting measurements, such as shotcrete, rock bolts, metal mesh, and steel arch supports, are essential to avoid severe geo-hazards during further excavation.publishedVersio

Morbidity pattern of sick hospitalized preterm infants in Karachi, Pakistan

Despite recent advances, prematurity is associated with high morbidity and mortality in developing countries. We conducted a descriptive case series to identify frequency of various morbidities in premature neonates at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi, from November 2008 to April 2009. All inborn premature \u3c or = 37 weeks gestation were included in study. The frequency of preterm birth during study period was 13.3% (251/1885) of which 58% (n = 145) required admission in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Mean gestational age was 33 +/- 2.4 weeks and mean birth weight, was 1.88 +/- 0.5 kg. 25% of patients were small for gestational age (SGA) while 75% appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Metabolic derangement was the most common morbidity, observed in 93% of patients followed by sepsis, seen in 43.6% neonates. Respiratory distress syndrome was observed in 35.5% of neonates while intraventricular haemorrhage was seen only in 3.5% patients. Mean length of stay for preterm infants in NICU was 11.5 +/- 9.6 days, 14% (n = 20) preterm neonates expired during NICU stay

Workplace based assessment: Tools to assess competencies in a clinical setting

The apprenticeship model has been used for long in surgical training. It initially provides opportunity to the trainee to observe the attending surgeon, followed by gradual introduction to surgical technique under direct supervision and later with detached supervision. The attending provides informal feedback at different intervals to the trainee. Several changes have been made in postgraduate programmes with a shift towards using workplace-based assessment tools for formative and summative evaluation of the trainee\u27s clinical skills

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy of childhood: a fatal complication of swine flu

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy of childhood (ANEC) is a rare condition characterized by the presence of multifocal symmetrical brain lesions involving mainly thalami, brainstem, cerebellum and white matter. ANEC is a serious and life threatening complication of simple viral infections. We present a case of a young child who developed this condition with classical clinical and radiological findings consistent with ANEC, secondary to swine flu (H1N1). He needed ventilatory support and had profound motor and intellectual deficit on discharge. We report this case with aim of raising awareness about this fatal complication of swine flu which has become a global health care issue these days

Body Dysmorphic Disorder: a Comprehensive Review

DergiPark: 889274tmsjBody dysmorphic disorder is psychiatric morbidity that comes under the spectrum of obsessive-compulsive disorders. Individuals suffering from body dys- morphic disorder are incredibly concerned about their minor or so-called defects to such an extent that their lives may be affected drastically. As a result of continuously thinking about the asserted defect, the individuals end up suffering from major depression, anxiety, and self-harm. Diagnosis of body dysmorphic disorder is based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition criteria. The management of body dysmorphic disorder consists of psychotherapeutic and pharmacological interventions. Body dysmorphic disorder is a hidden disorder and is often under-reported. It has been linked to muscle dysmorphia, substance abuse, and major depressive disorder. The lack of studies in different countries and populations has made this a topic that requires sub- stantial input from researchers

A Review on Text Detection Techniques

Text detection in image is an important field. Reading text is challenging because of the variations in images. Text detection is useful for many navigational purposes e.g. text on google API’s and traffic panels etc. This paper analyzes the work done on text detection by many researchers and critically evaluates the techniques designed for text detection and states the limitation of each approach. We have integrated the work of many researchers for getting a brief over view of multiple available techniques and their strengths and limitations are also discussed to give readers a clear picture. The major dataset discussed in all these papers are ICDAR 2003, 2005, 2011, 2013 and SVT(street view text).

Effects of Emblica Officinalis Extract Cream on Human Skin Trans-epidermal Water Loss Measured with Non Invasive Probe

The purpose of this study was to assess hydroalcoholic Emblica officinalis fruit extract cream on human skin trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL). Ten male volunteers were examined in this study. Measurements were made on cheeks. Creams with different concentrations of ABIL® EM 90 and liquid paraffin containing 3% hydroalcoholic Emblica officinalis fruit extract were developed and tested for stability studies for a period of 28 days. Selected cream and its base were further assessed in different conditions at 8 °C (in refrigerator), 25 °C (in incubator), 40 °C (in incubator) and 40 °C (in incubator) with 75% relative humidity (RH) for color, odor, thickness, grittiness liquefaction, phase separation, and pH at different time intervals. Trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) was monitored every week by non-invasive bio-instrument Tewameter MPA 5. All measurements were made statistically by ANOVA and t-paired test. Significant decrease on skin TEWL was produced. Keywords: Hydroalcoholic Emblica officinalis fruit extract, Facial cream, Biophysical paramete

Magnetic field dependent viscous fluid-flow between squeezing plates with homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions

The impacts of magnetic field dependent viscous fluid is explored between squeezing plates in the presence of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions. The unsteady constitutive equations of heat and mass transfers, modified Navier-Stokes, magnetic field and homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions are coupled as an system of ODE. The appropriate solutions are established for the vertical and axial induced magnetic field equations for the transformed and momentum as well as for the MHD pressure and torque exerted on the upper plate, and are in details. In the case of a smooth plate, the self-similar equation with acceptable starting assumptions and auxiliary parameters is solved by utilising a homotopy analytics method, to generate an algorithm with fast and guaranteed convergence. By comparing homotopy analytics method solutions with BVP4c numerical solver packaging, the validity and correctness of the homotopy analytics method findings are demonstrated. Magnetic Reynolds number have been shown to cause to decrease the distribution of magnetic field, fluid temperature, axial and tangential velocity. The magnetic field also has vertical and axial components with increasing viscosity. The applications of the investigation include car magneto-rheological shock absorbers, modern aircraft landing gear systems, procedures for heating or cooling, biological sensor systems, and bio-prothesis, etc

Accuracy of spontaneous breathing trial using ET-CPAP in predicting successful extubation of neonates

Objective: Extubation failure is common in mechanically ventilated neonates. Finding objective criteria for predicting successful extubation may help to reduce the incidence of failure and the length of mechanical ventilation (MV). We conducted this study to determine the accuracy of the spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) and lung function measurements in predicting successful extubation in neonates.Methodology: This cross-sectional validation study was conducted at a tertiary care neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) over 12 months from December 2019 to December 2020. Neonates intubated for \u3e24 hours and considered ready for extubation were enrolled in the study. Neonates who met defined eligibility criteria underwent a three minutes SBT using endotracheal continuous positive airway pressure (ET-CPAP) before extubation. The primary clinical team was blinded to the results, and all neonates were extubated after SBT. Extubation was considered successful if patients remained extubated for 48 hours.Results: Among the 107 infants, 77.5% (n=83) of infants passed the SBT. Of these, 78 were successfully extubated, giving the positive predictive value of 93.97%. The overall extubation success rate was 90% (n=96). The sensitivity and specificity of SBT were 81.2% and 54.5%, respectively. VE (ET-CPAP) and VE-ventilator at a cutoff of ≥238 ml and ≥143.7 ml have an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.77 and 0.75 respectively to predict successful extubation (p-value 0.003, 0.008 respectively).Conclusion: SBT predicts extubation success with pronounced accuracy. Therefore, we propose SBT as a valuable and crucial step that guides clinicians\u27 decision-making regarding extubation preparedness or impending failure in neonates