Search results for: heart damage

Authors: Arshad Munir, Naseem Akhtar

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The determination of the Sufi is to effort towards unity. His main purpose is to bring humanity, separated as it is into so many different units, closer together in the deeper understanding of life. His mission is to bring about brotherhood among races, nations and faiths and to respect one another's faith, scripture and teacher. Sufi is to confer sympathy on these lives, to impart love, compassion and kindheartedness on all creations. The Sufi message is the resonance of the same Divine message which has always come and will always come to inform humanity. It is the continuation of all the pronounced religions which have come at several times and it is amalgamation of them all, which was the wish of all the prophets. Pakistan, who came into being in the name of Islam unfortunately, have linked with terrorism. It is a disgrace that in contemporary day Pakistan, mullahism and the recent cancer of Talibanisation are gradually eating into what had kept us integral as a society. Terrorism has grown-up to develop a prime safety pressure to the area. The terrorism has deadly caused decrease in overseas and local investment, exports, physical infrastructure, and wealth stock ultimately leading to damage of the socio-economic status of Pakistan. Main reasons are ignorance about the actual teaching of Islam both by Muslim and non-Muslim, exploitation by the religious and political influential, sectarianism and extremism, lack of tolerance and broadmindedness and reaction and retortion by the sufferer. The key treatment and therapy of the abovementioned illnesses exist in the messages of Sufism.

Keywords: sufism, love, Pakistan, terrorism

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Authors: Galih Permana, Yuskar Lase

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In recent years, damping device has been experimentally studied to replace diagonally reinforced coupling beams, to mitigate rebar congestion problem. This study focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of various damping devices in a high-rise building. The type of damping devices evaluated is Viscoelastic Damper (VCD) and Rotational Friction Damper (RFD), with study case of a 15-story reinforced concrete apartment building with a dual system (column-beam and shear walls). The analysis used is a nonlinear time history analysis with 11 pairs of ground motions matched to the Indonesian response spectrum based on ASCE 41-17 and ASCE 7-16. In this analysis, each damper will be varied with a different position, namely the first model, the damper will be installed on the entire floor and in the second model, the damper will be installed on the 5th floor to the 9th floor, which is the floor with the largest drift. The results show that the model using both dampers increases the level of structural performance both globally and locally in the building, which will reduce the level of damage to the structural elements. But between the two dampers, the coupling beam that uses RFD is more effective than using VCD in improving building performance. The damper on the coupling beam has a good role in dissipating earthquakes and also in terms of ease of installation.

Keywords: building, coupling beam, damper, nonlinear time history analysis

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Authors: S. Kerakra, S. Bouhelal, M. Poncot

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The aim of this study is to give a comprehensive overview of the effect of short hollow and solid recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers in different breaking tenacities reinforced isotactic polypropylene (iPP) composites on the mechanical and morphological properties. Composites of iPP/3, 7and 10 wt% of solid and hollow recycled PET fibers were prepared by batched melt mixing in a Brabender. The incorporation of solid recycled-PET fibers in isotactic polypropylene increase Young’s modulus of iPP relatively, meanwhile it increased proportionally with hollow fibers content. An improvement of the storage modulus, and a shift up in glass transition temperatures of hollow fibers/iPP composites was determined by DMA results. The morphology of composites was determined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optical polarized microscopy (OM) showing a good dispersion of the hollow fibers. Also, their flexible aspect (folding, bending) was observed. But, one weak interaction between the polymer/fibers phases was shown. Polymers can be effectively reinforced with short hollow recycled PET fibers due to their characteristics like recyclability, lightweight and the flexible aspect, which allows the absorbance of the energy of a striker with a minimum damage of the matrix. Aiming to improve the affinity matrix–recycled hollow PET fibers, it is suggested the addition of compatibilizers, as maleic anhydride.

Keywords: isotactic polypropylene, hollow recycled PET fibers, solid recycled-PET fibers, composites, short fiber, scanning electron microscope

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Authors: Ibrahim Sani, Suleiman Mohammed., Salisu Sulaiman, Aminu Musa

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The fall army worm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) has recently become one of the major threats to maize production in the world. It is native to tropical and subtropical America and began to spread to many African and a few Asian Countries. A survey for the observation of infestation and collection of fall armyworm was conducted in field planted with maize in the northern part of Katsina state. Eggs and immature stages were collected, place in a plastic container and brought to the laboratory for observation and study of developmental stages. FAW was identified based on the morphological characteristics, i.e. the “Y” inverted shape on the head capsule and the patterns of black spots on the abdominal segments (square and trapezoidal forms). Different growing stage of maize are affected by fall armyworm, but the damage is greatest during the early growing phase of corn. Heavy infestation on the leaves also cause defoliation. Four developmental stages (eggs larvae, pupae and adults) of the FAW were studied when fed with young corn under laboratory conditions. Furthermore, effective scouting or monitoring of FAW could be practice at early stage of growth of maize.

Keywords: infestation, katsina, maize, fall armyworm

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Authors: Lívia Pimentel Sant'ana Dourado, Raquel Das Neves Almeida, Luís Henrique Costa Corrêa Neto, Nayara Soares, Kelly Grace Magalhães

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Introduction: Obesity and high-fat diet intake have a crucial impact on immune cells and inflammatory profile, highlighting an emerging realization that obesity is an inflammatory disease. In the present work, we aimed to characterize the role of caspase-1/11 and NLRP3 inflammasome in the establishment of mice obesity and modulation of inflammatory lipid metabolism induced by high fat diet intake. Methods and results: Wild type, caspase-1/11 and NLRP3 knockout mice were fed with standard fat diet (SFD) or high fat diet (HFD) for 90 days. The weight of animals was measured weekly to monitor the weight gain. After 90 days, the blood, peritoneal lavage cells, heart and liver were collected from mice studied here. Cytokines were measured in serum by ELISA and analyzed in spectrophotometry. Lipid antigen presentation molecule CD1d expression, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and lipid droplets biogenesis were analyzed in cells from mice peritoneal cavity by flow cytometry. Liver histopathology was performed for morphological evaluation of the organ. The absence of caspase-1/11, but not NLRP3, in mice fed with HFD favored the mice weight gain, increased liver size, induced development of hepatic steatosis and IL-12 secretion in mice compared to mice fed with SFD. In addition, caspase-1/11 knockout mice fed with HFD presented an increased CD1d molecule expression, as well as higher levels of lipid droplets biogenesis and ROS generation compared to wild type mice also fed with HFD. Conclusion: Our data suggest that caspase-1/11 knockout mice have greater susceptibility to obesity as well as increased activation of lipid metabolism and inflammatory markers.

Keywords: caspase 1, caspase 11, inflamassome, obesity, lipids

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Authors: Hadi Rouhi Belvirdi

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Reinforced concrete structures, in addition to bearing service loads and seismic effects, may also be subjected to impact loads resulting from unforeseen incidents. Understanding the behavior of these structures is crucial, as they serve to protect against such sudden loads and can significantly reduce damage and destruction. In examining the behavior of structures under such loading conditions, a total of eight specimens of single-layer reinforced concrete slabs were subjected to impact loading through the free fall of weights from specified heights. The weights and dimensions of the specimens were uniform, and the amount of reinforcement was consistent. By altering the slabs' overall shape and the reinforcement details, efforts were made to optimize the behavior of the slabs against impact loads. The results indicated that utilizing ductile features in the slabs increased their resistance to impact loading. However, the compressive strength of the reinforcement did not significantly enhance the flexural resistance. Assuming a constant amount of longitudinal steel, changes in the placement of tensile reinforcement led to a decrease in resistance. With a fixed amount of transverse steel, merely adjusting the angle of the transverse reinforcement could help control cracking and mitigate premature failures. An increase in compressive resistance beyond a certain limit resulted in local buckling of the compressive zone, subsequently decreasing the impact resistance.

Keywords: reinforced concrete slab, high-strength concrete, impact loading, impact resistance

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Authors: Nazakat Ismailzada, Carol Jones

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Tomato drilling moth Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is the main pest of tomato plants in many countries. The larvae of tomato leaves, the stems inside, in the end buds, they opened the gallery in green and ripe fruit. In this way the harmful products can be fed with all parts of the tomato plant can cause damage to 80-100%. Pest harms all above ground parts of the tomato plant. After the seedlings are planted in areas and during blossoming holder traps with tomato moth’s rubber capsule inside should be placed in the area by using five-tomato moth’s feremon per ha. Then there should be carried out observations in the fields in every three days regularly. During the researches, it was showed that in field condition Carogen 20 SC besides high-level biological efficiency also has low ecological load for environment, and should be used against tomato moth in farms. Therefore it was showed that in field condition Carogen 20 SC besides high-level biological efficiency also has low ecological load for environment, and should be used against tomato moth in farms with insecticide expenditure norm 320 qr\ha. In farms should be used plant rotation, plant fields should be plowed on the 25-30 sm depth, before sowing seeds should be proceeded by insecticides. As element of integrated plant protection activities, should be used pheromones trap. In tomato plant fields as an insecticide should be used AGROSAN 240 SC and Carogen 20 SP.

Keywords: lepidoptera, Tuta absoluta, chemical control, integrated pest management

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Authors: Damian Janecki, Anna Jaskólska, Jarosław Marusiak, Artur Jaskólski

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The aim of this study was to assess double to single twitch ratio after two bouts of eccentric exercise of the elbow flexors. Maximal isometric torque, single and double twitch responses and low-frequency fatigue were assessed on the elbow flexors in 19 untrained male volunteers before, immediately after, 24 and 48 hours following two bouts of eccentric exercise consisted of 30 repetitions of lowering a dumbbell adjusted to ~75% of each individual's maximal isometric torque. Maximal isometric torque and electrically evoked responses decreased significantly in all measurements after the first bout of eccentric exercise (P<0.05). In measurements performed at 24 and 48 hours after the second bout both maximal voluntary isometric torque and electrically evoked contractions were significantly higher than in measurements performed after the fist bout (P<0.05). Although low-frequency fatigue significantly increased up to 48 hours after each bout of eccentric exercise, its values at 24 and 48 hours after the second bout were significantly lower than at respective time points after the first bout (P<0.05). Smaller changes in double to single twitch ratio at 24 and 48 hours after the second bout of eccentric exercise reflects repeated bout effect that confers protection against subsequent exercise-induced muscle damage.

Keywords: biceps brachii, electrical stimulation, lenghtening contractions, repeated bout effect

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Authors: Moetazza M. Alshafei, Ahmed M. Mabrouk, Emtenan M. Hanafi, Manal M. Ramadan, Reda M. S. Korany, Seham S. Kassem, Dina Mostafa Mohammed

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Metabolic syndrome (MeS) is a major health problem with a high incidence of obese individuals worldwide. Increased related morbidity of diabetes, hypertension and fatty liver disease, and complicated cardiovascular disease are inevitable. Boswellia serrata gum (Bos) is a promising traditional medicinal plant; it has several pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antilipase activities. Probiotics (Bac) supplements have good benefits on health and MeS, whether it is supplemented in combination with prebiotics or alone. Microencapsulation helps to mask unpalatable taste and odor and deliver active ingredients to targeted organs. Methodology MeS rat model was produced by feeding rats with a high fat, high CHO diet (HFD). Bos was extracted, and both Bos and the probiotic were microencapsulated with a spray drier. Female rats were divided into 5 groups (N8). HFD control, control normal receiving basic diet, HFD treated, from the start of the experiment, either with encapsulated Bos, Bac and Bos or Bac only, all treatments were received for eight weeks (after approval from NRC animal ethical committee). Serum was collected to analyze lipid profile, blood sugar, liver and kidney functions, antioxidants, leptin, and progesterone. Rat's organs and body fat were weighed and collected for histopathology. Statistical analysis was done by use of one way Anova test in the SPSS program. Results showed control of elevated body weight, lipid profile, and glucose levels as well as decrease of body fat index and improvement of histopathology of liver and heart, especially in combination. Conclusion: We concluded that both microencapsulated Bos and probiotics have a controlling effect on MeS parameters.

Keywords: metabolic syndrome, Boswellia serata, probiotic, micro-encapsulation, histopathology, liver steatosis

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Authors: Abdulquadri Ade Bilau, Richard Ajayi Jimoh, Adejoh Amodu Adaji

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The increasing exposures to natural hazards have continued to severely impair on the built environment causing huge fatalities, mass damage and destruction of housing and civil infrastructure while leaving psychosocial impacts on affected communities. The 2012 flood disaster in Nigeria which affected over 7 million inhabitants in 30 of the 36 states resulted in 363 recorded fatalities with about 600,000 houses and a number of civil infrastructure damaged or destroyed. In Kogi State, over 500 thousand people were displaced in 9 out of the 21 local government affected while Ibaji and Lokoja local governments were worst hit. This study identifies the causes and 2012 flood disasters and its effect on housing and livelihood. Personal observation and questionnaire survey were instruments used in carrying out the study and data collected were analysed using descriptive statistical tool. Findings show that the 2012 flood disaster was aided by the gap in hydrological data, sudden dam failure, and inadequate drainage capacity to reduce flood risk. The study recommends that communities residing along the river banks in Lokoja and Ibaji LGAs must be adequately educated on their exposure to flood hazard and mitigation and risk reduction measures such as construction of adequate drainage channel are constructed in affected communities.

Keywords: flood, hazards, housing, risk reduction, vulnerability

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Authors: Siamak Epackachi, Andrew S. Whittaker, Amit H. Varma

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An experimental program on steel-plate concrete (SC) composite shear walls was executed in the NEES laboratory at the University at Buffalo. Four large-size specimens were tested under displacement-controlled cyclic loading. The design variables considered in the testing program included wall thickness, reinforcement ratio, and faceplate slenderness ratio. The aspect ratio (height-to-length) of the four walls was 1.0. Each SC wall was installed on top of a re-usable foundation block. A bolted baseplate to RC foundation connection was used for all four walls. The walls were identified to be flexure-critical. This paper presents the damage to SC walls at different drift ratios, the cyclic force-displacement relationships, energy dissipation and equivalent viscous damping ratios, the strain and stress fields in the steel faceplates and the contribution of the steel faceplates to the total shear load, the variation of vertical strain in the steel faceplates along the length of the wall, near the base, at different drift ratios, the contributions of shear, flexure, and base rotation to the total lateral displacement, the displacement ductility of the SC walls, and the cyclic secant stiffness of the four SC walls.

Keywords: steel-plate composite shear wall, safety-related nuclear structure, flexure-critical wall, cyclic loading

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Authors: John Olav Bjornestad, Bjorn Tore Johansen

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The number of people suffering from mental illnesses is increasing, and such illness is currently one of the major causes of disability and poor health. The reason for this is most likely a lack of physical activity. The purpose of this study was to discover if physical activity was an effective mode of treatment for psychiatric patients at an out-patient treatment facility. The study included an exploration of whether or not patients having physical activity included as an integral part of their treatment (to a greater degree than do patients who are physically inactive) would achieve 1) an improvement in their physical condition 2) a reduction in symptomatic pressure and 3) an increase in their health-related quality of life. The intervention period lasted a total of 12 weeks. The training group completed a minimum of 2 training sessions per week with an intensity of 60-75% of maximum heart rate. The participants’ health-related quality of life (SF-36), symptomatic pressure (SCL-90-R) and physical condition (UKK-walking test) were measured before and after intervention. Twenty participants were pre-tested, and out of this initial group, nine patients completed the intervention program and participated thereafter in post-testing. The results showed that participants on average improved their physical condition, reduced their symptomatic pressure and increased their health-related quality of life over the course of the intervention period. The training group experienced significant changes in their symptomatic pressure (the anxiety dimension) and health-related quality of life (the mental health dimension) from the pre-testing stage to the post-testing one. Furthermore, there was a significant connection between symptomatic pressure and health-related quality of life. The patients who were admitted to the psychiatric out-patient clinic were in a physical condition that was significantly poorer than that of persons of the same age in the remainder of the population. Experiences from the study and the relatively large defection from it demonstrate that there is a great need for close follow-up of psychiatric patients’ physical activity levels when physical activity and lifestyle changes are included as part of their treatment program.

Keywords: health-related quality, mental health, physical activity, physical condition

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Authors: Ali Babaei Zarch, S. Kianbakht, H. Fallah Huseini, P. Changaei, A. Mirjalili, J. Salehi

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Background: Malva sylvestris L. is widely used in the traditional medicine of Iran and other countries to treat gastrointestinal, respiratory, skin and urological Disorders. Moreover, it has antioxidant property. Objective: In this study the protective effect of Malva sylvestris against sodium fluoride-induced nephrotoxicity in rats were evaluated. Methods: The Malva sylvestris flower extract was injected intraperitoneally at the doses of 100, 200, 400 mg/kg/day to groups of rats ( 10 in each group) for 1 week and subsequently 600 ppm sodium fluoride was added daily to the rats drinking water for 1 additional week. After these steps, the rats’ serum levels of urea, creatinine, reduced glutathione, catalase and malondialdehyde were determined. The histopathology of the rats’ kidney was also studied. Results: Malva sylvesteries extract with doses of 400 mg/kg/day significantly decreased the urea and creatinine levels (P<0.05). Moreover, the levels of catalase and glutathione were increased by this dose, but only the catalase increase was statistically significant (P<0.05). All three extract doses of Malva decreased the malondialdehyde level, but it was significant only for the dose 400 mg/kg/day (P<0.05). Histopathological findings also showed a protective effect of Malva against renal damage induced by sodium fluoride. Conclusion: The results suggest that Malva sylvestris has a protective effect against sodium fluoride-induced nephrotoxicity through its antioxidant property.

Keywords: Malva sylvestris, mephrotoxicity, sodium fluoride, rat  

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Authors: Md. Kausar Alam, Mohammad Yazdi, Peiman Zogh, Ramin Motamed

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The liquefaction-induced ground settlement has caused severe damage to structures in the past decades. However, the amount of building settlement caused by liquefaction is directly proportional to the intensity of the ground shaking. To reduce this soil liquefaction effect, it is essential to examine the influence of peak ground acceleration (PGA). Unfortunately, limited studies have been carried out on this issue. In this study, a series of moderate scale 1g shake table experiments were conducted at the University of Nevada Reno to evaluate the influence of PGA with the same duration in liquefiable soil layers. The model is prepared based on a large-scale shake table with a scaling factor of N = 5, which has been conducted at the University of California, San Diego. The model ground has three soil layers with relative densities of 50% for crust, 30% for liquefiable, and 90% for dense layer, respectively. In addition, a shallow foundation is seated over an unsaturated crust layer. After preparing the model, the input motions having various peak ground accelerations (i.e., 0.16g, 0.25g, and 0.37g) for the same duration (10 sec) were applied. Based on the experimental results, when the PGA increased from 0.16g to 0.37g, the foundation increased from 20 mm to 100 mm. In addition, the expected foundation settlement based on the scaling factor was 25 mm, while the actual settlement for PGA 0.25g for 10 seconds was 50 mm.

Keywords: foundation settlement, liquefaction, peak ground acceleration, shake table test

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Authors: Liu Xiaohan

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Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a human herpesvirus and is closely related to many malignancies of lymphocyte and epithelial origins, such as gastric cancer, Burkitt’s lymphoma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). NPC is a malignant epithelial tumor which is 100% associated with EBV latent infection. Most of the NPC cases are densely populated in southern China, especially in Guangdong and Hong Kong. To our knowledge, overexpression of pro-inflammatory cytokines may result in a loss of balance of the immune system and cause damage to human bodies. Interleukin-6 (IL6) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine which plays an important role in tumor progression. In addition, gene expression is regulated by both transcriptional and post-transcriptional pathways, while post-transcriptional regulation is an important mechanism to modulate the mature mRNA level in mammalian cells. AU-rich element binding factor 1 (AUF1)/heterogeneous nuclear RNP D (hnRNP D) is known for its function in destabilizing mRNAs, including cytokines and cell cycle regulators. Previous studies have found that overexpression of hnRNP D would lead to tumorigenesis. In this project, our aim is to determine the role played by hnRNP D in EBV-infected cells and how our anti-EBV agents can affect the function of hnRNP D. The results of this study will provide a new insight into how the pro-inflammatory cytokine expression can be regulated by EBV.

Keywords: interleukin 6 (IL6), epstein-barr virus (EBV), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC, epstein-barr nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA1)

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Authors: Mehrdad Sheikhvatan, Mohammad Ali Boroumand, Mehrdad Behmanesh, Shayan Ziaee

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Contradictory results have been obtained regarding the role of integrin, beta 3 (ITGB3) gene polymorphisms in occurrence of acute myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Hence, we aimed to assess the association between 1565C/T polymorphism of ITGB3 gene and increased risk for acute MI in patients who suffered premature CAD in Iranian population. Our prospective study included 1000 patients (492 men and 508 women aged 21 to 55 years) referred to Tehran Heart center during a period of four years from 2008 to 2011 with the final diagnosis of premature CAD and classified into two groups with history of MI (n = 461) and without of MI (n = 539). The polymorphism variants were determined by PCR-RFLP technique by entering 10% of randomized samples and then genotyping of the polymorphism was also conducted by High Resolution Melting (HRM) method. Among study samples, 640 were followed with a median follow-up time 45.74 months for determining association of long-term major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and genotypes of polymorphisms. There was no significant difference in the frequency of 1565C/T polymorphism between the MI and non-MI groups. The frequency of wild genotype was 69.2% and 72.2%, the frequency of homozygous genotype was 21.3% and 18.4%, and the frequency of mutant genotype was 9.5% and 9.5%, respectively (p=0.505). Results were also similar when adjusted for covariates in a multivariate logistic regression model. No significant difference was also found in total-MACE free survival rate between the patients with different genotypes of 1565C/T polymorphism in both MI and non-MI group. The carriage of the 1565C/T polymorphism of ITGB3 gene seems unlikely to be a significant risk factor for the development of MI in Iranian patients with premature CAD. The presence of this ITGB3 gene polymorphism may not also predict long-term cardiac events.

Keywords: coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, gene, integrin, beta 3, polymorphism

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Authors: Erina Wulansari, Bambang Soemardiono, Ispurwono Soemarno

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Designing sustainable tourism area is defined as an attempt to design an area, that brings the natural environmental conditions as components are available with a wealth of social conditions and the conservation of natural and cultural heritage. To understanding tourism area in this study is not only focus on the location of the tourist object, but rather to a tourist attraction around the area, tourism objects such as the existence of residential area (settlement), a commercial area, public service area, and the natural environmental area. The principle of success in designing a sustainable tourism area is able to integrate and balance between the limited space and the variety of activities that’s always continuously to growth up. The limited space in this area of tourism needs to be managed properly to minimize the damage of environmental as a result of tourism activities hue. This research aims to identify space in this area of tourism through land suitability approach as an effort to create a sustainable design, especially in terms of ecological. This study will be used several analytical techniques to achieve the research objectives as superimposing analysis with GIS 9.3 software and Analysis Hierarchy Process. Expected outcomes are in the form of classification and criteria of usable space in designing embodiment tourism area. In addition, this study can provide input to the order of settlement patterns as part of the environment in the area of sustainable tourism.

Keywords: sustainable tourism area, land suitability, limited space, environment, criteria

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Authors: Aastha Arora, Vikas Bhuria, Saurabh Singh, Uma Pathak, Shweta Mathur, Puja P. Hazari, Rajat Sandhir, Ravi Soni, Anant N. Bhatt, Bilikere S. Dwarakanath

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Radiotherapy is an effective curative and palliative option for patients with thoracic malignancies. However, lung injury, comprising of pneumonitis and fibrosis, remains a significant clin¬ical complication of thoracic radiation, thus making it a dose-limiting factor. Also, injury to the lung is often reported as part of multi-organ failure in victims of accidental radiation exposures. Radiation induced inflammatory response in the lung, characterized by leukocyte infiltration and vascular changes, is an important contributing factor for the injury. Therefore, countermeasure agents to attenuate radiation induced inflammatory response are considered as an important approach to prevent chronic lung damage. Although Amifostine, the widely used, FDA approved radio-protector, has been found to reduce the radiation induced pneumonitis during radiation therapy of non-small cell lung carcinoma, its application during mass and field exposure is limited due to associated toxicity and ineffectiveness with the oral administration. The amifostine analogue (DRDE-30) overcomes this limitation as it is orally effective in reducing the mortality of whole body irradiated mice. The current study was undertaken to investigate the potential of DRDE-30 to ameliorate radiation induced lung damage. DRDE-30 was administered intra-peritoneally, 30 minutes prior to 13.5 Gy thoracic (60Co-gamma) radiation in C57BL/6 mice. Broncheo- alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissues were harvested at 12 and 24 weeks post irradiation for studying inflammatory and fibrotic markers. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, leukocyte count and protein content in BALF were used as parameters to evaluate lung vascular permeability. Inflammatory cell signaling (p38 phosphorylation) and anti-oxidant status (MnSOD and Catalase level) was assessed by Western blot, while X-ray CT scan, H & E staining and trichrome staining were done to study the lung architecture and collagen deposition. Irradiation of the lung increased the total protein content, LDH leakage and total leukocyte count in the BALF, reflecting endothelial barrier dysfunction. These disruptive effects were significantly abolished by DRDE-30, which appear to be linked to the DRDE-30 mediated abrogation of activation of the redox-sensitive pro- inflammatory signaling cascade, the MAPK pathway. Concurrent administration of DRDE-30 with radiation inhibited radiation-induced oxidative stress by strengthening the anti-oxidant defense system and abrogated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, which was associated with reduced vascular leak and macrophage recruitment to the lungs. Histopathological examination (by H & E staining) of the lung showed radiation-induced inflammation of the lungs, characterized by cellular infiltration, interstitial oedema, alveolar wall thickening, perivascular fibrosis and obstruction of alveolar spaces, which were all reduced by pre-administration of DRDE-30. Structural analysis with X-ray CT indicated lung architecture (linked to the degree of opacity) comparable to un-irradiated mice that correlated well with the lung morphology and reduced collagen deposition. Reduction in the radiation-induced inflammation and fibrosis brought about by DRDE-30 resulted in a profound increase in animal survival (72 % in the combination vs 24% with radiation) observed at the end of 24 weeks following irradiation. These findings establish the potential of the Amifostine analogue, DRDE-30, in reducing radiation induced pulmonary injury by attenuating the inflammatory and fibrotic responses.

Keywords: amifostine, fibrosis, inflammation, lung injury radiation

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Authors: Behnam Shakerian, Negin Razavi

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The pathogenesis of coronary artery disease is multifactorial. The epicardial fat pad is a localized fat depot lying between the myocardium and the visceral layer of the pericardium. The mechanisms through which epicardial fat pad can cause atherosclerosis are complex. The epicardial fat pad can surround the coronary arteries and contributes to the development and progression of coronary artery disease. Methods: we selected 50 patients who underwent coronary artery angiography for the evaluation of coronary artery disease that results were positive for coronary artery disease. All patients underwent an echocardiographic examination after coronary angiography to measure epicardial fat pad thickness. The epicardial fat pad was defined as an echo-free space between the myocardium's outer wall and the pericardium's visceral layer. Results: The epicardial fat pad was measured on the right ventricle apex in 46 patients. Sixty- five percent of the studied patients were male. The most common vessel with stenosis was the left anterior descending artery. A significant correlation was observed between epicardial fat pad thickness and the severity of coronary artery disease. Discussions: The epicardial fat pad provides a horizon on the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. It directly contributes to the development and progression of coronary artery disease by causing inflammation and endothelial damage. Further investigations are needed to determine whether medical treatment can reduce the mass of epicardial fat pad and can help to improve atherosclerosis. Conclusion: The epicardial fat pad measurement could be used as an indicator of coronary arteries’ atherosclerosis. Therefore, thickness measurement of the epicardial fat pad in the clinical practice could be of assistance in identifying patients at risk and if required, undergoing supplementary diagnosis with coronary angiography.

Keywords: epicardial, fat pad, coronary artery disease, echocardiography

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Authors: Ayobami Kehinde

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The literary representations of the family, tradition and change in African literature offer an immense, and as yet little theorised area of literary scholarship. Therefore, this paper explores the nexus among the family, tradition and change in five purposively selected post-colonial African fiction: Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus, Wale Okediran’s Tenants of the House, J. M. Coetzee’s In the Heart of the Country, Tsitsi Dangrembga’s Nervous Condition and Meja Mwangi’s Striving for the Wind. The methodology centres on analysing, questioning, undermining and celebrating the family and its contemporary vicissitudes as depicted in the texts. This is with a view to exploring the postcolonial novel with references to concepts developed by major theorists in the field of postcolonial studies, including Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak, Homi Bhabha, Kwame Appiah and Achille Mbembe. It is revealed that in spite of the fact that the family is a vital institution, the primary social unit in any community, an agent of acculturation and the first focus of development, independence and growth, the texts reflect a diversity of problems confronting the family unit in Africa. These include the multiple problems of disrupted family lives, enforced family separation, political and personal violence with the domestic environment. It is concluded that the post-colonial African novel is a quintessential weapon to analyse the continent, opening up to the reader the specific expressions and experiences of human lives and their wider contexts. Therefore, the post-colonial African novel is a primary socio-cultural indicator representing an immense variety of lived realities in the continent. The study, therefore, suggests a concerted concern with the preservation of traditional family structures and other related aspects, such as cultural values, spirituality, gender roles and mutual trust.

Keywords: family, African fiction, postcolonialism, African tradition, domestic dissonance

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Authors: Sophie Laurence, Catherine Rivard

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The assessment of acquired language disorders in the adult population, whether for a bilingual or monolingual adult, is a complex process that requires the speech-language pathologist (SLP) to make a judicious choice when selecting the assessment method and tools. However, this task is even more complex with Ontario's bilingual population due to the lack of linguistically and culturally appropriate tools for this population. Numerous researches examined language assessment of the pediatric bilingual population; however, few studies have focused on assessing acquired language disorders in bilingual adults. This study's main objective is to identify the challenges that SLPs encounter when assessing language in the bilingual English-French adult population in Ontario to ultimately be able to serve this population in the future better. An online questionnaire was made available to 1325 members of the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO) who work with the adult population. The answers to this questionnaire (n = 71) allowed us to identify the tools and strategies most commonly used by SLPs in current practice, identify the assessment challenges faced by SLPs, and determine the causes of these challenges as well as potential solutions. In an English and French assessment, the Western Aphasia Battery, the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination, and the Boston Naming Test were the three tools that respondents deemed to be the most relevant for the assessment. Besides, the results revealed that limited access to SLPs and interpreters who speak the client's language and the lack of standardized and normalized assessment tools for Ontario's French-speaking and bilingual English-French clientele are at the heart of the challenges of current SLP practice. Consistent with these findings, respondents highlighted two potential solutions to address these challenges: SLPs have access to standardized/normalized tools for the population under study and better access to SLPs and interpreters who speak the client's language.

Keywords: assessment, acquired language disorders, bilingualism, speech-Language pathology, adult population

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Authors: Vito Telesca, Giuseppina A. Giorgio

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The earth system is subject to a wide range of human activities that have changed the ecosystem more rapidly and extensively in the last five decades. These global changes have a large impact on human health. The relationship between extreme weather events and mortality are widely documented in different studies. In particular, a number of studies have investigated the relationship between climatological variations and the cardiovascular and respiratory system. The researchers have become interested in the evaluation of the effect of environmental variations on the occurrence of different diseases (such as infarction, ischemic heart disease, asthma, respiratory problems, etc.) and mortality. Among changes in weather conditions, the heat waves have been used for investigating the association between weather conditions and cardiovascular events and cerebrovascular, using thermal indices, which combine air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. The effects of heat waves on human health are mainly found in the urban areas and they are aggravated by the presence of atmospheric pollution. The consequences of these changes for human health are of growing concern. In particular, meteorological conditions are one of the environmental aspects because cardiovascular diseases are more common among the elderly population, and such people are more sensitive to weather changes. In addition, heat waves, or extreme heat events, are predicted to increase in frequency, intensity, and duration with climate change. In this context, are very important public health and climate change connections increasingly being recognized by the medical research, because these might help in informing the public at large. Policy experts claim that a growing awareness of the relationships of public health and climate change could be a key in breaking through political logjams impeding action on mitigation and adaptation. The aims of this study are to investigate about the importance of interactions between weather variables and your effects on human health, focusing on Italy. Also highlighting the need to define strategies and practical actions of monitoring, adaptation and mitigation of the phenomenon.

Keywords: climate change, illness, Italy, temperature, weather

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Authors: B. M. Pardeshi

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Introduction: Minerals and trace elements are chemical elements required by our bodies for numerous biological and physiological processes that are necessary for the maintenance of health. Medicinal plants are highly beneficial for the maintenance of good health and prevention of diseases. They are known as potential sources of minerals and vitamins. 30 to 40% of today’s conventional drugs used in the medicinal and curative properties of various plants are employed in herbal supplement botanicals, nutraceuticals and drug. Aim: The authors explored the mineral element content of some herbs, because mineral elements may have significant role in the development and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, and a close connection between the presence or absence of mineral elements and inflammatory mediators was noted. Methods: Present study deals with the elemental analysis of medicinal plants by Instrumental Neutron activation Analysis and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Medicinal herbals prescribed for skin diseases were purchased from markets and were analyzed by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) using 252Cf Californium spontaneous fission neutron source (flux* 109 n s-1) and the induced activities were counted by γ-ray spectrometry and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) techniques (Perkin Elmer 3100 Model) available at Department of Chemistry University of Pune, India, was used for the measurement of major, minor and trace elements. Results: 15 elements viz. Al, K, Cl, Na, Mn by INAA and Cu, Co, Pb Ni, Cr, Ca, Fe, Zn, Hg and Cd by AAS were analyzed from different medicinal plants from India. A critical examination of the data shows that the elements Ca , K, Cl, Al, and Fe are found to be present at major levels in most of the samples while the other elements Na, Mn, Cu, Co, Pb, Ni, Cr, Ca, Zn, Hg and Cd are present in minor or trace levels. Conclusion: The beneficial therapeutic effect of the studied herbs may be related to their mineral element content. The elemental concentration in different medicinal plants is discussed.

Keywords: instrumental neutron activation analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy, medicinal plants, trace elemental analysis, mineral contents

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Authors: Mohsin Shahab, Shagufta Rehmat, Faisal F. Khan

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Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic has generated health problems worldwide. Health care workers are the front-line warriors against the pandemic. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of COVID-19 (7th May 2021 to 3rd August 2021) amongst Health Care Workers (HCWs) and to assess the complications associated with it and its effects on their quality of life. Material and Method: The study was conducted in healthcare facilities which serve as pandemic hospitals in district Swat. A total of 140 healthcare workers, who were employed in the COVID-19 health care facilities, including the department of Pulmonology, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and COVID-19 wards. Participants were tested for COVIID-19 using RT PCR test. A Case Report Form (CRF) for conditions during and post COVID-19 was filled to assess the complications and quality of life of health care workers. Results: A total of 140 Health Care Workers were studied, out of which 40% were doctors, 22% nursing staff, 17% paramedic staff, 9% cleaning staff, lab technologist 6%, 2% operation theater staff, administration staff, and pharmacist. The respondents were also investigated for pre-existing illness prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection, hypertension was the most prevalent, followed by chronic heart diseases and neurological disorders. Fever was the most common symptom, recorded 76.42% in the participants, while 55.71% of participants had dry cough, 55% had a sore throat, following by chest pain 43.56%. Reinfection rate was 10%, with chest pain being recorded in 85.71%. Post disease complication analysis showed that 47.14% of the participants were diagnosed with a new diagnosis after the COVID-19 recovery. Pulmonological diseases were recorded the most as a new diagnosis in, followed by gastrointestinal and psychological problems. Conclusions: The results of the study illustrates how COVID-19 has affected the overall health and quality of life of HCWs in District Swat of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, HCW's, symptoms, questionnaire, post COVID-19

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Authors: Tony Jehi, Sujatha Rajaram, Nader majzoub, Joan Sabate

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Aging significantly increases the incidence of various cardiometabolic diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). To combat CVD and its associated risk factors, it is imperative to adopt a healthy dietary pattern that is rife with beneficial nutrient and non-nutrient compounds. Unsaturated fats, specifically n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), have cardio-protective effects; the opposite is true for saturated fatty acids. What role, if any, does the biomarker of fatty acid intake (specific fatty acids in the erythrocyte) play in predicting cardiometabolic risk among the elderly, a population highly susceptible to increased mortality and morbidity from CVD risk factors, remains unclear. This was a secondary analysis of the Walnuts and Healthy Aging Study. Briefly, elderly (n=192, mean age 69 y) participants followed their usual diet and were randomized into two groups to either eat walnuts daily or abstain from eating walnuts for a period of 2 years. The purpose was to identify potential associations between erythrocyte membrane fatty acids and cardiometabolic risk factors (body weight, blood pressure, blood lipids, and fasting glucose). Erythrocyte n-3 PUFA were inversely associated with total cholesterol (ß = -3.83; p= 0.02), triglycerides (ß = -7.66; p= <0.01), and fasting glucose (ß = -0.19; p=0.03). Specifically, erythrocyte ALA (ß= -1.59; P = 0.04) and DPA (ß= -0.62; P=0.04) were inversely associated with diastolic blood pressure and fasting glucose, respectively. N-6 PUFAs were positively associated with systolic blood pressure (ß=1.10; P=0.02). Mono-unsaturated fatty acids were positively associated with TAG (ß = 4.16; P=0.03). Total saturated fatty acids were not associated with any cardiometabolic risk factors. No association was found between any erythrocyte fatty acid and body weight. In conclusion, erythrocyte n-3 PUFA may be used as a biomarker to predict the cardiometabolic risk among healthy elders, providing support for the American Heart Association guidelines for including n-3 PUFA for preventing CVD.

Keywords: cardiometabolic diseases, erythrocyte fatty acids, elderly, n-3 PUFA

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Authors: E. Satoh, R. Kasahara, T. Aoki, K. Fukatsu, D. Venkata Ramanarao, H. Harayama, T. Murata, A. Suwa

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Rice plant hoppers (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) have been causing extensive economic damage in rice and are considered as serious threat in rice producing countries of Asia. They have developed resistance to major groups of chemical insecticide, and severe outbreaks occur commonly throughout Asia. To control these nuisance pests, Nihon Nohyaku Co., Ltd., recently discovered an insecticide, benzpyrimoxan (proposed ISO name), which is under development as NNI-1501 (development code). Benzpyrimoxan has a unique chemical structure which contains benzyloxy and cyclic acetal groups on pyrimidine moiety (5-(1,3-dioxan-2-yl)-4-[4- (trifluoromethyl)benzyloxy]pyrimidine). In order to clarify the biological properties of benzpyrimoxan, we conducted several experiments and found the following results. Benzpyrimoxan has high activity against nymphal stages of rice plant hoppers without any adulticidal activity. It provides excellent and long lasting control against rice plant hoppers, including populations that have developed resistance to several other chemical groups of insecticide. The study on its mode of action is undergoing. These features highlight the versatility of this insecticide as an effective and valuable tool from the viewpoints of insecticide resistance management and integrated pest management program. With the use of benzpyrimoxan, farmers shall be able to lead the best yield potential by keeping the population density of rice plant hoppers and associated virus diseases under control.

Keywords: acetal, benzpyrimoxan, insecticide, NNI-1501, pyrimidine, rice plant hoppers

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Authors: Öznur Saribaş, Si̇bel Kahraman Çeti̇ntaş

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It is aimed to compare target volume and critical organ doses by using CyberKnife (CK) in accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) in patients with early stage breast cancer. Three different virtual plans were made for Iris, fixed and multi-leaf collimator (MLC) for 5 patients who received radiotherapy in the CyberKnife system. CyberKnife virtual plans were created, with 6 Gy per day totaling 30 Gy. Dosimetric parameters for the three collimators were analyzed according to the restrictions in the NSABP-39/RTOG 0413 protocol. The plans ensured critical organs were protected and GTV received 95 % of the prescribed dose. The prescribed dose was defined by the isodose curve of a minimum of 80. Homogeneity index (HI), conformity index (CI), treatment time (min), monitor unit (MU) and doses taken by critical organs were compared. As a result of the comparison of the plans, a significant difference was found for the duration of treatment, MU. However, no significant difference was found for HI, CI. V30 and V15 values of the ipsi-lateral breast were found in the lowest MLC. There was no significant difference between Dmax values for lung and heart. However, the mean MU and duration of treatment were found in the lowest MLC. As a result, the target volume received the desired dose in each collimator. The contralateral breast and contralateral lung doses were the lowest in the Iris. Fixed collimator was found to be more suitable for cardiac doses. But these values did not make a significant difference. The use of fixed collimators may cause difficulties in clinical applications due to the long treatment time. The choice of collimator in breast SBRT applications with CyberKnife may vary depending on tumor size, proximity to critical organs and tumor localization.

Keywords: APBI, CyberKnife, early stage breast cancer, radiotherapy.

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Authors: Ajmal Khan Kassi, Humayun Javed, Tariq Mukhtar

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The research was conducted to screen out resistance and susceptibility of okra varieties against Helicoverpa armigera under field conditions 2016. In this experiment, the different management practices viz. release Trichogramma chilonis, hoeing, and weeding, clipping, and lufenuron were tested individually and with all possible combinations for the controlling of American bollworm at 3 diverse localities viz. University research farm Koont, National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC) and farmer field Taxila by using resistant variety Arka Anamika. All the treatment combinations regarding damage of shoot and fruit showed significant results. The minimum fruit infestation, i.e., 3.20% and 3.58% was recorded with combined treatment (i.e., T. chilonis + hoeing + weeding + lufenuron) in two different localities. The minimum shoot infestation, i.e., 7.18%, 7.08%, and 6.85% was also observed with (T. chilonis + hoeing + weeding + lufenuron) combined treatment at all three different localities. The above-combined treatment (T. chilonis + hoeing + weeding + lufenuron) also resulted in maximum yield at NARC and Taxila, i.e., 57.67 and 62.66 q/ha respectively. On the basis of combined treatment (i.e., T. chilonis + hoeing + weeding + lufenuron) in three different localities, Arka Anamika variety proved to be comparatively resistant against H. armigera. So this variety is recommended for the cultivation in Pothwar region to get maximum yield and minimum losses against H. armigera.

Keywords: okra, screening, combine treatment, Helicoverpa armigera

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Authors: Donna Erika E. De Jesus

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Introduction: Cardiac arrest occurs when abrupt cessation of cardiac function results in loss of effective circulation and complete cardiovascular collapse. For every minute of cardiac arrest without early intervention (cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR], defibrillation), chances of survival drop by 7-10%. It is crucial that CPR be initiated within 4-6 minutes to avoid brain death. Most out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) occur in a residential setting where access to trained personnel and equipment is not readily available, resulting in poor victim outcomes. Methods: This is a descriptive study done from August to November 2021 using a prospective cohort design. Participants of the study include adult patients aged 18 years and above brought to the emergency room who suffered from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Out of the total 102 cases of OHCA, 63 participants were included in the study. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients. Results: 43 were male patients, comprising the majority at 73.02%. Hypertension was identified as the top co-morbidity, followed by diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Medical causes of arrest were identified in 96.83% of the cases. 90.48% of cardiac arrests occurred at home. Only 26 patients (41.27%) received pre-hospital intervention prior to ER arrival, which comprised only hands-only CPR. Twenty-three of which were performed by individuals with background knowledge of CPR. 60.32% were brought via self-conduction, the remainder by ambulances, which were noted to have no available equipment necessary to provide proper resuscitation. The average travel time from dispatch to ER arrival is 20 minutes. Conclusion: Overall survival of OHCA in our local setting remains dismal, as a return of spontaneous circulation was not achieved in any of the patients. The small number of patients having pre-hospital CPR indicates the need for emphasis on training and community education.

Keywords: out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, basic life support, emergency medical services

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Authors: Hafiz Atif Iqbal

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It is a confirmed historical fact that Pakistan is an ideological state, and religion has played a very important and vital role in the establishment of Pakistan. This is the reason why the slogan "What does Pakistan mean is "la ilaha illa Allah" is embedded in the heart of every Muslim. This slogan became so popular in the dimensions of India that Movement of Pakistan and this slogan became inseparable, and that is why Quaid-e-Azam said: "Twenty-five percent share in Movement of Pakistan belongs to the creator of this slogan, Asghar Soudai Sialkoti." This slogan later formed the basis of the two-nation theory, whereby the Hindus and Muslims of the sub-continent were declared to be two separate and complete nations, completely different from each other in terms of their religion, affairs, dress, lifestyle, and values. In this regard, on March 23, 1940, at the historic meeting of the Muslim League in Lahore, in which the Lahore Resolution was passed, Quaid-e-Azam said: Islam and Hinduism are not just religions, but actually two different social systems. Therefore, this desire should be called a dream and a dream that Hindus and Muslims will be able to create a common nationality together. These people do not marry each other, nor do they eat at the same table. I say in a nutshell that they belong to two different civilizations, and these civilizations are based on concepts and facts that contradict each other and are against each other. Quaid-e-Azam, while addressing Peshawar in January 1948, said: "We did not demand Pakistan just to get a separate piece of land, but we wanted to get a laboratory where we can test the principles of Islam. The distinction of the concept of Islamic government should be kept in mind that the authority of obedience and loyalty in it is God Almighty, whose practical means of compliance are the rules and principles of the Holy Quran. Only the rules of the Holy Quran can determine the limits of our freedom and restrictions in the state and society. In other words, the Islamic government is the government of Quranic principles and rules. All these facts make it clear that religion has played a fundamental and important role in the establishment of Pakistan.

Keywords: la ilaha illa allah, asghar soudai sialkoti, lahore resolution, quaid-e-azam

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