bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of a Mechanistic–Empirical Design Method for Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement
Authors: Li Hui , Jones David , Wu Rongzong , Harvey John
Published: September 2016

Fully permeable (or porous or pervious) pavements are pavements whose layers are all intended to be permeable. They are used to minimize the adverse effects of stormwater runoff generated from impervious surfaces. They may also be an effective solution for cool pavement strategies for improving outdoor thermal environments and mitigating heat island effects in hot climates. Most current applications of permeable pavements in North America are used for roads with a low traffic volume, basic access streets, parking lots, and recreation and landscaped areas, all of which carry light, slow-moving traffic. Structural design methods have been empirical in nature. Mechanistic–empirical approaches for fully permeable pavement designs have not been developed, but when available, would probably speed up the implementation of fully permeable pavements and potentially extend their use to pavements with a higher volume of traffic where appropriate. This paper summarizes the development of a mechanistic–empirical design method and design tool for permeable interlocking concrete pavements, which uses mechanistic analysis and partial validation with accelerated pavement testing results. A new example design table, based on the number of days with standing water in the subbase (0, 10, 30, 50, 90, and 120), was developed with an Excel spreadsheet-based design tool. The format of the table is similar to that of the current guideline for permeable interlocking concrete pavements of the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute. Designs for a specific set of project circumstances can be developed with the same Excel spreadsheet-based design tool used to develop the tables along with the hydrological design procedures provided in the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute guide.
Impacts of Climatic Regions and Design Factors on the Condition and Distress of Specific Pavement Test Sections in the Long-Term Pavement Performance Program
Authors: Musunuru Gopikrishna , Baladi Gilbert , Dawson Tyler , Prohaska Michael , Thomas Kyle
Published: September 2016

One of the objectives of the Long-Term Pavement Performance Specific Pavement Studies (SPS)-1 experiment was to examine the effects of climatic regions and various design factors on the performance of flexible pavements. In a research study sponsored by FHWA’s Long-Term Pavement Performance program, the impacts of climatic regions, drainage, and the thickness of asphalt concrete layers on the functional and structural performance of the flexible pavement test sections of the SPS-1 experiment were analyzed. Functional performance was analyzed on the basis of ride quality [determined by using the international roughness index (IRI) and safety (rut depth)]. Structural performance was analyzed on the basis of alligator, transverse, and longitudinal cracking and rut depth. For each SPS-1 test section, functional performance was represented by the remaining functional period (RFP), and structural performance was represented by the remaining structural period (RSP). Both metrics, the RFP and the RSP, were developed in this study to rate the performance of flexible, rigid, and composite pavement sections. This paper presents and discusses the results of the analyses of the performance of the SPS-1 test sections. It is shown that, as expected, pavement performance is a function of the climatic region. Wet–freeze regions had a significant impact on pavement performance in terms of the IRI, rut depth, and cracking, and drainable bases were found to be more effective in the wet–freeze region than in the wet–no-freeze, dry–freeze, and dry–no-freeze regions.
Adaptation of NCHRP Project 1-41 Reflection Cracking Models for Semirigid Pavement Design in AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design
Authors: Titus-Glover Leslie , Bhattacharya Biplab B. , Raghunathan Deepak , Mallela Jagannath , Lytton Robert L.
Published: September 2016

Semirigid pavements are composite pavements that comprise a surface asphalt concrete (AC) layer overlying a cement stabilized base, granular subbase, and subgrade foundation. When subjected to traffic and climate loading, semirigid pavements provide good performance through resistance to rutting or deformation of base and subgrade, moisture damage, and AC fatigue. However, semirigid pavements can develop fatigue and transverse shrinkage cracks in the underlying cement stabilized base layer, which ultimately propagates through the surface AC thickness with repeated applications of axle loads and temperature cycles (i.e., reflection cracking). Although new semirigid pavements have been designed and constructed in the United States since the 1960s, a new semirigid pavement design methodology was not included in Version 1.0 of AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design software. This methodology was omitted because developers and researchers at that time concluded that there were no suitable existing mechanistic-based fatigue or transverse reflection cracking models available to be adapted and included in the design procedure. Under NCHRP Project 1-41—Models for Predicting Reflection Cracking of Hot-Mix Asphalt Overlays, mechanistic-based AC fatigue and transverse reflection cracking models were developed. The models were developed to be compatible and thus easily adaptable into the AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design framework. Work done to adapt the NCHRP Project 1-41 reflection cracking models for the design of new semirigid pavement in AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design is presented.
Geospatially Enabled Database for Analyzing Traffic Injuries in San Francisco, California
Authors: Morris Devan , Wier Megan
Published: September 2016

The collection and the analysis of transportation and health data, especially in geospatial terms, can be a complex process. TransBASESF.org is a geospatially enabled analytics database developed by the San Francisco, California, Department of Public Health and used to analyze, evaluate, monitor, and communicate transportation safety issues in San Francisco. The goal of TransBASESF.org is to serve as the central data repository for public health–related transportation data, to be a free and open data resource for the general public to use, and to support interagency collaboration, data standards, and data sharing in the City and County of San Francisco. The TransBASESF.org database currently includes more than 200 spatially referenced variables from multiple agencies and across a range of geographic scales, including infrastructure, transportation, zoning, sociodemographic, and collision data, all linked to an intersection or street segment. The TransBASESF.org database originated as a tool developed to facilitate health impact assessments and understand better the geographic distribution and characteristics of pedestrian injuries. The scope and the role have continued to evolve, and the database now plays a key role in the implementation of San Francisco’s Vision Zero policy, an effort to reduce all modes of transportation-related fatalities to zero by 2024. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the TransBASESF.org system, including its origin, development, content, technical specifications, and examples of applications to date in informing transportation safety planning and policy in San Francisco.
Improved Identification and Calculation of Horizontal Curves with Geographic Information System Road Layers
Authors: Xu Hao , Wei Dali
Published: September 2016

Horizontal curve data are collected or calculated by transportation agencies for different purposes because there is always a demand to generate new curve data either to improve the data quality or to extend the data coverage. There are different approaches and technologies for curve data collection. The selection of methods takes into consideration accuracy, cost, and available sources. There is, consequently, a wide interest in extracting curve information from available road network data of the geographic information system (GIS). When the cost of GIS data extraction is much lower than the cost of other approaches, it is significant to improve the accuracy of GIS curve identification and calculation. This paper analyzes errors related to existing GIS curve calculation methods and introduces a new method to identify and to calculate horizontal curves with improved accuracy. The new method uses regression analysis of road vertex direction–location profiles to calculate curve radii. A freeway segment on Interstate 80 in Nevada, including the eastbound and westbound directions, was selected to evaluate the accuracy of the new method. The evaluation compared the curve calculation results and the accurate curve information from project contract plans. The evaluation results proved the effect of the new procedure on improving the accuracy of horizontal curve identification and estimation. The new method can be implemented as a GIS tool to scan GIS road networks automatically and create horizontal curve data layers. This new method can also be used to generate curve data from GPS survey data.
Fuzzy C-Means Image Segmentation Approach for Axle-Based Vehicle Classification
Authors: Yao Zhuo , Wei Heng , Li Zhixia , Corey Jonathan
Published: September 2016

Vehicle classification information is vital to almost all types of transportation engineering and management applications, such as pavement design, signal timing, and safety. Although the vehicular length–based classification scheme is widely used by state departments of transportation, this scheme lacks the capability of accurately producing axle-based classification data. Limited by the capital cost, axle-based vehicle classification data sources are very narrow. This paper presents an image segmentation–based vehicle classification system with an attempt to increase the efficiency of axle-based vehicle classification. The video-based vehicle classification system Rapid Video-Based Vehicle Identification System (RVIS) is developed to identify the number of axles automatically from ground-truth videos. Through the testing of individual vehicle image data sets, it is shown that the RVIS system is capable of successfully detecting all FHWA 13 vehicle classes. However, larger-scale testing of the RVIS system with a predetermined set of morphological parameters produces less accurate results. Comparison of two testing hours shows that with greater effort in calibration, results can be improved significantly and a great potential for field application exists. The advantages of the RVIS system are its robust and fast algorithm and its flexibility in that it can be applied either from a mobile video source or at locations with traffic-monitoring videos available. The RVIS system is a proven vehicle classification data source that adds to other existing vehicle classification approaches.
Hazard-Based Model for Estimation of Congestion Duration in Urban Rail Transit Considering Loss Minimization
Authors: Shi Zhuangbin , Zhang Ning , Zhang Yunlong
Published: September 2016

Because there is a conflict between promoting the level of service and saving operation resources in passenger flow congestion management for urban rail transit (URT), the congestion duration forecast has become an important decision-support element for management optimization. This paper presents a hazard-based duration model for the purpose of accurate duration forecasting considering loss minimization for decision making. The congestion duration was modeled with a hazard-based approach and revised by a strategy imitating the Bayesian minimum risk rule. Six hundred twenty-seven congestion instances during 470 days from Metro Line 2 of Nanjing, China, were divided into a training data set and a testing data set and were used for model implementation and performance evaluation. The model estimation results indicate that the log-logistic distribution produces the best fit for congestion during weekdays according to the Akaike information criterion, and the accuracy of the duration model is high according to the mean absolute percentage error. The model was also confirmed to be stable over time in the two data sets. In addition, the contrast of losses for the median forecast and the revisionary forecast based on numerical examples in the data set shows that the forecast revising strategy realizes a considerable relative decrease in the loss caused by the randomness of duration. The results of this study are useful for URT congestion management and provide a demonstration of a revising method to reduce economic loss resulting from forecast deviation.
Temporal Tracking of Congested Partitions in Dynamic Urban Road Networks
Authors: Anwar Tarique , Vu Hai L. , Liu Chengfei , Hoogendoorn Serge P.
Published: September 2016

With urban population rapidly growing, traffic congestion is becoming a major problem. In this paper, a framework is proposed for identifying the spatial congested partitions in a dynamic urban road network and for monitoring the temporal changes in their locations and structure. To that end, a given road network is transformed into a suitable graph representation, an initial partitioning based on a spectral clustering approach is performed, and then the partitions continue to be updated incrementally on the basis of the newly obtained traffic data at each new time point. The congested partitions are then identified on the basis of traffic measures (e.g., volume and green time utilization) available from the traffic signal control system. Experiments with the proposed method are conducted with real historical traffic data collected from the 493 signalized traffic sites in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, with a total of 1,444 road segments and 581 intersection points. Experimental results show that large-scale urban traffic networks undergo many rapid but regular and frequent traffic patterns, which often go unnoticed by the traffic network operators. Tracking these kinds of changes in real time by means of the proposed framework can improve the reaction time of the traffic management team and result in less congestion.
Estimation of Link Speed Distribution from Probe Vehicle Data
Authors: Li Zhang (Gabriel) , Cai Chen , Menon Aditya Krishna , Xu Yan , Chen Fang
Published: September 2016

Probes with GPS devices reveal useful information for traffic conditions, but the high level of noise and the sparsity of observations make it challenging to estimate speed distribution from the data collected. This paper proposes a Bayesian approach for estimating link speed distribution from GPS-equipped probe data. The key contribution of the study is a generic hierarchical Monte Carlo Markov chain algorithm for sampling from probe speed distribution, with Gaussian mixture models for probe speed clustering. The algorithm combines Gibbs sampling and Metropolis–Hastings sampling to improve convergence speed. A rigorous mathematical discussion is provided for the simulation approach. The algorithm is evaluated with synthetic data and real-world probe data and shows the feasibility of the approach. Results also confirm the computational advantages of the proposed algorithm and suggest its potential for real-time extension.
Genetic Algorithm–Based Approach for Optimal Deployment of Roadside Units in Connected and Automated Vehicle Environments
Authors: Osman Osama A. , Ishak Sherif
Published: September 2016

Traffic management strategies play a critical role in connected and automated vehicle (CV/AV) environments in which vehicles will be the primary source of traffic information. In CV/AV environments, traffic data are collected from vehicles, and decisions are made at the transportation management centers (TMCs) and communicated back to vehicles via deployed roadside units (RSUs). This process poses a challenge at the early deployment stages of the technology because of the anticipated low market penetration. Under such conditions, RSUs must be optimally located throughout the network to provide continuity and expand the coverage of vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems. This study presents a genetic algorithm–based approach for determining the optimal locations of RSUs by maximizing the connectivity robustness measure, by taking into consideration vehicle clustering (groups of vehicles in transmission range of each other), network size, and other factors. Traffic simulation data were generated from a microscopic simulation platform (VISSIM) and used to test the proposed approach for different penetration rates. The results show that the proposed approach identified locations where more vehicles can communicate. The optimized RSU locations enabled communication between more vehicles in the network, which was identified by the increased robustness of connectivity. This aspect can maximize the amount of exchanged information between vehicles and the RSUs. Consequently, better traffic monitoring can be achieved by collecting more representative data of the traffic conditions in the network. Thus, optimal decisions, such as vehicle rerouting, are made at the TMCs and disseminated to as many vehicles as possible, which helps in achieving better management.
Delayed Presentation of Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction in Chittagong Medical College Hospital
Authors: Das Prabir K , Ghafur Shakil , Mollah Abdul Latif , Siddique Salehuddin , Hossain Abul , Murshed AKM Manzur
Published: September 2016

Background: Delay between onset of symptoms and hospital presentation is a critical factor in determining the management strategy and subsequent outcome. Objective of the study was to identify predictors of late presentation in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and target interventions for those at high risk of late presentation.Methods: In our cross sectional study we prospectively analyzed a cohort of 1032 AMI patients for 1 year (August, 2014 to July, 2015). Demographic factors, clinical characteristics, perception of health and access to health care were compared between early (within 12 hours of symptom onset) and late presenters (>12 hours of symptom onset). Bivariate comparison and multivariate logistic regression were done to identify independent predictors of late presentation .Odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals were calculated directly from the estimated regression coefficient.Results: Of the total 1032 patients 385 (37.3%) were early presenters and 647 (62.7%) were late presenters. Mean time interval between onset of symptom and presentation to hospital were 6.85±8.06 hrs (range 1.5 to 12 hrs) in early and 37.88±25.13 hrs (range 13 to 120 hrs) in late presenters. Bivariate comparison found that in the late presentation group was higher age group patients and employed citizens, had ? one angina episode over past 4 weeks, was unable to use emergency medical transport, had no nearby ECG facilities and misinterpreted chest pain as peptic ulcer disease (PUD). Multivariate analysis showed older age ?65 yrs, traveling long distance ?50 miles from home residence, reporting one or more angina episode over past 4 weeks, attending PHC/clinic and misinterpreting chest pain as PUD were associated with late presentation.Conclusion: A significant majority of patients with AMI were late presenters. Misinterpreting chest pain as PUD was responsible for the delay in the majority. Reporting ?1 angina episodes over past 4 weeks was also independently associated with late presentation. Lack of emergency medical transport and traveling long distance were also significantly associated with the late presenters. Patient education, appropriate utilization of existing resources and use of tele-electrocardiography that allows transmission of ECG signal to a medical control officer may decrease late presentation and improve outcome.Cardiovasc. j. 2016; 9(1): 3-8
Left ventricular dysfunction in transfusion dependent beta Thalassemia major patients in Bangladesh
Authors: Saha Simu , Saha Tapash , Morshed AKM Amirul , Fatmi Md Lutful Ehsan , Zakia Nazneen Umme , Razzaque SKA
Published: September 2016

Background: Thalassemia major is an inherited haemoglobin disorder resulting in chronic haemolytic anaemia. Patients with beta thalassemia major are maintained on continuous blood transfusion regimens resulting in iron overload that adversely affects both the structure and function of the heart and other vital organs which can be easily prevented with iron chelating therapy. The aim of the study was to detect left ventricular dysfunction at an early stage so that early effective intervention can be done.Methods: A total of 50 patients with beta thalassemia were included in the study by non randomized qualitative purposive sampling from July 2013 to June 2014. Their total body iron status was be assessed by doing serum ferritin level. Left ventricular systolic and diastolic function was assessed by echocardiographyResults: Cardiac dysfunction was present in 11 patients with high incidence in patients with low pre-transfusional haemoglobin group (p=0.4) and in patients having high serum ferritin level (p=0.02). Systolic cardiac dysfunction was present in 7(14%) of patients and diastolic dysfunction was present in 4(8%) of patients. There was a weak but significant correlation between left ventricular ejection fraction and serum ferritin concentration (r=-0.22; p=0.03). Only few (8%) patients had diastolic dysfunction.Conclusion: Patients with beta thalassaemia on an adequate transfusion showed an abnormal left ventricular systolic function. In early stage of disease diastolic function was normal but after repeated transfusion there were impaired relaxation indicating diastolic dysfunction. These findings seem mainly to be related to chronic anaemia and serum ferritin levelCardiovasc. j. 2016; 9(1): 31-35
Multiple Intervention in Single Setting: Report on Cases over One Year
Authors: Fatema Nurun Nahar
Published: September 2016

Background: Association of various types of congenital lesions in a single patient is a very common finding in congenital heart disease cases. Many such lesions are amenable to nonsurgical interventions in single setting. Such interventions along with surgical intervention are also possible in hybrid laboratories. Here we are reporting on our experience of twelve cases of multiple interventions in the year 2015.Methods: This is a retrospective review of double or multiple interventions done on cases from January 2015 to December 2015 In Lab aid cardiac hospital and Combined Military Hospital Dhaka. Type of Congenital lesions were identified from chest x-ray, ECG, and colour Doppler Echocardiography and combination of interventions were planned accordingly.Results: Out of twelve cases, 66.66% were male and 33.34% were female. Majority of cases (50%) were in 4-8 years age group. Most common type of disease combination was Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) with Patient Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). Association of Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) with PDA was found in 16.67% cases, combination of PDA with coarctation of aorta was found in 16.67% cases and combination of ASD and VSD was found in 16.67% cases. Combination of ASD, VSD, PDA was also found with aortic and pulmonary stenosis in some cases. Outcome of multiple interventions in all the cases were good.Conclusion: Existence of multiple simple congenital heart lesions is a commonly encountered problem in Pediatric cardiac Practice. Multiple Interventions can be done on these lesions safely. Multiple interventions can be done on complex cases also for life saving purpose. One years experience of multiple intervention reported in this study showed excellent outcome.Cardiovasc. j. 2016; 9(1): 36-42
Health Related Quality of Life among the Coronary Heart Disease Patients
Authors: Mandal Sabita , Ghosh Shantonu Kumar , Rahman Mahbubur , Majumder Alpana , Ranjan Redoy , Adhikary Dipannita , Hasan Kamrul , Islam Md Ziaul , Adhikary Asit Baran
Published: September 2016

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of death in both developed and developing countries including Bangladesh. CHD endanger not only physical health but also psychological, environmental and social health of the patients seriously and many of them live without hope to improve. Thus evaluation of health related quality of life of such patients is very important.Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study was conducted among 217 CHD patients at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, during the period from January to December 2013. The study intended to assess their health related quality of life in terms of general health, physical health, psychological health, social relationship and environmental conditions. Data were collected by a semi-structured questionnaire based on WHOQOLBREF (26) scale.Results: Regarding level of quality of life and general health, majority (51.2%) had average quality of life while in respect of physical health, most (89.9%) of the patients had average quality of health. Regarding psychological health, majority (72.8%) had average quality while regarding social relationship, majority (53.9%) had average quality and by environmental conditions, majority (64.1%) had average quality. Overall health related quality of life by age of the CHD patients was statistically significant as most (391.3%) of the CHD patients with age 30-49 years had average while majority (53.3%) of the elderly (65-75 years) had poor quality of life [c2(4)=28.42, p<0.01]. Overall quality of life and general health was average among most (31.3%) of the middle aged patients while it was poor among majority (53.3%) of the elderly patients and this variation was statistically significant [c2(10)=35.89, p<0.01]. Overall quality of life and general health was average among most (91.3%) of the middle aged patients while it was poor among majority (53.3%) of the elderly patients and this variation was statistically significant (c2(4), p<0.01). All of the retired patients had average and most (94.0%) of the service-holder had average physical health.Conclusion: The study recommends effective measures to improve the overall health related quality of life of the CHD patients in the context of Bangladesh.Cardiovasc. j. 2016; 9(1): 43-48
Successful Management of a Stab Wound to the Left Ventricle
Authors: Gillani Jaleed Ahmad , Khan Hamza AR , Irfan Omar , Fatimi Saulat H
Published: September 2016

A 24 year old male presented to the emergency room with a 2 hour history of knife stab wound. He was haemodynamically stable with good bilateral air entry. However on X-ray an enlarged cardiac silhouette was seen. The patient suddenly became hypotensive and on suspicion of cardiac tamponade a catheter was introduced in pericardial space, but the measure was unsuccessful and he was rushed to the Operating Room. During the surgery a 2 cm long laceration was identified in the mid-left ventricular (LV) wall less than 1mm away from the Left Anterior Descending (LAD) Artery. The Left Anterior Descending Vein was damaged which was then repaired along with the ventricular wall by the interrupted pledgeted 3-0 prolene suture, whilst a cardiopulmonary bypass was kept on the stand by. The patient was checked for a ventricular septal defect via an intraoperative echocardiography. Subsequently, he had an uneventful recovery and was discharged.Cardiovasc. j. 2016; 9(1): 60-63
Stenting of Coarctation of Aorta in a Post Device Closure of Patent Ductus Arteriosus and Balloon Coarctoplasty patient: A Case Report
Authors: Fatema Nurun Nahar , Sarker Ferdousur Rahman
Published: September 2016

Intravascular stent treatment of coarctation of Aorta has proved successful in 96-98% cases. The decision as to which method should be utilized for treatment of coarctation, out of the option of surgical, balloon angioplasty and stent implantation is still controversial in our center. We do balloon angioplasty for majority of cases as stents are expensive and patients are very young. Here we are reporting a case who had device closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) 3 month ago along with balloon angioplasty of coarctation. But patient developed re coarctation within one month and then intravascular stent was implanted.Cardiovasc. j. 2016; 9(1): 64-67
Intracardiac Lateral Tunnel Fontan by using Right Atrial Wall
Authors: Islam Md Zahidul , Rahim AM Asif , Hasan Kazi Abul , Ahsan Syed Imtiaz
Published: September 2016

The Fontan procedure is a palliative surgical procedure used in children with complex congenital heart defects. It involves diverting the venous blood from the right atrium to the pulmonary arteries without passing through the morphologic right ventricle. A 23 years old adult male from Noakhali admitted with the diagnosis of transposition of great arteries (D-TGA) with large perimembranous ventricular septal defect (PM VSD) with severe pulmonary stenosis (PS) and single ventricle morphology in National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (NICVD), Dhaka .He underwent Intracardiac lateral tunnel Fontan by using right atrial wall. Patient recovered uneventfully in his early postoperative period. The lateral tunnel Fontan procedure results in excellent long-term outcome even when used in patients with diverse anatomic diagnoses. The incidence of atrial tachyarrhythmia is low and mainly depends on the underlying cardiac morphology and preoperative arrhythmia. The good long-term outcome after an intracardiac lateral tunnel Fontan procedure should serve as a basis for comparison with other surgical alternatives. But using right atrial wall as a buffle is rare and done first time in Bangladesh.Cardiovasc. j. 2016; 9(1): 68-72
Depression and Insomnia in Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis
Authors: Uzzal Obaidul Kadir , Islam Md Nazrul , Ahmed Parvez Iftekhar , Mamun Md Abdullah Al , Hossain Mohammad Bellal , Bhuiyan Ferdous Kamal , Khan Md Firoz
Published: September 2016

Depression and sleep disorders are more frequent in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) than the general population, and are associated with reduced quality of life and increased mortality risk. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of depression and insomnia in patients on HD and to correlate these with the demographic and biochemical profile. A cross sectional study was conducted among 316 patients on maintenance HD for more than 3 months. There was high prevalence of depression (92.7%) and insomnia (91.1%), Depression was significantly more in patients with urban population (P=0.007), unemployed patients (P=0.007), who had less income.(P=0.018) who got dialysis >12 months (P=0.009) and who got dialysis 2 session per week (P value=0.014). Insomnia was found significantly more in female (P=0.018) and among thosepatients of less income group (P=0.008) and in patients who got at least two sessions of hemodialysis per week (P=0.011).Low serum hemoglobin isassociated with both depression and insomnia (P<0.5), while low serum albumin concentration is found associated with depression (P<0.5).J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 24, No.1, April, 2015, Page 3-11
Atherosclerosis Is Associated with Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio As An Inflammatory Marker in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Bhuiyan Mohammad Monzurul Alam , Sultana Tuhin , Islam Md Saiful , Borua Dhiman , Ahmed Mostaque , Khan Sarwar Hossain , Paul Debatosh , Rahman Quddusur , Pandit Harimohan , Ahmed AN Nashimuddin
Published: September 2016

Background: Increased neutrophil lymphocyte ratio is associated with major adverse outcomes of cardiac events in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients.Objective: To assess the NLR as an inflammatory marker in atherosclerosis in type 2 DM patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).Methods: This case control study was conducted in the Department of Clinical Pathology in collaboration with Department of Cardiology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, from March 2014 to February 2015. Total 134 patients were enrolled in this study who were waiting for coronary angiography in the Department of Cardiology, BSMMU; 84 cases were considered as Group I (DM with CAD) and 50 controls were Group II (DM without CAD). A 2 ml of blood was collected in EDTA tube from the patients prior to coronary angiogram for complete blood count (CBC) were measured by haematology autoanalyzer, rechecked manually and NLR was calculated in the Department of Clinical Pathology, BSMMU. Coronary artery disease with 50% coronary artery stenosis and more critical lesion that were diagnosed by coronary angiography were included in this study as cases. Coronary artery disease with less than 50% coronary artery stenosis that was diagnosed by coronary angiography was included in this study as control.Results: NLR was higher in CAD positive group compared to group without CAD negative in type 2 DM patients (2.76 (±0.74) vs. 1.56 (±0.15), p<0.001).Conclusion: With the help of neutrophil lymphocyte ratio we can take preventive measure and precaution to reduce the progression of atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients with coronary artery disease.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 24, No.1, April, 2015, Page 24-29
Comparative Study on Planned repeat Caesarean Section and Unplanned Repeat Caesarean Section
Authors: Nur Jinnatun , Khanom Rashida , Akter Sumaya
Published: September 2016

Repeat Caesarean section always carries more risk than first time caesarian delivery. In our country, antenatal care is always neglected. When this negligence occurs during subsequent pregnancy who had already goes on Caesarean section for the first pregnancy. In our study, we try to compare between the planned and unplanned repeat Caesarean section. The study was carried out at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Mymensingh and Amina Nursing Home at Charpara Mymensingh. This was a retrospective case control study, There were 100 patients in Group: A, (Planned repeat Caesarean section), Group B was also consisted with 100 patients (Unplanned repeat Caesarean section). Odd ratio was measured. Odd ratio between group; A and Group: B was 2.8. The two groups were compared by their age and independent t test was carried out. Group: A. Mean ± SD 25.76 ± 4.461Group: B. Mean ± SD = 26.12 ± 5.513. By pair independent t test: P value: .076ns. So we can conclude that regular antenatal Check up is mandatory for those whose 1st delivery was conducted by Caesarean section irrespective of age and economical status.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 24, No.1, April, 2015, Page 57-61
Pattern of compliance to anti- hypertensive medications in hypertensive patients in a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Syed Zakir , Islam Mohammad Rofiqul , Biswas Sarmistha , Biswas Prodip Kumar , Hossain Mohammad Zaid , Islam Nafizul , Hossain Md Asif , Rahaman Mohammad Habibur
Published: September 2016

Background: Non-adherence to anti-hypertensive medications can have a negative impact on long term cardiovascular outcome. Various studies have been conducted on this issue but factors are not yet explored properly, particularly in Bangladesh. This study was conducted to find out the prevalence and factors associated with pattern of compliance to anti-hypertensive medications in a tertiary level hospital.Methods: This descriptive study was done on 146 indoor hypertensive patients, included by purposive sampling in july2015 who were taking anti-hypertensive for last 6 months. Data were collected through a questionnaire after obtaining informed consent.Results: This study revealed that 55.47% patients were compliant and 44.53% were noncompliant. Age >60 yrs. are more non-compliant (56.6%). Female (65.11%), house wife and urban population are more compliant. Population, with longer duration of hypertension are more non-compliant. Among the co-morbidities diabetic patients are more non-compliant. Population taking two anti-hypertensive are more compliant (76.47%).Conclusion: In our study most of the populations are compliant but yet significant number of populations are non-compliant. Collective participation of physician, patient and health care delivery system can improve the situation more. As consequence of non-compliance to antihypertensive is grave, community based studies should be conducted to explore the extent of non-compliance.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 24, No.1, April, 2015, Page 62-66
Maintenance Therapy for Acute Myelogenous Leukaemia
Authors: Aziz Md Abdul , Irshadullah Naseeb M , Ali Mohammad , Islam Shafiqul , Islam Sirajul , Begum Masuda , Afrose Rafia , Helal Abul Fazal Mohammad
Published: September 2016

Acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) is one of the deadliest malignancies of mankind. With optimum treatment long term survival is still less than half the patients treated. Except acute promyelocytic leukaemia (AML  M3), maintenance therapy in recent protocols are not recommended. This article discusses potential benefit of maintenance therapy for all AML patients, especially in facilities available in developing countries like Bangladesh.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 24, No.1, April, 2015, Page 67-72
Lightning Injury in Indoor Setting - A Case Report
Authors: Biswas Sarmistha , Karim Md Enamul , Chowdhury Joybaer Anam , Sarkar Prodip Kumar , Begum Mahmuda , Sarkar Md Mahfuze , Bardhan Supta , Dey Uttam Kumar , Bala Chandra Shekhor
Published: September 2016

Lightning strike is a common disaster in Bangladesh. The number of deaths and injuries due to lightning in Bangladesh is over 150 per annum as reported in the newspapers. However, this number may be several times higher as information network in the country is mediocre. The mortality following lightning strike is 10% to 30%. Most of the casualties occur in an outdoor setting; indoor accidents are much less. A survival case of thunderbolt injury in an indoor setting admitted in Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, has been reported hereJ Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 24, No.1, April, 2015, Page 79-81
Phosphate sorption parameters in relation to soil properties in some major agricultural soils of India
Authors: Rashmi I , Parama VRR , Biswas AK
Published: September 2016

Phosphorus sorption characteristics of some Indian representative agricultural soils belonging to four soil orders namely Vertisol, Inceptisol, Alfisol and Ultisol were investigated for adsorption behaviour of P and sorption data were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The Langmuir constant i.e. adsorption maxima was highest for Vertisol (716.85 ?g g-1), followed by Ultisol (633.3 ?g g-1), Alfisol (501.46 ?g g-1) and Inceptisol (522.93 ?g g-1) respectively. The Freundlich k value for Vertisol, Inceptisol, Alfisol and Ultisol were 159.12, 59.41, 110.57 and 181.36 ?g g-1 respectively, whereas the n values were 2.05, 1.92, 2.49 and 3.07 g ml-1 respectively. The phosphate adsorption isotherm gave good fit adopting Langmuir (r2 = 0.96 to 0.99) and Freundlich (r2= 0.95 to 0.99) for the four soils. Phosphorus sorption maxima was significantly correlated with clay (r2=0.70), Al (r2= 0.73) and Fe (r2=0.81) forms, MPBC (r2=0.67) and Freundlich constants (r2=0.82). Among the various soil properties which correlated with P sorption maxima of significance was clay content (r2=0.97) was significantly correlated. The study illustrated that P sorption isotherm in relation to soil properties can be used as a tool of P management in sustainable crop production.SAARC J. Agri., 14(1): 1-9 (2016)
Infestation of sucking insect pests on five cotton cultivars and their impacts on varietal agronomic traits, biochemical contents, yield and quality
Authors: Amin MR , Afrin R , Suh SJ , Kwon YJ
Published: September 2016

The five cotton cultivars viz., CB1, CB3, CB5, CB8, and C12 were evaluated under field conditions to compare their resistance levels against the aphid species Aphis gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and the jassid species Amrasca devastans (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). The effects of plant characteristics that could explain some of the varietal resistance levels were tested by measuring infestation levels, biochemical content, leaf trichome density, agronomic traits, yield, and quality of seed and fiber. In comparison with other varieties, CB1 and CB3 showed the least leaf and boll infestation, and possessed higher numbers of trichomes. CB12 had the lowest number of trichomes and exhibited the highest percentages of leaf and boll infestation. Biochemical analyses indicated that the highest percentage of starch occurred in CB8, and that of protein in CB5. Both starch and protein content were lowest in CB12. Aphid and jassid infestation reduced the starch and protein content of all cultivars. CB3 was the best performing variety in terms of size and weight of bolls; ginning out-turn (GOT); number of branches, leaves, and bolls per plant; and number of locules per boll. Seed cotton yields and lint indices were highest in CB1 and CB3 and lowest in CB12. CB12 was also the worst performing variety in terms of plant height, micronaire value, percentage of GOT and germination, number of leaves and bolls per plant, and boll length, width and weight. The findings of this study clearly demonstrate that, among the cultivars evaluated, CB12 is the most susceptible to aphid and jassid infestation.SAARC J. Agri., 14(1): 11-23 (2016)
Productivity and profitability of intercropping sesame with turmeric at marginal farmers level of Bangladesh
Authors: Islam MR , Molla MSH , Main MAK
Published: September 2016

Turmeric-sesame intercrops at different planting densities were studied at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Ishwardi, Pabna, Bangladesh in 2014 and 2015 to find out the productivity and economic performance of intercropping sesame with turmeric. The experiment was laid out in RCB design maintaining three replication with five treatments viz., turmeric (100%) + 1 row sesame (33%) in between turmeric lines, turmeric (100%) + 2 row sesame (67%) in between turmeric lines, turmeric (100%) + 3 row sesame (100%) in between turmeric lines, turmeric (100%) + sesame broadcast (100%) in between turmeric lines, sole turmeric and sole sesame. Rhizome yield of turmeric was significantly higher in all intercropping systems (22.85-23.77 t ha-1) than in monoculture system (18.00 t ha-1). The maximum turmeric yield (23.77 t ha-1) was obtained from turmeric (100%) + 3 row sesame (100%) in between turmeric lines intercropping system, which was also exhibited higher turmeric equivalent yield (26.05 t ha-1), benefit cost ratio (3.50), land equivalent ratio (2.28), competitive indices values, SPI (41.09) and MAI (Tk. 294952.62 ha-1) compared to the other intercropping and sole cropping system.SAARC J. Agri., 14(1): 47-58 (2016)
Effective management strategies against late blight of potato
Authors: Chakraborty Ashis , Banerjee Hirak
Published: September 2016

A field experiment was conducted during 2012-13 and 2013-14 crop season to find out the most effective strategies for management of late blight of potato. It was observed that prophylactic spray with mancozeb @ 0.2% followed by fenamidone + manozeb @ 0.3% as 2nd spray at the onset of the disease followed by mancozeb @ 0.2% as 3rd spray seven days after application of the 2nd spray followed by one more spray with fenamidone+mancozeb @ 0.3% as 4th spray seven days after application of 3rd spray exhibited best management of late blight of potato in terms of percent reduction of disease over control which was 83.64 and 84.79% in 2012-13 and 2013-14 crop season, respectively. The total tuber yield was also highest in this treatment showing 25.84 and 26.78 t ha-1 during 2012-13 and 2013-14 crop season, respectively.SAARC J. Agri., 14(1): 111-117 (2016)
Market Sentiments Distribution Law
Authors: Reyes-Molina Jorge
Published: September 2016

The Stock Exchange is basically ruled by the extreme market sentiments of euphoria and fear. The type of sentiment is given by the color of the candlestick (white = bullish sentiments, black = bearish sentiments), meanwhile the intensity of the sentiment is given by the size of it. In this paper you will see that the intensity of any sentiment is astonishingly distributed in a robust, systematic and universal way, according to a law of exponential decay, the conclusion of which is supported by the analysis of the Lyapunov exponent, the information entropy and the frequency distribution of candlestick size.
Paraconsistent Probabilities: Consistency, Contradictions and Bayes’ Theorem
Authors: Bueno-Soler Juliana , Carnielli Walter
Published: September 2016

This paper represents the first steps towards constructing a paraconsistent theory of probability based on the Logics of Formal Inconsistency (LFIs). We show that LFIs encode very naturally an extension of the notion of probability able to express sophisticated probabilistic reasoning under contradictions employing appropriate notions of conditional probability and paraconsistent updating, via a version of Bayes’ theorem for conditionalization. We argue that the dissimilarity between the notions of inconsistency and contradiction, one of the pillars of LFIs, plays a central role in our extended notion of probability. Some critical historical and conceptual points about probability theory are also reviewed.
Design and Optimization of Thermophotovoltaic System Cavity with Mirrors
Authors: Zhou Tian , Sun Zhiqiang , Li Saiwei , Liu Huawei , Yi Danqing
Published: September 2016

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems can convert radiant energy into electrical power. Here we explore the design of the TPV system cavity, which houses the emitter and the photovoltaic (PV) cells. Mirrors are utilized in the cavity to modify the spatial and spectral distribution within. After discussing the basic concentric tubular design, two novel cavity configurations are put forward and parametrically studied. The investigated variables include the shape, number, and placement of the mirrors. The optimization objectives are the optimized efficiency and the extended range of application of the TPV system. Through numerical simulations, the relationship between the design parameters and the objectives are revealed. The results show that careful design of the cavity configuration can markedly enhance the performance of the TPV system.
A Unified Current Loop Tuning Approach for Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Inverters
Authors: Zhang Weiyi , Remon Daniel , Cantarellas Antoni , Rodriguez Pedro
Published: September 2016

High level penetration of renewable energy sources has reshaped modern electrical grids. For the future grid, distributed renewable power generation plants can be integrated in a larger scale. Control of grid-connected converters is required to achieve fast power reference tracking and further to present grid-supporting and fault ride-through performance. Among all of the aspects for converter control, the inner current loop for grid-connected converters characterizes the system performance considerably. This paper proposes a unified current loop tuning approach for grid-connected converters that is generally applicable in different cases. A direct discrete-time domain tuning procedure is used, and particularly, the selection of the phase margin and crossover frequency is analyzed, which acts as the main difference compared with the existing studies. As a general method, the approximation in the modeling of the controller and grid filter is avoided. The effectiveness of the tuning approach is validated in both simulation and experimental results with respect to power reference tracking, frequency and voltage supporting.
Scripting Memory and Emotions: Female Characters in Iraqi Theatre about War
Authors: Abdelhameed Hadeel
Published: September 2016

This article focuses on the emotional lives of, and interactions between, female characters in two plays about Iraqi wars: The Hymn of the Rocking Chair (1987) by Farouk Mohammed and A Feminine Solo (2013) by Mithal Ghazi. These plays show life in Iraq in times of war. The article argues that it is significant that Iraqi women are depicted in drama and theatre, during those times of war when extreme emotional suffering and trauma prevail, in the role of storytellers. In addition, societies at war present a methodological problem for research in that playscripts might not survive intact. This reveals another type of emotional loss through war—one that involves culture itself.