Search

Objective: To compare the treatment outcome for reconstruction plates and mini plates in treating comminuted mandibular fracture. Study Design: Randomized Controlled Trial. Setting: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Allama Iqbal Medical College/Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. Period: October 2021 to April 2023. Methods: All subjects presented for treatment of comminuted fractures of the mandible fulfilling the inclusion criteria at Jinnah Hospital Lahore Maxillofacial surgery department were included in the study, and were randomly allocated into group A and group B. The mini-plate osteosynthesis technique was used on Group A and Group B was treated by fixation with reconstruction plate. Results: A total of (n=30) patients were included in this study. Fifteen of these patients received mini-plate fixation (group A) and the remaining fifteen were treated with reconstruction plates (group B). The mean age was 29.4± 10.5 years. 80% of study subjects were male n=24. All patients of (group A) were treated via an intraoral approach. However, n=10 (66.6%) patients were treated by intraoral approach in (group B). Whereas the rest of the subjects (n=4) were treated with extra oral approach and (n=1) through combined intraoral and extra oral approach.100% stability at the fracture site was observed in both groups. Comparative occlusion status showed a nonsignificant p-value (p=1.000). Pearson chi-square value=0.0000a for plate exposure between both groups also shows a non-significant difference. The contour of the mandible was improved in 38.89% of (group A) population and 61.11% of group B patients. Conclusion: Mini-plate and reconstruction plate osteosynthesis are equally effective for the fixation of comminuted fractures of the mandible, considering postoperative occlusion status, stability of the fracture segment, and the possibility of plate exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetogenic bacteria produce CO2‐based chemicals in aqueous media by hydrogenotrophic conversion of CO2, but CO is the preferred carbon and electron source. Consequently, coupling CO2 electrolysis with bacterial fermentation within an integrated bio‐electrocatalytical system (BES) is promising, if CO2 reduction catalysts are available for the generation of CO in the complex biotic electrolyte. A standard stirred‐tank bioreactor was coupled to a zero‐gap PEM electrolysis cell for CO2 conversion, allowing voltage control and separation of the anode in one single cell. The cathodic CO2 reduction and the competing hydrogen evolution enabled in‐situ feeding of C. ragsdalei with CO and H2. Proof‐of‐concept was demonstrated in first batch processes with continuous CO2 gassing, as autotrophic growth and acetate formation was observed in the stirred BES in a voltage range of −2.4 to −3.0 V. The setup is suitable also for other bioelectrocatalytic reactions. Increased currents and lower overvoltages are however required. Atomically‐dispersed M−N−C catalysts show promise, if degradation throughout autoclaving can be omitted. The development of selective and autoclavable catalysts resistant to contamination and electrode design for the complex electrolyte will enable efficient bioelectrocatalytic power‐to‐X systems based on the introduced BES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile yet robust synthesis is reported herein to simultaneously incorporate atomically dispersed Co‐Nx sites with graphitic layer‐protected Co9S8 nanoparticles (denoted as Co SACs+Co9S8) as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction in acidic solution. The Co SACs+Co9S8 catalyst shows low H2O2 selectivity (∼5 %) with high half‐wave potential (E1/2) of ∼0.78 VRHE in 0.5 M H2SO4. The atomic sites of the catalyst were quantified by a nitrite stripping method and the corresponding site density of the catalyst is calculated to be 3.2×1018 sites g−1. Besides, we also found the presence of a reasonable amount of Co9S8 nanoparticles is beneficial for the oxygen electrocatalysis. Finally, the catalyst was assembled into a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for evaluating its performance under more practical conditions in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the clinical and molecular pattern of Hemoglobin D in patients presenting at tertiary care hospital. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of study: Department of Hematology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Jul 2020 to Mar 2021. Methodology: An automated cell analyzer was used to determine the whole blood count and red cell indices. D-10 BIORAD HPLC was used for quantitative assessment of Hb A, Hb F, Hb D and Hb A2. Where D-10 BIORAD HPLC showed an abnormal Hb D, capillary electrophoresis was performed using Sebia Capillary 2 Flex Piercing. Chelex DNA Extraction method was used. Molecular analyses for the confirmation of homozygosity and heterozygosity were done using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification. The clinical symptoms of the patients such as anemia, jaundice, pallor, weakness, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly were also noted Results: Among 90 patients, Hemoglobin D trait was found in 78(80.4%) of the patients out of which HbD-Punjab was seen in 57(73%) and HbD-Iran was found in 21(27%). Compound Heterozygotes (HbD/β) was found in 17(17.5%) and Compound Homozygous HbD/D was found in 02 (2.1%). All HbD-Punjab and HbD-Iran traits patients were asymptomatic, and few clinical symptoms were found in Compound Heterozygotes (HbD/β) and Homozygous HbD/D. Conclusion: Collective clinical history records, full blood count and electrophoresis and molecular results allow for the conclusive detection of the variant of Hemoglobin D. More multicenter, organized and detailed studies with larger sample size are required to draw concrete conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spine tuberculosis is common in Pakistan and this needs expert treatment to decrease morbidity. The objective of this study was to compare Modified Kalafong (MKF) and Modified Hong Kong (MHK) operations for spinal TB patients regarding neurological recovery and deformity correction. Material and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted at Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on data from February 2012 to November 2020. According to the selection criteria and availability of data, 70 patients out of 90 consecutive patients handled surgically by MKF or MHK Operations were chosen for this research. Frankel grade system, Cobb’s technique and Bridwell’s criteria were used for assessment of results. Results: There were thirty-one cases of MHK and thirty-nine cases of MKF patients. Age, Neurological recovery, and Numbers of Vertebrae involved with TB were comparable across the two groups. In the MHK, the mean operating time was 6.12 hours, whereas in the MKF, it was 5.37 hours. When compared to the MKF, where the mean blood loss was 0.921 L, the MHK had a greater mean blood loss of 1.139 L. Deformity correction with MHK was 79.467 % against 58.40% via MKF, which was statistically significant (P 0.001). The MHK group had a much shorter mean time to fusion (4.56 months) than the MKF group (6.74 months), which is significant (P 0.05) statistically. Conclusion: Our study revealed significant differences between MHK and MKF spinal tuberculosis surgeries in terms of fusion time, blood loss and deformity correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Similarity measure in the fuzzy structure plays a very considerable role in manipulating hurdles that apprehend vague data, but unable to deal with the ambiguous and variability of the problems having multipolar interval-valued data. In this research article, a certain distance between two multipolar interval-valued fuzzy sets (mIVF sets) has been defined. A new similarity measure (Sim:M) for mIVF based on distances has been introduced, also some of the basic operations on the structure has been defined such as union, intersection, and complement. MCDM is performed for mIVF information that measure the similarity measure based on distance measure for the best alternative. An application is given that the proposed Sim:M for mIVF set is capable of recognition the nature and structure of different entities which belongs to the same family. Furthermore, a multiperson TOPSIS technique is developed for the structure of mIVF with an algorithm for the selection of the best alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe N C catalyst containing abundant atomic Fe-N x sites is synthesized using a MgCl 2 -assisted synthesis approach. The catalyst delivered an excellent oxygen reduction activity in alkaline and acidic electrolytes with outstanding stability. [Display omitted] • Highly active Fe N C catalyst is synthesized by a simplified salt-assisted approach. • Only a single heat-treatment step is employed to produce a highly active catalyst. • The synthesized Fe N C catalyst consists of atomic Fe-N x sites exclusively. • Optimized catalyst delivers excellent ORR activity in acidic and alkaline media. Nitrogen-doped porous carbons containing atomically dispersed iron are prime candidates for substituting platinum-based catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells. These carbon catalysts are classically synthesized via complicated routes involving multiple heat-treatment steps to form the desired Fe-N x sites. We herein developed a highly active Fe N C catalyst comprising of exclusive Fe-N x sites by a simplified solid-state synthesis protocol involving only a single heat-treatment. Imidazole is pyrolyzed in the presence of an inorganic salt-melt resulting in highly porous carbon sheets decorated with abundant Fe-N x centers, which yielded a high density of electrochemically accessible active sites (1.36 × 1019 sites g−1) as determined by the in situ nitrite stripping technique. The optimized catalyst delivered a remarkable ORR activity with a half-wave potential (E 1/2) of 0.905 V RHE in alkaline electrolyte surpassing the benchmark Pt catalyst by 55 mV. In acidic electrolyte, an E 1/2 of 0.760 V RHE is achieved at a low loading level (0.29 mg cm−2). In PEMFC tests, a current density of 2.3 mA cm−2 is achieved at 0.90 V iR-free under H 2 –O 2 conditions, reflecting high kinetic activity of the optimized catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the syphilis trends by using the reverse algorithm in healthy/asymptomatic blood donors from Northern Pakistan. Study Design: Perspective longitudinal study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Institute of Transfusion (AFIT), Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Jan to Sep 2022. Methodology: After taking a complete history from potential donors, an appointed blood bank doctor performed a general physical examination. Potential donors' blood samples were tested for syphilis by the Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay (CMIA) method followed by reflexively testing of CMIA reactive blood samples with Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR), and results were interpreted as positive or negative. Results: A total of 56122 donors donated blood over nine months, including 55742(99.3%) males and 380(0.7%) females. Blood donors ranging from 18-65 years with a mean age of 28.82±7.1 were included in the study. Out of 56122 blood donor samples submitted, 487(0.87%) turned out to be syphilis positive by CMIA method, comprising 485(99.59%) males and 02(0.41%) females. Of 487 CMIA-positive serum samples, 216(44.3%) were RPR-positive, all male donors. Conclusion: A higher latent syphilis trend was observed in replacement non-voluntary young male donors between 18 and 40 years of age. The majority of the syphilis positives donors were male, while females made up a negligible percentage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In real life, most of the problems occurred by wrong decision making, while in sports it is mandatory for every player, coach, and technique director to make a good and an ideal decision. In this paper, the concept of similarity measure is used in the neutrosophic environment for decision making in a football game for the selection of players. The data is collected in interval-valued, while the new concept m-polar is illustrated as previous records of m matches played by players. m-polar structures provide multiple data on the concerned problem, so as a result the best solution can be developed for the selection problem. An m-polar Intervalvalued Neutrosophic Set (mIVNS) is derived for the targeted task of player selection problem. Then some operations, properties, and distance measures are introduced on m-polar Interval-valued Neutrosophic Set (mIVNS). Distance-base Similarity Measure is illustrated to each player with an ideal set in mIVNS structure. In the end, the Algorithm is given for ideal decision-making in sports for the selection of players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Similarity measure for Neutrosophic function performs a fundamental role in tackling the prob- lems that include blurred and hazed information but is not able to handle the fuzziness and vagueness of the problems which have numerous information. The objective of this research paper is to generalize neutrosophic soft set to the multi-polar neutrosophic soft set (mNS set), aggregation operators and their properties on mNS sets. It also discusses the distance-based similarity measures that rely on between two mNS sets. It explains with the help of examples that the intended similarity measures of mNS sets are applicable in the field of med- ical diagnosis and decision-making problem for selection of lecturer in universities. Eventually, this proposed method is concluded as an algorithm in the application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the frequency of Kell blood group antigens (K and k) in blood donors from northern Pakistan. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at immunohaematology department of Armed Forces Institute of Transfusion (AFIT) Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from 1st Nov 2017 to 31st Dec 2017. Methodology: After approval of Ethical Committee of Armed Forces Institute of Transfusion (AFIT) Rawalpindi, the blood samples of 2000 blood donors were collected. Samples were selected by non-probability consecutive sampling technique. After preliminary blood grouping for ABO and Rh D, these samples were phenotyped for K (kelleher) and k (celleno) antigens. Typing was performed on Biorad® automated blood grouping system by column agglutination technique (CAT), strictly following manufacturer's instructions. Results: Out of 2000 blood donors, typed for K and k antigens, 1966 were males (98.30%) and 34 were females (1.70%). The frequency of K was 4.05% (81/2000) and that of k was 98.90% (1978/2000). The phenotype K-k+ (95.15%) was most prevalent followed by K+k+ (3.75%), K-k- (0.80%) and K+,k- (0.30%). Conclusion: K antigen frequency is lower than as reported in Caucasions and Saudi Arabia but higher than Indian and African blood donors. This study confirmed that the k (celleno) blood group antigen was highly prevalent antigen in Pakistani population while the K (kelleher) antigen was present in a relatively lower frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensor-less methanol concentration control system based on feedback from the stack temperature (SLCCF) has been developed. The SLCCF algorithm is embedded into an in-house LabVIEW program that has been developed to control the methanol concentration in the feed of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). This control method utilizes the close correlation between the stack temperature and the methanol concentration in the feed. Basically, the amounts of methanol to be supplied to the re-circulating feed stream are determined by estimating the methanol consumption rates under given operating conditions, which are then adjusted by a proportional-integral controller and supplied into the feed stream to maintain the stack temperature at a set value. The algorithm is designed to control the methanol concentration and the stack temperature for both start-up and normal operation processes. Feasibility tests with a 200W-class DMFC system under various operating conditions confirm that the algorithm successfully maintains the methanol concentration in the feed as well as the stack temperature at set values, and the start-up time required for the DMFC system to reach steady-state operating conditions is reduced significantly compared with conventional sensor-less methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]