Reimagining cost recovery in Pakistan's irrigation system through willingness-to-pay estimates for irrigation water from a discrete choice experiment.

It is widely argued that farmers are unwilling to pay adequate fees for surface water irrigation to recover the costs associated with maintenance and improvement of delivery systems. In this paper, we use a discrete choice experiment to study farmer preferences for irrigation characteristics along two branch canals in Punjab Province in eastern Pakistan. We find that farmers are generally willing to pay well in excess of current surface water irrigation costs for increased surface water reliability and that the amount that farmers are willing to pay is an increasing function of their existing surface water supply as well as location along the main canal branch. This explicit translation of implicit willingness-to-pay (WTP) for water (via expenditure on groundwater pumping) to WTP for reliable surface water demonstrates the potential for greatly enhanced cost recovery in the Indus Basin Irrigation System via appropriate setting of water user fees, driven by the higher WTP of those currently receiving reliable supplies.

Management of a giant lymphocele following varicose vein surgery: a case report.

BACKGROUND: A lymphocele or lymphocyst is formed when lymphatic fluid accumulates in a space, following disruption of lymphatic channels. Here, we report a case of a giant lymphocele in a middle-aged female, who underwent Trendelenburg operation (saphenofemoral junction ligation) for varicose veins of her right lower limb. CASE PRESENTATION: A 48-year-old Pakistani Punjabi female presented to the plastic surgery outpatient department with a history of painful, progressive swelling of the right groin and medial aspect of the right thigh for 4 months. After investigation, it was diagnosed as a giant lymphocele. A pedicled gracilis muscle flap was used to reconstruct and obliterate the cavity. There was no recurrence of the swelling. CONCLUSION: Lymphocele is a common complication after extensive vascular surgeries. In the unfortunate case of its development, prompt intervention must be done to prevent its growth and ensuing complications.

Extracellular Volume and Global Longitudinal Strain Both Associate With Outcomes But Correlate Minimally.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined how extracellular volume (ECV) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) relate to each other and to outcomes. BACKGROUND: Among myriad changes occurring in diseased myocardium, left ventricular imaging metrics of either the interstitium (e.g., ECV) or contractile function (e.g., GLS) may consistently associate with adverse outcomes yet correlate minimally with each other. This scenario suggests that ECV and GLS potentially represent distinct domains of cardiac vulnerability. METHODS: The study included 1,578 patients referred for cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) without amyloidosis, and it quantified how ECV associated with GLS in linear regression models. ECV and GLS were then compared in their associations with incident outcomes (death and hospitalization for heart failure). RESULTS: ECV and GLS correlated minimally (R2 = 0.04). Over a median follow-up of 5.6 years, 339 patients experienced adverse events (149 hospitalizations for heart failure, 253 deaths, and 63 with both). GLS (univariable hazard ratio: 2.07 per 5% increment; 95% CI: 1.86 to 2.29) and ECV (univariable hazard ratio: 1.66 per 4% increment; 95% CI: 1.51 to 1.82) were principal variables associating with outcomes in univariable and multivariable Cox regression models. Similar results were observed in several clinically important subgroups. In the whole cohort, ECV added prognostic value beyond GLS in univariable and multivariable Cox regression models. CONCLUSIONS: GLS and ECV may represent principal but distinct domains of cardiac vulnerability, perhaps reflecting their distinct cellular origins. Whether combining ECV and GLS may advance pathophysiological understanding for a given patient, optimize risk stratification, and foster personalized medicine by targeted therapeutics requires further investigation.

Interferon Lambda-3 rs12979860 Variants and Response to Pegylated Interferon in Chronic Hepatitis-C Genotype-3.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near the interferon lambda-3 (IFNλ3) (formal IL-28B) gene rs12979860 in predicting sustained virologic response (SVR) in hepatitis-C virus genotype-3 (HCV-3). STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive, analytical study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Medicine, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from July 2012 to June 2014. METHODOLOGY: Patients with HCV-3 were classified as sustained virologic response (SVR), relapsers and non-responders. SNPrs12979860 was determined by PCR-RFLPprotocol. Differences between categorical variables were assessed by chi-square or Fisher's exact test, while those between continuous variables were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Binary logistic regression analysis by forward conditional method was performed by using significant variables with p-values less than 0.05 as the criteria for model inclusion. RESULTS: Out of 115 patients, rs12979860 genotype-CC, CT, TTwas found in 37 (32.2%), 70 (60.9%), and 8 (7%) patients. 72 patients were male with median age of 45 years. Cirrhosis was present in 32 patients. Patients with response failures (no response and relapse, n=36 and 29, respectively) had higher baseline gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) level (p < 0.001), higher alanine aminotransferase (p=0.027) and cirrhosis (p=0.001) than patients with SVR. Genotype-CC was present in 16/65 in response failures compared to 21/50 who achieved SVR (p=0.048). Rapid virologic response (RVR) (p < 0.001), low GGT(p=0.001) and absence of cirrhosis (p=0.039) were the independent predictive factors for SVR. In patients who could not achieve RVR and in patients with cirrhosis, SVR was seen more in with genotype-CC (p=0.007 and 0.038). CONCLUSION: In patients infected with HCV-3, IFNλ3 rs12979860, SNPhas less impact on SVR.

Evaluation of pulmonary function changes in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus in Upper Egypt.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children across the world and is responsible for a growing proportion of global healthcare expenditure. However, limited data are available on lung dysfunction in children with diabetes. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the pulmonary function changes in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). METHODS: We studied 60 children with T1DM (mean age 10.5 ± 2.32 years; disease duration 2.45 ± 0.6 years, and 50 healthy control children (mean age 9.9 ± 2.5 years). Spirometry was performed for all individuals to measure forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Glycemic control was assessed on the basis of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), with HbA1c values <8% considered to indicate good glycemic control, and HbA1c values ⩾8% to indicate poor control. RESULTS: There was significant reduction in all spirometeric parameters in diabetic children in comparison with healthy control children. Children with poor glycemic control had significant impairment in lung functions compared with those with good glycemic control. CONCLUSIONS: T1DM in children leads to impairment of lung functions and this impairment increases with poor glycemic control.

Spindle and chromosomal alterations in metaphase II oocytes.

The spindle apparatus is a vital structure and must be structurally intact for proper segregation of the oocyte's genetic material during metaphase II. Endometriosis, oxidative stress, and cryopreservation can all adversely affect the structural integrity of the spindle, potentially resulting in aneuploidy and spontaneous abortion of the embryo. Advances in spindle imagery have made it possible to visualize the effects of environmental stresses on spindle structure. Deviation from an oocyte's normal environment can seriously impair the positioning and integrity of the spindle. Oocytes cryopreservation causes depolymerization and repolymerization of the spindle. Oocytes can also be preserved in an immature state for later in vitro maturation. A comprehensive understanding of the spindle behavior is paramount for the effective manipulation of oocytes in an assisted reproductive setting.

The significance of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) & DNA topoisomerase II alpha (DNA-Topo II alpha) immunoreactivity in normal oral mucosa, oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

BACKGROUND: Head and neck cancer including oral cancer is considered to develop by accumulated genetic alterations and the major pathway is cancerization from lesions such as intraepithelial dysplasia in oral leukoplakia and erythroplakia. The relationship of proliferation markers with the grading of dysplasia is uncertain. The involvement of EBV in oral carcinogenesis is not fully understood. AIM: The present study was designed to investigate the role of EBV and DNA Topoisomerase II proportional (DNA-Topo II proportional) during oral carcinogenesis and to examine the prognostic significance of these protein expressions in OSCCs. METHODS: Using specific antibodies for EBV and DNA-Topo II proportional, we examined protein expressions in archival lesion tissues from 16 patients with oral epithelial dysplasia, 22 oral squamous cell carcinoma and 20 normal oral mucosa by immunohistochemistry. Clinical information was obtained through the computerized retrospective database from the tumor registry. RESULTS: DNA-Topo II proportional was expressed in all examined specimens. Analysis of Variance ANOVA revealed highly significant difference (P < 0.01) in young aged labial tissues and significant (P < or = 0.05) in gingival and not significant (P > 0.05) in inferior surface of tongue and in hard palatal tissues. Significant differences were observed between OEDs and NSE (P < 0.001) and SCCs and controls (P < 0.001), also, significant differences could be observed between SCCs and OEDs. DNA-Topo II proportional expression was significantly higher in tumors of low differentiation versus tumors of moderate and high differentiation (P < 0.001), DNA-Topo II proportional expression was correlated with age, tumor size, tumor stage, node metastasis and tumor differentiation, but not with gender and tumor site. None of normal squamous epithelium (NSE) expressed EBV. Heterogeneous reactivity for EBV was observed through the series of dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma. Its expression increased progressively with lymph node metastasis and low tumor differentiation, but no significant association could be observed with other clinicopathological parameters. EBV protein expression was increased with elevated Topo II-proportional LI in OEDs and OSCCs. A tendency to positive correlation between EBV and Topo II proportional, variant expression was observed in OEDs but not in OSCCs. CONCLUSION: EBV and DNA Topo II-alphaLI expression are possible indicators in oral carcinogenesis and may be valuable diagnostic and prognostic indices in oral carcinoma.