14 research outputs found
Public exposure from I-131 hospitalized isolated patients in NIMRA Jamshoro Pakistan
No full textPurpose/ Background: To treat the cancerous tissues the unsealed radioisotopes are being in clinical practice since 7 decades. From these unsealed sources, I-131 is the choice of treatment for the treating thyroid cancers. Orally administered I-131 patients are to be kept isolated in hospital for some period until captured activity in the body reaches to national and international limits for the avoidance of unacceptably high radiation exposures to patients' family members and the general public to keep ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principal in mind. The main rationale of this study was to calculate the exposure/dose of the general public. Material and Methods: This work presents the exposure rate and dose to the general public in the corridor and the non-radioactive patients admitted in adjacent room from I-131 administered isolated patients treated at NIMRA (Nuclear Institute of Medicine and Radiotherapy) Jamshoro Pakistan. In this study exposure from 23 thyroid cancer patients treated with different activities of I-131 (50 to 200 mCi) from January 2011 to December 2012 were included. Results: The average exposure rate in the corridor was about 5.17 µSv/hr (2.14 µSv/hr to 8.15 µSv/hr) and the cumulative dose to nonradioactive patients residing in an adjacent room was 0.647 mSv (0.192 mSv to 1.664 mSv). Conclusion: This study concludes that the exposure rate to the general public especially the admitted non-radioactive patient in the adjacent room is almost within the limits of 1 mSv as specified in national and international standards.-----------------------------------------Cite this article as: Memon SA, Laghari NA, Qureshi ST, Ahmad A, Khan AA, Hussain MM. Public exposure from I-131 hospitalized isolated patients in NIMRA Jamshoro Pakistan. Int J Cancer Ther Oncol 2014; 2(2):020214. DOI: 10.14319/ijcto.0202.1
Guillain-Barre Syndrome Following a Snakebite: A Case Report and Review of Literature
No full textGuillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is preceded by a respiratory or gastrointestinal illness in more than 50% of the patients. A rare association of GBS with a preceding snakebite is reported in the literature in only four previous cases. We present a case report of a patient diagnosed with GBS following the bite of a yellow-bellied sea snake (Hydrophis platurus) and a brief review of the available literature
Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis with seropositive chikungunya
No full textChikungunya viral (CHIKV) fever is often a self-limiting febrile illness associated with severe debilitating arthralgia. Neurological complications associated with CHIKV, although rare, have been reported in literature; however, longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LTEM) is rarely associated with it. We present a case of a middle-aged man with a 1-week history of low-grade fever and arthralgia followed by urinary retention and quadriplegia. A sensory level was noted at T2. On subsequent investigations, he was diagnosed with LETM. Although LETM is commonly seen in patients with neuromyelitis optica, the other possible etiologies are inflammatory and parainfectious. To date, only two cases of LETM are reported worldwide in association with CHIKV fever and this is the first case from Pakistan. With frequent chikungunya outbreaks, neurological complications are increasingly seen in clinical practice. The knowledge of these associations will result in their early diagnosis and treatment
Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis with positive Dengue serology
No full textDengue fever is a viral febrile illness caused by dengue virus and spread by Aedes mosquito worldwide. It usually manifests as an acute fever associated with body ache, skin rash, and thrombocytopenia. Neurological manifestations are relatively uncommon but well-known. We report a case of a 25-year-old male patient who presented to our hospital with acute febrile illness, headache, and vomiting. Extensive laboratory investigations were done and he was diagnosed with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Dengue serology was positive. He was treated with anticoagulation and hydration with complete recovery. The treatment with anticoagulation is challenging due to accompanying thrombocytopenia. Only two previous case reports of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis with positive dengue serology have been reported in the literature
The The Use of Modality: A Stylistic Analysis of Karel Capek’s Grafitto
No full textThe article analyses various shades of modality and its role in extracting the literary and thematic concerns of the writer from the text. It focuses on the use of modality in Karel Capek’s Grafitto, identifies the shades used in the text and shows that by using different verbs the characters express their attitude to various events and situations. The article shows that the study of modality not only helps the readers determine the style of the writing but also assists them in comprehending the meanings in the story meticulously and scientifically and why the writer uses certain shades of modality more frequently than others. To analyse the text, the researcher has used Paul Simpson’s given types and shades of modality and shown that by using epistemic modality more often, the author has brought forth the existential uncertainties and ambivalence in the life of characters
The Sensitivity of DTR to the Increased CO2 over Mid-latitude Semi-dry Regions
No full textThe rationale for this study lies in the fact that the mid-latitude regions are largely affected by the global and regional scale circulation changes. Moreover, earlier studies emphasize that the variation in atmospheric concentration of heat-trapping gases, cloud amount and moisture contents produce substantial regional climatic changes. Therefore, it is of significant practical importance to analyze the sensitivity of midlatitude regions to anthropogenic forcing, especially, the CO2 radiative forcing. This study assesses the role of CO2 radiative forcing in causing asymmetric diurnal changes over the mid-latitude semi-dry region using an idealized experiment conducted by single column (1-D) RadiativeConvective Model (RCM) of the diurnal cycle. The model is capable enough in highlighting the main features responsible for the observed diurnal asymmetry in the ground temperature. A significant decrease in the Diurnal Temperature Range (DTR) is observed in this region under doubled CO2 forcing. The amount of thermal radiation trapped by CO2 forcing in the presence of water vapors plays a key role in surface temperature changes and resultant decreasing of the DTR. It is further found that CO2 induced climatic feedbacks are equally important in producing diurnal asymmetry. To better understand the complete picture of the DTR variability, one needs to explore all the possible forcing and feedbacks such as caused by aerosols, water vapors and cloud amount along with their distribution in the atmosphere.The author would like to thank Prof. Georgiy Stenchikov, Chairman, Earth Science and Engineering Department, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology for providing access to his single column RCM used in this study
Impact of Tropical Volcanic Eruptions on Hadley Circulation Using a High-Resolution AGCM
No full textThe direct radiative effects of volcanic eruptions resulting in solar dimming, stratospheric warming, global surface cooling and reduction in rainfall are well documented. However, eruptions also cause indirect climatic impacts that are not well understood. For example, solar dimming induced by volcanic aerosols could cause changes in tropical Hadley circulation that in turn largely affect evaporation and precipitation patterns. Therefore, understanding the sensitivity of HC to volcanism is essential, as this circulation is directly related to precipitation changes in the tropics and with other large-scale circulations. Hence, to better understand the post-eruption sensitivity of HC and associated changes in the hydrologic cycle, simulations for the El Chichón and Pinatubo tropical eruptions were conducted using a high-resolution atmospheric model (HIRAM), effectively at 25 and 50 km grid spacing. The model simulated results are then compared with observational and reanalysis products. Both the model and observational analysis show posteruption weakening, shrinking and equatorward displacement of the updraft branch of HC caused by the equatorward shift of midlatitude jets and hemispheric land-sea thermal gradient. The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is tightly coupled to the rising branch of HC, hence, post-eruption weakening and equatorward displacement of HC cause weakening of ITCZ that adversely affects rainfall distribution in the monsoon-fed regions, especially the South Asian and African tropical rain-belt regions. The modelproduced post-eruption distribution of cloud contents suggests a southward shift of ITCZ. The HIRAM results are largely in agreement with the reanalysis, observations and previous studies indicating that this model performs reasonably well in reproducing the global and regional-scale dynamic changes caused by volcanic radiative forcing.I thank Earth Science and Engineering Department, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia for providing computational facilities that were used to conduct model simulations. The observational and simulation results are available from the author upon reques
Biostimulants and salinity: Crosstalk in improving growth and salt tolerance mechanism in Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
No full textCrop development of various economically important horticultural crops faces substantial limitations due to various abiotic stresses. These pressures contribute to over 70% of the yield gap. Notably, salt stress has become increasingly significant in crop production in recent years. Salinity triggers ionic, osmotic, and oxidative disturbances, leading to the production of reactive oxygen species, decreased water potential, membrane dysfunction, reduced rates of photosynthesis, and lower nitrogen assimilation. All of these factors significantly impede crop growth and yield. A potential and effective approach to alleviate salt stress involves the use of plant extracts obtained from natural sources as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers. These extracts are rich sources of bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, flavonoids, and phenolics, which play pivotal roles in redox metabolism regulation and enhancing plant growth. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) with its diverse applications in food, cosmetics, and medicine, offers essential oil rich in beneficial properties, including antifungal, antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant effects. Humic acid is recognized for improving soil conditions and promoting plant growth. Saline soils present a major hindrance to plant development, impacting seed germination and seedling growth. Plants employ various adaptive mechanisms to endure challenging environmental conditions. Biostimulants, which consist of diverse compounds derived from microbial and plant sources, play a vital role in promoting plant growth and alleviating environmental stress. These products impact plant physiology, metabolic processes, and nutrient absorption, presenting an innovative method to address salinity issues. The article highlights the significance of seaweed extracts, humic acid, and vegetable extracts as valuable elements in augmenting both crop yield and quality. Furthermore, this assessment illuminates how plants react to different biostimulants, showcasing benefits such as amplified root growth, improved nutrient assimilation, and increased resilience to stress. © 2021 The Author(s
Islam and politics in Bangladesh: the followers of Ummah
No full textMubashar Hasan, an young academic from Bangladesh who was kidnapped and later released after 44 days in November 2017 (21), delivers a nuanced, refined, and well researched book on the growing nexus between Islam and politics in contemporary Bangladesh. He does so by employing socio-political and historical approaches, an area of knowledge which has so far attracted inadequate scholarly attention, be it at home or abroad. For the analysis and conceptualisation of the book, the author relies mainly on the Islamic concept of ummah, which is further reinforced by another Islamic ideal, 'Muslim brotherhood'. This ideology of ummah is for Muslims as powerful as Western liberalism (204) because it addresses a broader Muslim community beyond national boundaries and time periods. In this respect, it competes with the dominant value system of western societies. This book thus clearly demonstrates that the underlying spirit of political ummah undermines the spirit of liberal democracy and secularism. It can thereby also foster interfaith intolerance and conservative religiosity, and concurrently welcoming religious fundamentalism (2)
Study of the global and regional climatic impacts of ENSO magnitude using SPEEDY AGCM
No full textENSO is considered as a strong atmospheric teleconnection that has pronounced global and regional circulation effects. It modifies global monsoon system, especially, Asian and African monsoons. Previous studies suggest that both the frequency and magnitude of ENSO events have increased over the last few decades resulting in a need to study climatic impacts of ENSO magnitude both at global and regional scales. Hence, to better understand the impact of ENSO amplitude over the tropical and extratropical regions focussing on the Asian and African domains, ENSO sensitivity experiments are conducted using ICTPAGCM (‘SPEEDY’). It is anticipated that the tropical Pacific SST forcing will be enough to produce ENSO-induced teleconnection patterns; therefore, the model is forced using NINO3.4 regressed SST anomalies over the tropical Pacific only. SPEEDY reproduces the impact of ENSO over the Pacific, North and South America and African regions very well. However, it underestimates ENSO teleconnection patterns and associated changes over South Asia, particularly in the Indian region, which suggests that the tropical Pacific SST forcing is not sufficient to represent ENSO-induced teleconnection patterns over South Asia. Therefore, SST forcing over the tropical Indian Ocean together with air–sea coupling is also required for better representation of ENSO-induced changes in these regions. Moreover, results obtained by this pacemaker experiment show that ENSO impacts are relatively stronger over the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) compared to extratropics and high latitude regions. The positive phase of ENSO causes weakening in rainfall activity over African tropical rain belt, parts of South and Southeast Asia, whereas, the La Niña phase produces more rain over these regions during the summer season. Model results further reveal that ENSO magnitude has a stronger impact over African Sahel and South Asia, especially over the Indian region because of its significant impact over the tropical Atlantic and the Indian Ocean through Walker circulation. ENSO-induced negative (positive) NAO-like response and associated changes over Southern Europe and North Africa get significantly strong following increased intensity of El Niño (La Niña) in the northern (southern) hemisphere in the boreal winter (summer) season. We further find that ENSO magnitude significantly impacts Hadley and Walker circulations. The positive phase of ENSO (El Niño) overall strengthens Hadley cell and a reverse is true for the La Niña phase. ENSO-induced strengthening and weakening of Hadley cell induces significant impact over South Asian and African ITCZ convective regions through modification of ITCZ/monsoon circulation system.We would like to thank the editor and two anonymous reviewers whose constructive suggestions and comments significantly improved the manuscript. We are also thankful to the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy, for providing computational facilities and technical support to perform the experiments at ICTP computer lab. The first author is supported by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. The simulation results and figures are available from the authors on request
