Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
USE OF INHALANT ANESTHETICS IN THREE SNAKE SPECIES

Different snake species respond differently to various anesthetic agents. Hence, an anesthetic procedure developed for one species cannot necessarily be safely transferred to another species. The goal of this paper is to summarize our experience using inhalant anesthetics on three snake species, including both procedures that were successful and those we found to be less satisfactory. We found isoflurane delivered with a precision vaporizer to be the best agent to anesthetize black rat snakes (Elaphe o. obsoleta). Sex and mass did not seem to affect induction times in black rat snakes, but larger female rat snakes recovered faster from anesthesia than smaller females. Halothane delivered in the open method provided consistent anesthesia in northern water snakes (Nerodia s. sipedon), although it caused some mortality and should not be used on debilitated patients. Halothane delivered with a precision vaporizer may be used to anesthetize eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus c. catenatus). However, care must be taken to prevent mortality resulting from anesthetic overdose. Sex and mass had no effect on induction and recovery times in the rattlesnakes, but stressed animals require longer induction and recovery times.
Electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields in oncology

Electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields have a wide application in medicine for both therapy and diagnostics. In oncology several treatments have been developed on specifically exploiting the characteristic interaction of electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields with tissue. Electroporation, thermal ablation and hyperthermia are treatments that are used alone or in combination with the existing treatments. Irreversible electroporation and thermal ablation can be used as a single treatment and induce direct cell killing through permanent permeabilization of the tumor cell membrane or by killing the tumor cells by coagulating at high temperatures (>50°C for 4–6 min.), respectively. Hyperthermia and electrotrochemotherapy are, in contrast, always applied as part of a multi-modality therapy. Both hyperthermia and reversible electroporation are used to sensitize tumor cells for radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. The combined treatment results in an enhanced effectiveness. i.e. increased cell kill, of the (hypoxic) tumor cells that are not killed by radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
Anti-TNF-α therapies in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are chronic diseases in which inflammation of the airways leads to progressive transient airway obstruction and TNF-α plays an important pro-inflammatory role. Objective: To assess the plausibility of anti-TNF-α therapies playing an anti-inflammatory role in asthma and COPD. Methods: Scientific rationale of TNF-α targeting in asthma and COPD was assessed individually and the available data on the use of anti-TNF-α in each disease were reviewed. Results and conclusion: Anti-TNF-α therapies demonstrate different efficacies in asthma and COPD and further supportive preclinical and clinical data are needed, especially about subsets of certain diseases which could benefit the most from these therapies.
INVESTIGATION ON THE PREVALENCE OF LEUKAEMIA AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, LAHORE

Introduction: Cancer in all forms is causing about 12% deaths throughout the world. After recent advances and improvement in treatment and prevention in cardiovascular diseases, tumour is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. 1 The incidence of leukaemia across the world is 1 per 100,000 annually. It contributes to 25% of childhood cancers. 2 The study was designed to investigate the Prevalence of Leukemia subtypes at Lahore General Hospital / The Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore and was carried out in the Bone Marrow Clinic. The study was cross – sectional prospective. The period of the study was two year from 01 June, 2010 to 30 June, 2012. Methodology: Complete blood counts, bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsies were performed according to standard methods. Results: In a total of 45 cases of leukaemia, acute leukemia was more prevalent than chronic leukaemia. The ratio of acute and chronic leukaemias was 4:1. Male to female ratio was 1.3: 1. Most of the patients (42%) were below the age of 15 years. ALL (49%) was more common than AML (31%). Among chronic leukaemias, CML (16%) was more common than CLL (2%) and CMML (2%). The study of acute leukaemia subtypes revealed that ALL – L2 was more common (77%) than L 1 (24%). In AML subtypes, M3 (57%) was most prevalent while M 2 (14%) and M 4 (14%) and M 1 (7%) and M 6 (7%) were less prevalent of leukaemia subtypes. Conclusion: Acute leukaemias were more prevalent than chronic leukaemias. Leukaemias of all types were slightly more prevalent in male patients. ALL was more common than AML and was found to be a childhood malignancy. In leukaemia subtypes, ALL – L2 and AML-M3 were most common and in chronic leukaemias CML was most common.
Pregnancy outcome after antepartum diagnosis of oligohydramnios at or beyond thirty seven completed weeks in rural India

Background: Amniotic fluid volume abnormalities may reflect a problem with fluid production or its circulation, such as underlying fetal or placental pathology. These volume extremes may be associated with increased risks for adverse pregnancy outcome. Some studies show that amniotic fluid index is a poor predictor of adverse outcome and some authors have not confirmed the association of adverse perinatal outcome with oligo-hydramnios. Thus this study is conducted to find out the value of oligohydramnios in perinatal outcome and maternal outcome in pregnancies beyond 37 completed weeks. Methods: This study was done at department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, NIMS hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, from January 2013 to January 2015 for a period of 24 months. Our analysis included a total of 200 antenatal women; both booked and unbooked were included in this study. In this study 100 women with AFI <5 cm were allotted into the study group and another 100 women with normal AFI were included into the control group. Labour was either spontaneous or induced in both study and control group . During labour intermittent auscultation of fetal heart rate was done to detect any signs of fetal distress. Artificial rupture of membranes was done in active phase of labour to notice the grade of liquor and progress of labour was monitored on a partogram. Mode of delivery and intrapartum complications were noted. At birth neonate was assessed using 5 minute APGAR score , birth weight was recorded and neonate who were admitted into NICU were followed until discharge. Results: Oligohydramnios i.e., AFI <5 cm measured by ultrasonography in term pregnancies is associated with adverse perinatal outcome. The risks of meconium staining of liquor, intrapartum fetal distress,operative delivery and perinatal mortality are significantly higher in patients with AFI <5 cm , compared to those with normal AFI. Conclusions: Determination of AFI can be used as an adjunct to other fetal surveillance methods. It helps to identify those infants at risk of poor perinatal outcome. Determination of AFI is a valuable screening test for predicting fetal distress in labour requiring cesarean section.
Speleogenesis and Evolution of Karst Aquifers

Karst aquifers in their initial state consist of a net of fractures with largely differing aperture widths. As a most simple example we investigate the evolution of a karst aquifer where a wide fracture with aperture width A0 = 0.03 cm is embedded into a dense net of narrow fractures of aperture widths a0 < A0. The aim of this work is to investigate the influence of the hydraulic coupling between these fractures to the evolution of the karst aquifer. The modelling domain consists of a confined aquifer, which is divided into a square network consisting of narrow fractures. In its center a straight wide fracture leads from the input at hydraulic head h to the output at head zero. We have computed the breakthrough times of this aquifer as a function of a0. For a0 = 0 the breakthrough time is that of an isolated one-dimensional fracture. As a0 is increased the breakthrough times drop until at about a0 > 0.02 cm they are reduced significantly by almost one order of magnitude. This is caused by the following mechanism. As the central tube gets enlarged into a funnel like shape from its entrance water from its tip is injected into the fine net of fractures. Therefore more aggressive solution enters into the central fracture and enhances dissolutional widening there. By this way aquifers with wide fractures embedded into a continuum of fine fractures experience accelerated karstification.
A Comparative Analysis of Factors Influencing Two Outbreaks of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Saudi Arabia and South Korea

In 2012, an emerging viral infection was identified in Saudi Arabia that subsequently spread to 27 additional countries globally, though cases may have occurred elsewhere. The virus was ultimately named Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and has been endemic in Saudi Arabia since 2012. As of September 2019, 2468 laboratory-confirmed cases with 851 associated deaths have occurred with a case fatality rate of 34.4%, according to the World Health Organization. An imported case of MERS occurred in South Korea in 2015, stimulating a multi-month outbreak. Several distinguishing factors emerge upon epidemiological and sociological analysis of the two outbreaks including public awareness of the MERS outbreak, and transmission and synchronization of governing healthcare bodies. South Korea implemented a stringent healthcare model that protected patients and healthcare workers alike through prevention and high levels of public information. In addition, many details about MERS-CoV virology, transmission, pathological progression, and even the reservoir, remain unknown. This paper aims to delineate the key differences between the two regional outbreaks from both a healthcare and personal perspective including differing hospital practices, information and public knowledge, cultural practices, and reservoirs, among others. Further details about differing emergency outbreak responses, public information, and guidelines put in place to protect hospitals and citizens could improve the outcome of future MERS outbreaks.
How can the rural poor participate in global economic processes?

Drawing on work commissioned by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to help its forward planning, this paper asks how the rural poor might benefit more fully from global economic processes. It argues that, whilst the scope for the more entrepreneurial to link into value chains associated with either agriculture or the nonfarm rural economy is present, its relevance for many of the rural poor is questionable. There is, however, substantial scope for labourers to participate in activities influenced by globalisation. Policies therefore need to support temporary and permanent migration from rural to urban areas. As a prior condition for the design and implementation of such policies, political mindsets need to be changed to give fuller recognition to the value of such labour in supporting economic modernisation.
Mechanisms of Plant Tolerance to RNA Viruses Induced by Plant-Growth-Promoting Microorganisms

Plant viruses are globally responsible for the significant crop losses of economically important plants. All common approaches are not able to eradicate viral infection. Many non-conventional strategies are currently used to control viral infection, but unfortunately, they are not always effective. Therefore, it is necessary to search for efficient and eco-friendly measures to prevent viral diseases. Since the genomic material of 90% higher plant viruses consists of single-stranded RNA, the best way to target the viral genome is to use ribonucleases (RNase), which can be effective against any viral disease of plants. Here, we show the importance of the search for endophytes with protease and RNase activity combined with the capacity to prime antiviral plant defense responses for their protection against viruses. This review discusses the possible mechanisms used to suppress a viral attack as well as the use of local endophytic bacteria for antiviral control in crops.
The Significance of Tc-99m SPECT and MRI Findings in the Diagnosis of Skull Base Invasion in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Purpose: To evaluate the role of Tc-99m SPECT in the diagnosis of skull base invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and to compare its findings to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 179 newly diagnosed NPC patients treated between August 1, 1997 and December 31, 2000 in our institute. All patients were examined with both MRI and Tc-99m SPECT of the skull base prior to treatment. Bone involvement was suspected on MRI when there was a defect in cortical intactness or an abnormality or asymmetry in the signal intensity of the marrow. Malignancy in the skull base was suspected on SPECT when there was an abnormal focal area of increased uptake or left-to-right asymmetry in the skull bone radioactivity. Patients were staged according to the 1997 AJCC classification of NPC based on physical exam and MRI findings. Primary tumor control rates for patients stratified by T stage and MRI or SPECT results were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log rank test. Results: Out of 179 patients, a total of 92 (51.4%) had an abnormal SPECT (positive or questionable for malignancy) in the skull base (T1: 10, T2: 14, T3: 24, and T4: 44), while 78 (43.6%) demonstrated skull base malignancy on MRI (T3: 30 and T4: 48). The 3-year primary tumor control rate of the 92 patients with an abnormal SPECT was 87.1%, versus 98.2% for the patients with a normal SPECT in the skull base (p=0.11). Twenty-three patients in stages T1-T2 had an abnormal SPECT but a normal MRI in the skull base, and their 3-year primary tumor control rate was 100%. Conclusions: An abnormal SPECT in the skull base without corresponding MRI findings is not a poor prognostic factor by itself and patients are not at an increased risk for primary tumor recurrence. However, SPECT appears to be more sensitive than MRI, although specificity is low, and it can be a helpful adjunct to MRI in the pretreatment evaluation of NPC.
Influence of Growth Temperature of the Nucleation Layer on the Growth of InP on Si (001)

InP layers grown on Si (001) were achieved by the two-step growth method using gas source molecular beam epitaxy. The effects of growth temperature of nucleation layer on InP/Si epitaxial growth were investigated systematically. Cross-section morphology, surface morphology and crystal quality were characterized by scanning electron microscope images, atomic force microscopy images, high-resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD), rocking curves and reciprocal space maps. The InP/Si interface and surface became smoother and the XRD peak intensity was stronger with the nucleation layer grown at 350 °C. The Results show that the growth temperature of InP nucleation layer can significantly affect the growth process of InP film, and the optimal temperature of InP nucleation layer is required to realize a high-quality wafer-level InP layers on Si (001).
SUB-EXTRACTION FROM SUBJECTS

The goal of this paper is to provide a phase-based account of the socalled Subject Condition (a subcase of Huang’s 1982 CED phenomena). We will assume, following Chomsky (2005), that the syntactic opaqueness of subjects follows from the special status of particularly designated positions: the phase edges; we therefore depart not only from Uniformity and Spell-out based approaches to islands (see Takahashi 1994 and Uriagereka 1999a, respectively), but also from those capitalizing on Chomsky’s (2000; 2001) Activity Condition (see Boeckx 2003). A more specific aim of the paper concerns the non-uniform status of the Subject Condition, which as noted by Stepanov (2001) can be circumvented across languages. We propose that this is due to an independently existing process that, under certain conditions, modifies phase boundaries. We call it Phase Sliding. The paper is divided as follows: section 2 briefly reviews previous minimalist accounts of the Subject Condition, all of which coincide in SPEC-T being a ‘freezing’ position. In section 3 we reproduce Chomsky’s (2005) analysis of edges as Probe-proof domains for sub-extraction; section 4 focuses on a language that systematically violates the Subject Condition, Spanish, a fact we try to relate to an old and well-grounded intuition about the nature of T in Romance languages (see Kayne 1989, Rizzi 1982, Uribe-Etxebarria 1992, among many others), which we recast in phase-based terms; section 5 summarizes the main conclusions.
Performance Evaluation of Frame Transmission over Error-Prone Wireless Links

The integration of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) with the Internet of Things (IoT) [1] is an emerging trend towards a networked society. The IoT with sensor nodes offers a variety of applications from industrial automation, smart cities and smart grid, to environmental surveillance and protection. In many IoT applications, high energy efficiency and short packet delivery delay are essential requirements for the design of efficient medium access control (MAC) protocols in battery-powered WSNs [2]. Traditionally, duty-cycling (DC) has been a popular approach for energy conservation in WSNs. This mechanism allows us to organize the operation of a WSN into cycles. During each cycle, sensors wake up for packet transmission or reception and sleep for the rest of the cycle. However, idle listening and overhearing which lead to extra energy cost in DC based protocols prevail, especially when the network is operated in the synchronous mode. While idle listening occurs when a node has to listen to the channel for receiving control messages, overhearing happens when a node overhears the control messages which are not intended to it.
Surfactant Protein A Impairs Genital HPV16 Pseudovirus Infection by Innate Immune Cell Activation in A Murine Model

Infection by oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) is the principle cause of cervical cancer and other anogenital cancers. The majority of cervical cancer cases occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Prophylactic vaccines exist to combat HPV infection but accessibility to these in LMIC is limited. Alternative preventative measures against HPV infection are therefore also needed to control cervical cancer risk. HPV employs multiple mechanisms to evade the host immune response. Therefore, an approach to promote HPV recognition by the immune system can reduce infection. Surfactant proteins A and D (SP-A and SP-D) are highly effective innate opsonins of pathogens. Their function is primarily understood in the lung, but they are also expressed at other sites of the body, including the female reproductive tract (FRT). We hypothesized that raised levels of SP-A and/or SP-D may enhance immune recognition of HPV and reduce infection. Co-immunoprecipitation and flow cytometry experiments showed that purified human SP-A protein directly bound HPV16 pseudovirions (HPV16-PsVs), and the resulting HPV16-PsVs/SP-A complex enhanced uptake of HPV16-PsVs by RAW264.7 murine macrophages. In contrast, a recombinant fragment of human SP-D bound HPV16-PsVs weakly and had no effect on viral uptake. To assess if SP-A modulates HPV16-PsVs infection in vivo, a murine cervicovaginal challenge model was applied. Surprisingly, neither naïve nor C57BL/6 mice challenged with HPV16-PsVs expressed SP-A in the FRT. However, pre-incubation of HPV16-PsVs with purified human SP-A at a 1:10 (w/w) ratio significantly reduced the level of HPV16-PsV infection. When isolated cells from FRTs of naïve C57BL/6 mice were incubated with HPV16-PsVs and stained for selected innate immune cell populations by flow cytometry, significant increases in HPV16-PsVs uptake by eosinophils, neutrophils, monocytes, and macrophages were observed over time using SP-A-pre-adsorbed virions compared to control particles. This study is the first to describe a biochemical and functional association of HPV16 virions with the innate immune molecule SP-A. We show that SP-A impairs HPV16-PsVs infection and propose that SP-A is a potential candidate for use in topical microbicides which provide protection against new HPV infections.
ENHANCING CROP PRODUCTION BY ENHANCING WATER USE EFFICIENCY -A REVIEW

Agriculture is the predominant user (75-80%) of the ava il ble fresh water resources in many parts of the world. As water resources shrinks and competition fr m other sectors grows, agriculture faces dual challenges: to produce more food with less water and to prevent the deterioration of water quality through contamination with soil runoff, nutrients and agrochemicals. Water use efficiency by crops can be enhanced by selection of crop, variety, Agronomic practices like time of sowing, method of sowing/planting, seed rate, plant population, intercu lture, fertilizer and irrigation, intercropping should be evaluated with the irrigation levels for high wat er use efficiency and economic yield of crop. Optimum time of sowing/planting, seed rate, plant po pulation, interculture, herbicide application, fertilizer facilitate better growth and development wh ich resulted in higher crop yield and water use efficiency. Conservation tillage practices like zero tillage; reduced tillage/minimum tillage utilizes more judiciously the plant available water than the conventional tillage when the other factors are
The quest for physiological pacing

Summary The accepted treatment for symptomatic sinus node dysfunction is dual chamber (DDD/DDDR) or single chamber ventricular pacing (VVI/VVIR). The use of atrial pacing (AAAI/AAIR) is very limited. As it has been demonstrated in many observational and randomised studies, ventricular desynchronization imposed by right ventricular apical pacing, increases the risk of congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Therefore, for patients with sinus node dysfunction, especially when the left ventricular function is decreased, and when cardiac pacing is indicated, VVI/VVIR pacing is worst; DDD/DDDR pacing is better and AAI/AAIR pacing (if not contraindicated) is better than both.
Cysteine Derivatized 99mTc-Labelled Fatty Acids as β-Oxidation Markers

With the aim of developing 99mTc-labeled fatty acids intended for myocardial metabolism imaging we report herein the synthesis and characterization of two novel derivatives of undecanonoic and hexadecanonoic acid that have been functionalized at the ω-site by cysteine through the formation of a thioether bond (Cys–FA11 and Cys–FA16). Equimolar amounts of each ligand and the [NEt4]2[Re(CO)3Br3] precursor generated the respective hexacoordinated neutral complexes in which the ligand coordinated to the metal through the SNO donor system of cysteine. The rhenium complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR and NMR spectroscopies. The analogous technetium-99m complexes, 99mTc–Cys–FA11 and 99mTc–Cys–FA16 were prepared by incubation of the ligand with the precursor [99mTc(CO)3(H2O)3]+ (radiochemical yield ≥98%). Their structure was established by comparative HPLC techniques. In vivo studies in mice showed high initial heart uptake for both 99mTc complexes (7.4 ± 0.53 and 7.07 ± 0.73 percentage of injected dose (%ID)/g at 1 min post injection. Rapid clearance (0.60 ± 0.02 %ID/g) was observed for 99mTc–Cys–FA11 while the clearance of the longer fatty acid 99mTc–Cys–FA16 was slower (2.31 ± 0.09 %ID/g at 15 min p.i.). Metabolite analysis study indicated that complexes were catabolized through the β-oxidation process.