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One series of total 5 phenylisoxazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidine and five series of total 22 pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidine compounds were designed, synthesized and evaluated for anti-oxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activities. Compounds pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives (VIIIa'–d'), (IXa'–d') and (XIa'–d') exhibited significant antioxidant activity at 10 µg/mL better than compounds isoxazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives (IIIa–e). The maximum anti-oxidant and anti-lipid peroxidation activities were showed for evaluated compound (IXb') 90% and 68% activities comparable to Vitamin-C and with Vitamin-E which showed 92% and 70% of activity respectively. Furthermore, compounds (VIIIa'–d') showed the highest antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria solani species whereas compounds (IXa'–d') showed the highest antifungal activities against Cercospora arachidicola and Gibberellazeae zeae species. Finally as antibacterial activity the evaluated compounds (VIIIa'–d') showed pronounced antibacterial activities against Escherihia coli strain. All newly synthesized compounds structures were established on the basis of their elemental analysis and spectral IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetable breeding is one of the most important ways to ensure food security. The current study was conducted on five inbred lines to obtain 10 F1 pickling cucumber hybrids using half diallel mating design. The results indicated that high significant differences between all genotypes compared with check in all studied traits. In addition to, significant general (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects for all studied traits. The ratio GCA / SCA was less than unity, which indicates that the non-additive genetic variance component. Furthermore, some genetic parameters were revealed that two parents (P5 and P2) were good general combiners for most traits. The five crosses (P1 × P3), (P1 × P4), (P3 × P4), (P3 × P5), and (P4 × P5) exhibited significant desirable positive SCA in all commercial traits which effective on economic productivity. Most of these hybrids gave significant heterosis values over mid and high parents in vegetative, flowering, early, and total yield characteristics. Generally, the parent (P5) could be used as a promising progenitor for all commercial traits in addition to genetic improvements by hybridization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endoscopic trans-nasal trans-sphenoidal hypophysectomy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure aimed at resection of pituitary tumors. This technique is widely practiced in developed countries but is presently gaining popularity in our environment. This study was aimed at presenting our preliminary outcomes as it relates to the technique of endoscopic trans-nasal trans-sphenoidal pituitary surgery in Kano, Nigeria. This was a retrospective study of patients with pituitary tumors that presented at a government tertiary and private specialist health institutions from October 2018 to December 2019. They all had excision of varying degrees of pituitary tumors via endoscopic trans-nasal trans-sphenoidal approach under general anesthesia. There were 4 females (66.7%) and 2 males (33.3%) and their ages ranged between 25 – 60 years. They presented with varying degrees of clinical symptoms such as gynaecomastia, galactorrhea, irregular menstruation, infertility, intermittent headache and visual impairment. Four (66.7%) had complete tumor excision and 2 (33.3%) had incomplete excision. Four (66.7%) had complete symptom relief and 2 (33.3%) had significant improvement in symptoms. The complications of surgery were nasal septal adhesion 1(16.7%), CSF leak 1(16.7%) and transient diabetes insipidus 2(33.3%). All complications were resolved during admission and at follow up visits. Histopathological analysis of specimens confirmed 5 cases of pituitary adenoma and a case of pituitary Rathkes cleft cyst. Endoscopic trans-nasal trans-sphenoidal pituitary surgery is feasible and has a favorable outcome in our setting with prospects for improvement to ensure safety. Keywords: Nasal endoscopy, Sinus surgery, Pituitary tumors, Skull base, Hypophysectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil is considered to be a major reservoir of Burkholderia pseudomallei in the environment. This paper investigates soil physicochemical properties that may influence presence of B. pseudomallei in soil samples from small ruminant farms in Peninsular Malaysia. Soil samples were collected from the farms and cultured for B. pseudomallei. The texture, organic matter and water contents, pH, elemental contents, cation exchange capacities, carbon, sulfur and nitrogen contents were determined. Analysis of soil samples that were positive and negative for B. pseudomallei using multivariable logistic regression found that the odds of bacterial isolation from soil was significantly higher for samples with higher contents of iron (OR = 1.01, 95%CI = 1.00–1.02, p = 0.03), water (OR = 1.28, 95%CI = 1.05–1.55, p = 0.01) and clay (OR = 1.54, 95%CI = 1.15–2.06, p = 0.004) compared to the odds of isolation in samples with lower contents of the above variables. These three factors may have favored the survival of B. pseudomallei because iron regulates expression of respiratory enzymes, while water is essential for soil ecology and agent’s biological processes and clay retains water and nutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel heterocyclic compounds containing pyrimido[4,5-d]pyrimidine (IIIa–IIIb) and (IVa–IVb), pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine (Va'–Ve') and (VIa'–VIe'), and pyrimido[4,5-b]quinoline (VIIa'–VIIe') and (VIIIa'–VIIIe') were designed and synthesized from the starting materials, 5-(bis(methylthio)methylene)-1,3-diphenylpyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione (IIa) and 5-(bis(methylthio)methylene)-1,3-diphenyl-2-thioxodihydropyrimidine-4,6(1H,5H)-dione (IIb) as efficient α,α-ketene dithioacetals is reported. The synthetic approaches of these types of compounds will provide an innovative molecular framework to the designing of new active heterocyclic compounds. In our study, we also present optimization of the method for synthesis along with antimicrobial evaluation of these newly synthesized compounds as antibacterial agents against the bacterial strains, like E. coli, B. subtilis, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa also as antifungal agents against B. cinerea, C. arachidicola, A. solani, G. zeae, S. sclerotiorum, and R. cerealis. Preliminary bioassay showed that most of them exhibited certain-to-excellent antibacterial and antifungal activity. Among all the evaluated compounds, it was found that the synthesized compounds (IVb) and (VIIIc') showed the outstanding antibacterial activity (100%) against the strains E coli and S. aureus respectively comparable to the standard drug Ciprofloxacin at the same concenteration while the others exhibited better antifungal activity at 100 µg/mL. The outstanding antifungal activity (>90%) comparable to the positive controls trifloxystrobin and azoxystrobin exhibited by (VIIIc') against B. cinerea, (IVb) and (Vc') against A. solani, (IVb) against S. sclerotiorum alongwith compounds (VIb'–VIc') against R. cerealis. The structures of all the new synthesized compounds were elucidated by elemental analysis, IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel series of heterocyclic compounds containing thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine and pyrimido[5,4-d]thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine analogues were designed and synthesized starting from α,α-ketene dithioacetals (I), and their structures were confirmed by elemental analysis, IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. In our study, we also present optimization of the synthetic method along with a biological evaluation of these newly synthesized compounds as antioxidants and antifungal. Preliminary bioassay showed that most of them exhibited certain-to-excellent antioxidant and antifungal activity. Among all the evaluated compounds, it was found that some showed significant antioxidant activity at 10 µg/mL while the others exhibited better antifungalal activity at 100 µg/mL. Thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidines (IVa–IVb) and (IVc–IVd) showed higher than 80% inhibition activity against C. arachidicola and P. infestans respectively whereas the thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidines (VIc–VId) showed maximum activity against B. cinerea and C. arachidicola, as for the tested pyrimido[5,4-d]thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidines (IXc–IXd) against G. zeae, P. piricola, and P. sasakii. In particular, thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidines (IVc–IVd) exhibited outstanding activity (> 90%) against G. zeae. Among all the evaluated compounds, it was found that some showed significant antioxidant activity at 10 µg/mL and the maximum DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed with synthetic thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidines (VIIc–VIId) and pyrimido[5,4-d]thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine (IXc–IXd), especially pyrimido[5,4-d]thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine (IXc) which possessed the highest antioxidant activity in comparable to that of standard vitamin C at similar concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acne is a very common condition and has a substantial impact on patients' quality of life. This study was carried out to determine the impact of acne and its clinical severity on health related quality of life in a group of patients attending private clinic in Erbil city, Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between July 1st, 2011 and November 1st, 2011. A convenience sample of 510 patients attending private clinic in Erbil city was taken. Verbal informed consent was obtained from all participants. The Cardiff acne disability index (CADI) was used in this study. Results: The sample included 510 patients (173 males and 337 females); their mean ± SD age was 20.08 ± 4.23 years (ranged from 11 to 36 years) with a male: female ratio of 0.41:1. The mean ± SD ages of males and females were 18.62 ±3.19 and 20.83 ±4.49 years, respectively (P<0.001). Results revealed that there is significant association between age and quality of life impairment (P<0.001), and it revealed that quality of life was more impaired (47.2%) among female than that (37.6%) among male patients (P = 0.038). There was significant association between grading of acne and QOL impairment (P<0.0001). Conclusions: Acne negatively affects quality of life, females were more affected than the males, age group 21-25 more than the other age groups and the greater the grade "severity" of acne, the greater the level of impairment of quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urinary incontinence is a common problem with serious effect on the quality of life. Bladder training aims to increase the interval between voids, either by a mandatory or self-adjustable schedule, so that incontinence is avoided. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of inpatient bladder retraining. A retrospective case-note analysis was conducted over a period of 24 months. Outcome measures were decrease in incontinence episode frequency (IEF) and nocturia and increase in interval between voids. Subjective improvement was assessed on a four-point scale. The study revealed statistically significant decrease in IEF and nocturia and increase in the interval between voids. Twenty-three percent was cured of their symptoms, 36% reported improvement, 27% did not find any change, whereas 14% reported that they were worse off their after bladder retraining. The study confirms the usefulness of inpatient bladder retraining as a treatment option, especially in people refractory to outpatient management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is a major health problem in women and early detection is of prime importance. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the role of diffusion-weighted imaging with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) in detection of breast lesions and characterization of these detected lesions. Patients and methods: 40 female patients with suspicious 50 breast lesions detected by sonomammography, in addition to the routine protocol that includes T1Wi’s, T2Wi’s, STIR, DCEMRI and DWI sequences (with ADC maps) all participants underwent DWIBS sequence (with ADC maps). The histopathology served as reference standard. First, we compared the detectability of breast lesions on DWIBS with that of the DWI. We then compared the ADCs of the malignant lesions (n = 35) to that of the benign lesions (n =15) in both DWI and DWIBS. Results: Thirty seven lesions were detected via DWIBS (detectability of 74.0%) which was less than that of DWI (detectability of 78.0%). In DWIBS, the mean ADC value of the malignant lesions (0.80 ± 0.27 x 10-3 mm² /s) was significantly lower than that of the benign lesions (1.40 ± 0.41 x 10-3 mm² /s). With a cut off value of 1.3 x 10-3 mm² /s for ADC, DWIBS achieved 85.7% sensitivity and 80% specificity for differentiating between benign and malignant lesions. Conclusion: Although it showed lower detectability for breast lesions than DWI, our study suggests that DWIBS is superior to DWI in the characterization of malignant breast lesions.. Also based on ADC, DWIBS provides additional information that may further increase the specificity of breast lesion characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The textile industry's waste often contains excessive amounts of crystal violet (CV), leading to environmental concerns. Graphene oxide has been studied as a promising adsorbent for removing crystal violet, a cationic dye, from aqueous solutions. The study involved a comprehensive analysis of various experimental parameters, including initial concentration, pH, adsorbent mass, contact time, and temperature. Graphene oxide underwent thorough analysis using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and specific surface area determination via the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. Energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) was also employed. This study aimed to optimize the synthesis yield of graphene oxide from graphite using the Hummers method and response surface methodology (RSM), achieving a yield of 106.14% with 5 g of KMnO4 and 1 g of NaNO3 for 8 hours. The graphene oxide was analyzed via FTIR, XRD, SEM, BET, pHpzc, and EDS. Optimal conditions for maximal adsorption included 0.016 g of graphene oxide, 18 minutes of contact time, pH 10, and a temperature of 25°C, resulting in a 97.38% reduction in crystal violet with a monolayer adsorption capacity of 470.78 mg/g. Kinetic data were best fitted by the pseudosecond‐order model, and the Langmuir isotherm accurately depicted adsorption. Thermodynamic analysis indicated spontaneous (ΔG° < 0) and exothermic (ΔH° < 0) crystal violet adsorption. Density functional theory (DFT) explored interactions between graphene oxide and crystal violet, supporting experimental findings and confirming graphene oxide's efficacy as an adsorbent for crystal violet removal from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin B12 deficiency is uncommon in pregnancy, it occurs in 10-28% of uncomplicated pregnancies, and is associated with a few complications. We present a case report of a 21-year-old patient with severe anaemia during late pregnancy caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. At 38 weeks gestation and with a BMI of 48.9, a history of rupture of membranes was given but not confirmed. On examination, she appeared pale and therefore full blood counts were done. Interestingly her haemoglobin (Hb) levels were 3.7 g/dL. Folate and vitamin B12 levels were also found to be low, and the diagnosis of anaemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency was made. After treatment with vitamin B12 injections, folic acid and blood transfusions, the patient's haemoglobin levels improved from 3.7 g/dL to 10.7 g/dL. The conclusion is that effective history taking, diagnosis, and management can prevent many complications that are usually associated with vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UV and gamma irradiation mutagenesis was applied on Aspergillus fumigatus and Alternaria tenuissima in order to improve their producing ability of paclitaxel. Among the screened mutants, two stable strains (designated TXD105–GM6 and TER995–GM3) showed the maximum paclitaxel production. Paclitaxel titers of the two respective mutants were dramatically intensified to 1.22- and 1.24-fold, as compared by their respective parents. Immobilization using five different entrapment carriers of calcium alginate, agar-agar, Na-CMC, gelatin, and Arabic gum was successfully applied for production enhancement of paclitaxel by the two mutants. The immobilized cultures were superior to free-cell cultures and paclitaxel production by the immobilized mycelia was much higher than that of the immobilized spores using all the tried carriers. Moreover, calcium alginate gel beads were found the most conductive and proper entrapment carrier for maximum production of paclitaxel. The feasibility of the paclitaxel production by the immobilized mycelia as affected by incubation period, medium volume, and number of beads per flask was adopted. Under the favorable immobilization conditions, the paclitaxel titers were significantly intensified to 1.31- and 1.88-fold by the respective mutants, as compared by their free cultures. The obtained paclitaxel titers by the immobilized mycelia of the respective mutants (694.67 and 388.65 μg L−1) were found promising in terms of fungal production of paclitaxel. Hence, these findings indicate the future possibility to reduce the cost of producing paclitaxel and suggest application of the immobilization technique for the biotechnological production of paclitaxel at an industrial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The identification of bladder detrusor muscle invasion in urothelial cancer is essential for prognosis and management. We studied the clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical expression of p16, p53, and Ki-67 in urothelial detrusor muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and urothelial non-detrusor muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) in Egyptian patients. Methods: Sixty-two bladder urothelial cancer cases obtained through TURBT were included and divided into two groups: (MIBC, stage T2) and NMIBC (T1). Tissue blocks were recut and re-examined microscopically; then, the immunostaining of p16, p53, and Ki-67 was performed to compare both groups and evaluate the 13% cut-off for Ki-67, 20% for p53, and p16 intensity in various conditions aided by telepathology technology. Results and conclusion: Hematuria was the main clinical first presentation, with no significant difference between either group. The mean age was 61.6 years, with male predominance (52 males and 10 females). The absence of papillary histological pattern was associated with a higher stage, including detrusor muscle invasion (p = 0.000). The overall average percent of p53 immunostaining was 12.9%, revealing no significant difference between MIBC and NMIBC when a cut-off of 20% was implicated. The Ki-67 expression was correlated with higher grade and muscle invasion; however, no association was found with the other two markers' expression. The negative immunostaining of p16 was associated with low grade and NMIBC in the case of the preservation of the papillary pattern. We recommend further studies on the cut-off of widely used markers and more immunohistochemical and genetic studies on the p16(INK4A), taking into consideration the histological pattern of conventional carcinomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among 60 fungal endophytes isolated from twigs, bark, and mature leaves of different plant species, two fungal isolates named TXD105 and TER995 were capable of producing paclitaxel in amounts of up to 84.41 and 37.92 μg L, respectively. Based on macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA sequence, and phylogenetic characteristic analysis, the two respective isolates were identified as Aspergillus fumigatus and Alternaria tenuissima. In the effort to increase paclitaxel magnitude by the two fungal strains, several fermentation conditions including selection of the proper fermentation medium, agitation rate, incubation temperature, fermentation period, medium pH, medium volume, and inoculum nature (size and age of inoculum) were tried. Fermentation process carried out in M1D medium (pH 6.0) and maintained at 120 rpm for 10 days and at 25 °C using 4% ( v/ v) inoculum of 5-day-old culture stimulated the highest paclitaxel production to attain 307.03 μg L by the A. fumigatus strain. In the case of the A. tenuissima strain, fermentation conditions conducted in flask basal medium (pH 6.0) and maintained at 120 rpm for 14 days and at 25 °C using 8% ( v/ v) inoculum of 7-day-old culture were found the most favorable to attain the highest paclitaxel production of 124.32 μg L. Using the MTT-based assay, fungal paclitaxel significantly inhibited the proliferation of five different cancer cell lines with 50% inhibitory concentration values varied from 3.04 to 14.8 μg mL. Hence, these findings offer new and alternate sources with excellent biotechnological potential for paclitaxel production by fungal fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vascular access is critical for hemodialysis (HD) patients. Traditional catheter insertion techniques rely on anatomical landmarks, which correlated with higher failures and increased rates of complications. The procedure's efficacy and safety could be optimized by utilizing real-time ultrasound guidance during HD central venous catheter placement. Objective: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ultrasound-guided permanent internal jugular vein (IJV) catheterization in serving hemodialysis patients. Patients and methods: A total of 150 patients suffering from end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who had ultrasonography (US)-guided IJV permanent HD catheters implanted in our university hospital, from March 2015 to March 2016 were recruited. Patients were examined for their catheter insertion site, technical success, operative time, number of needle punctures, and procedure-related complications. Patients who have had multiple catheter insertions, prior catheterization challenges, poor compliance, obesity, bony deformity, and coagulation disorders were considered high-operative risks. Results: All patients experienced the technical success of the 150 catheters, and 62 (41.3%) were placed in high-risk patients. The first-attempt success rate was 89.8% for the normal-risk group and 72.5% for the high-risk group (P=0.006). IJV cannulation took less time in the normal-risk group compared to the high-risk group (21.2±0.09 minutes vs 35.4±0.11 minutes, P<0.001). No serious complications were reported. Only 4 (6.4%) patients experienced arterial puncture in the high-risk group. Conclusion: A low complication rate and a high success rate are associated with the US-guided placement of a catheter into the IJV, even in the high-risk group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the olfactory epithelium (OE), odorant metabolizing enzymes have the dual function of volatile component detoxification and active clearance of odorants from the perireceptor environment to respectively maintain the integrity of the tissues and the sensitivity of the detection. Although emphasized by recent studies, this enzymatic mechanism is poorly documented in mammals. Thus, olfactory metabolism has been characterized mainly in vitro and for a limited number of odorants. The automated ex vivo headspace gas-chromatography method that was developed here was validated to account for odorant olfactory metabolism. This method easily permits the measurement of the fate of an odorant in the OE environment, taking into account the odorant gaseous state and the cellular structure of the tissue, under experimental conditions close to physiological conditions and with a high reproducibility. We confirmed here our previous results showing that a high olfactory metabolizing activity of the mammary pheromone may be necessary to maintain a high level of sensitivity toward this molecule, which is critical for newborn rabbit survival. More generally, the method that is presented here may permit the screening of odorants metabolism alone or in mixture or studying the impact of aging, pathology, polymorphism or inhibitors on odorant metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micronucleus (MN) assay has been extensively used in detection of DNA damage, instability in cancer, and genetic disorders. In the current study, MN, binucleated cells, and nuclear division index (NDI) were investigated in Iraqi patients with thyroid disorders. The results indicated significantly ( p < 0.05) increased binucleated cells with micronucleus (BNMN) frequencies in thyroid cancer group (37.58 ± 3.07) versus other thyroid disorder groups (6.60 ± 1.29, 14.90 ± 1.69, 15.56 ± 1.76). On the other hand, the frequency of micronucleus per 1,000 and the NDI were significantly ( p < 0.05) decreased in hypothyroidism (MN 1.55 ± 0.36) (NDI 0.009 ± 0.001) versus other thyroid disorder groups (MN: 6.05 ± 0.97, 6.09 ± 0.53, 5.34 ± 0.56) (NDI: 0.049 ± 0.003, 0.032 ± 0.002, 0.025 ± 0.002), with no difference versus healthy group (0.0 ± 0.0). The number of BNMN and MN are parallel to the severity of thyroid disorders which were 6.60 ± 1.29, 14.90 ± 1.69, 15.56 ± 1.76, and 37.58 ± 3.07 for hypothyroidism, thyroid toxic goiter, thyroid nontoxic goiter, and thyroid cancer, respectively. The number of BNMN and MN are parallel to the severity of thyroid disorders which were 6.60 ± 1.29, 14.90 ± 1.69, 15.56 ± 1.76, and 37.58 ± 3.07 for hypothyroidism, thyroid toxic goiter, thyroid nontoxic goiter, and thyroid cancer, respectively. The results also indicate that there were no significant differences among age and sex groups as related with BNMN formation within each thyroid disorder groups and healthy control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bardet-Biedl syndrome is a rare multisystem autosomal recessive disorder that falls under the spectrum of ciliopathy disorders. It is characterized by rod-cone dystrophy, renal malformations, polydactyly, learning difficulties, central obesity, and hypogonadism. Many minor features that are related with Bardet-Biedl syndrome might aid in diagnosis and are crucial in clinical management. Bardet-Biedl syndrome is diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs and symptoms, which can be confirmed by genetic testing. Here we present four cases of Bardet-Biedl syndrome. To our knowledge, these are the first cases of Bardet-Biedl syndrome reported from Sudan.Case Presentation: Here, we report four Sudanese patients who presented with a variety of clinical manifestations of Bardet-Biedl syndrome (two males, 50 and 16 years old; two females, 38 and 18 years old). The first two patients presented with features of chronic kidney disease. The third patient had recently been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis. The fourth patient showed signs of retinal dystrophy early on. Case 1: a 38-year-old female presented with vomiting and irritability; the patient was diagnosed with Bardet-Biedl syndrome as she fulfilled six items of the primary features (obesity, retinitis pigmentosa, post-axial polydactyly, renal abnormalities, learning disabilities, and genitourinary malformations), as well as one secondary feature (cardiovascular involvement, that is, left ventricular hypertrophy). Case 2: a 50-year-old male presented with fatigability; the patient was diagnosed with Bardet-Biedl syndrome as he fulfilled four items of the primary features (obesity, retinitis pigmentosa, post-axial polydactyly, and renal abnormalities) in addition to two secondary features (diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular involvement, that is, left ventricular hypertrophy). Case 3: an 18-year-old female presented with polyuria, polydipsia, weight loss, and epigastric pain for 2 days; the patient was diagnosed with Bardet-Biedl syndrome because he had four major features (retinal dystrophy, post-axial polydactyly, obesity, and learning disabilities) in addition to three secondary features (developmental delay, diabetes mellitus, and strabismus). Case 4: a 16-year-old male presented with a blurring of vision; the patient was diagnosed with Bardet-Biedl syndrome as he exhibited four major features (retinal dystrophy, post-axial polydactyly, obesity, and learning disabilities) plus two secondary features (developmental delay and cataract).Conclusion: The scarcity of Bardet-Biedl syndrome necessitates a high index of suspicion to diagnose this syndrome. Increased awareness among physicians is required for the early diagnosis and treatment of Bardet-Biedl syndrome and to avoid complications and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Aluminum substituted Calcium-Magnesium hexaferrites were prepared. • The reduction in lattice parameters was observed as the Al+3 doping increased. • The obtained c/a ratio falls within the acceptable range of 3.98. • The exchange of Fe+3 ions with coercive Al+3 ions led to a decline in saturation magnetization. • A significant increase in the coercivity was observed with increased Al doping. Aluminum substituted Calcium-Magnesium (Ca-Mg) hexaferrites having general formula Ca 0.5 Mg 0.5 Fe 12-x Al x O 19 (where x is increased with increment of 0.5 from 0.0 to 2.0) are prepared by sol–gel auto combustion technique. X-ray diffraction patterns confirm the hexagonal structure with no evidence of secondary phases. The reduction in lattice parameters is observed as the Al+3 doping level increases. This can be attributed to the short ionic radii of Al+3 ions (0.535 Å) compared to Fe+3 ions (0.645 Å). The obtained c/a ratio falls within the acceptable range of 3.98. Consequently, the formation of magnetoplumbite structure is also confirmed. The SEM image reveals the uniform distribution of particles. The exchange of Fe+3 ions with coercive Al+3 ions led to a decline in saturation magnetization Ms and a significant increase in the coercivity Hc. The magnetic moment m B and Mr of hexaferrites exhibit a decline when Al ions are introduced. This reduction can be ascribed to several factors: the substitution of non-magnetic Al3+ ions in place of Fe3+ ions, the spin-canted ordering of Fe3+ ions, and the valency of Fe ions from 3+ to 2+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasogastric intubation is one of the most common routine nonoperative procedures available for the hospital care of patients. The insertion and removal of this tube is associated with many complications. The complications include trauma, nasal septal abscess and inadvertent entry into the cranial cavity and trachea, ulceration, bleeding from varices and perforation. Knotting of the nasogastric tube is one of the very rare complications of nasogastric intubation particularly in children. To the best of our knowledge there are very few reported cases in children. The technique used in the patient was the application of a steady tug which allows the lower oesophageal sphincter to open, therefore enabling the removal of the nasogastric tube. The possible predispositions to knotting of a nasogastric tube include small bore tubes, excess tube length and gastric surgery. We postulate that reduced gastric tone is another possible predisposing factor with head injury being the most likely reason in the index patient. We also challenge the fact that the small sized stomach is a risk factor for knotting of a feeding tube if the functional status and tone are normal, because of the rarity in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new capsule-shaped sensor to detect the glucose concentration in the human body. The model under study was formulated by relying on the index change in the refractive index (RI) because of the change in the sample that infiltrated the cavity. The index of refraction change is accompanied by modifying the resonant wavelength. The recommended model has considered the simple shape and ease of manufacture, along with other characteristics such as sensitivity and a low detection limit. The results report a high sensitivity of S = 546.72 nm/RI unit (RIU), a high quality factor of Q = 2066.24, a low detection limit of DL = 1.44 × 10−4 RIU, and a high value of transmission of 97%, which are considered to be sufficient and efficient in detecting measured material. This proposed model provides many opportunities and is promising for the manufacture of different types of sensing detection devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encephalocele is a common congenital malformation of the central nervous system; however, giant encephaloceles are rare. The use of folic acid supplementation and termination of pregnancies, which are prenatally diagnosed with encephaloceles and other congenital malformation of the central nervous system, has significantly reduced the occurrence of this type of congenital malformation, especially in developed countries. This was a retrospective review over a 5-year period from January 2006 to December 2010 at the Department of Neurosurgery, Regional Centre for Neurosurgery, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria. The records of patients with giant encephalocele were retrieved from the case notes of patients who had excision and repair for encephalocele. Seventy-three patients had excision and repair of encephalocele over the study period. However, the records of only 50 patients were retrieved. Fourteen (28%) of the 50 whose records were retrieved had giant encephalocele. There were 4 male and 10 female patients (1:2.5). Thirteen (92.9%) had the lesion located in the occipital region, whereas in 1 patient (7.1%) the lesion was at the vertex. Three (21%) of the cases had microcephaly, 1 (7.1%) had macrocephaly, and 1 (7.1%) developed postoperative hydrocephalus. The average size of defect was 2.43 cm, and the size of the lesion ranged from 12 × 6 cm to 40 × 50 cm. The average maternal age was 20.3 years (n = 6), and the paternal age was 29 years (n = 4). Four out of 7 (57%) mothers had febrile illness in early pregnancy. Seven out of 10 patients (70%) did not have antenatal care. This condition is more common in children conceived during the period when farm products are yet to be harvested, and whose mothers did not attend antenatal care visits. It is recommended that mothers should be educated on the necessity of preconception folic acid. Implementation of a national strategy on food fortification is also advised. We recommend surgery after the first month of life to reduce poor early postoperative outcomes. In developing countries and centers with suboptimal pediatric intensive care units, surgical intervention is preferred after the first month of life with good temperature control, adequate fluid replacement following rupture of the sac, blood transfusion availability, and, only if necessary, complex cranial reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Information on family planning and use of antenatal care services is vital for understanding the main influences on fertility and evaluating the success of national family planning programmes. This study aimed to explore contraceptive use and its relation to use of antenatal care services in Egypt. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among women attending three primary health care centres serving different slum areas of Cairo. Results: Most of women who used antenatal care services obtained contraception from the state sector. Although the number of antenatal care visits was not significantly associated with contraceptive use, it was a significant determining factor for the type of method used. Reasons given for non-use of contraception were related to reproductive health concerns or disapproval of contraceptive use. Conclusion: Contraceptive use is widespread in Egypt, regardless of age and level of education. Antenatal care is no longer viewed with suspicion. Antenatal care visits are an opportunity for health care providers (HCPs) to encourage the use of contraception. Repeated antenatal care visits help to engender a relationship of trust between women and HCPs. Incorporation of family planning programmes into antenatal care programmes would be an opportunity to promote modern contraceptive use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The analysis of surgical motion has received a growing interest with the development of devices allowing their automatic capture. In this context, the use of advanced surgical training systems makes an automated assessment of surgical trainee possible. Automatic and quantitative evaluation of surgical skills is a very important step in improving surgical patient care.Material and Method: In this paper, we present an approach for the discovery and ranking of discriminative and interpretable patterns of surgical practice from recordings of surgical motions. A pattern is defined as a series of actions or events in the kinematic data that together are distinctive of a specific gesture or skill level. Our approach is based on the decomposition of continuous kinematic data into a set of overlapping gestures represented by strings (bag of words) for which we compute comparative numerical statistic (tf-idf) enabling the discriminative gesture discovery via its relative occurrence frequency.Results: We carried out experiments on three surgical motion datasets. The results show that the patterns identified by the proposed method can be used to accurately classify individual gestures, skill levels and surgical interfaces. We also present how the patterns provide a detailed feedback on the trainee skill assessment.Conclusions: The proposed approach is an interesting addition to existing learning tools for surgery as it provides a way to obtain a feedback on which parts of an exercise have been used to classify the attempt as correct or incorrect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Central nervous system (CNS) infections can be categorized according to the nature of the infectious pathogen into viral, bacterial, protozoan, or fungal. The diagnosis of diffuse CNS infections depends on examination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained by lumbar puncture (LP). The aim of this work was to determine the diagnostic value of CSF analysis in infants and children presenting with fever and convulsions. Methods: Detailed clinical data of infants and children included in this study were collected with special reference to the course and duration of the illness, description of the convulsions, consciousness level, signs of increased intracranial pressure, and signs of meningeal irritation. Lumbar puncture and chemical and bacteriological analyses of the obtained cerebrospinal fluid were done for all of the children. Results: The total number of children included in the study was 85, they had a median age 19 months, and 88% of them had generalized convulsions. CSF examination revealed that 20% had abnormal physical findings, while 23.5% had abnormal white blood cell count (WBC) (CSF Pleocytosis). CSF cultures were done in three cases with the highest White blood cells (WBCs), and streptococcus pneumoniae was present in all three cases. Conclusion: This study found that CNS infections are not uncommon in infants and children presenting with fever and convulsions in our locality, and acute bacterial meningitis cannot be excluded. However, its presence in the absence of clinical symptoms and signs of meningeal irritation is a remote possibility, but it should always be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurocutaneous syndromes (NCS) are a broad term for a group of neurologic disorders that involve the nervous system and the skin. The most common examples are neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) and type 2 (NF-2), tuberous sclerosis (TS), Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS), ataxia telangiectasia (AT), and Von Hippel Lindau disease (VHL). These disorders are characterized clinically by neurological manifestations such as convulsions, mental retardation and learning disabilities in addition to cutaneous manifestations, and lastly tubers (benign growths found in different organs of the body). Aim of the study: This study aimed to identify clinical, imaging, and neurophysiological profiles of neurocutaneous disorders. Children presented to the Pediatric neurology and Dermatology clinics, Sohag University Hospital who fulfilled the criteria for diagnosis of specific neurocutaneous syndromes were eligible for this study. Patients and methods: All studied patients were subjected to thorough clinical history, full clinical examination, developmental assessment, and dermatological examination. Computed tomography of the brain (CT) and electroencephalography (EEG), ophthalmic, and phoniatric evaluation were also done for all children. Echocardiography was done for only twenty children. Results: During the period of the study we diagnosed 27 cases with neurocutaneous disorders, tuberous sclerosis represented the majority of cases as it was detected in 12 cases (44.45%). The main complaint was convulsions in 19 cases (70.37%), whereas skin pigmentation was detected in 18 cases (66.66%). Developmental assessment showed that global developmental delay was found in 20 cases (74%). CT of the brain showed that 15 cases (55.55%) had intracranial calcifications and abnormal EEG findings were detected in 23 cases (85.2%). 85% of the studied children had various degrees of mental retardation. Echocardiography showed that three cases (15%) had ventricular wall tumor mostly rhabdomyoma. Conclusion: Neurocutaneous disorders had multiple clinical presentations and required a team work approach including various specialties in their evaluation and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: One of the nightmares of placing a shunt in patients with friable skin is an exposed shunt or shunt valve with risk of infection of the hardware which may lead to meningitis or ventriculitis with poor outcome. Another feared complication is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak from the wound with subsequent wound dehiscence. The patients at risk of shunt hardware exposure include children who have fragile skin or skin at risk (either from prematurity, malnutrition, steroid therapy or very large head with pressure on the skin). Method/Technique: This technique involves making a scalp incision with the pericranium taken in one layer with the galea or if the galeal flap has been raised, a pericranial incision is made and a pericranial flap is raised. A subpericranial pouch is developed and a shunt passer used to tunnel the shunt to the abdomen. The pericranial layer is closed, the galea and subcutaneous layer also approximated, and a continuous subcurticular stitch applied. Result: We present a malnourished infant with postinfective hydrocephalus having a thin skin requiring a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. A subpericranial technique was used and the patient did well. Conclusion: This technique is simple and provides a water-tight wound cover, with the pericranium giving reinforcement and better tensile strength, as well as a fairly good protection for the shunt valve. This is useful in preventing CSF leaks and exposure of the shunt with the associated morbidity and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We offer a potential nanocomposite of layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoparticles and activated carbon (AC) for the elimination of water-soluble dyes from wastewater. The composite was synthesized through a hydrothermal treatment of magnesium and aluminum ions in the presence of AC layers which produced from Phoenix dactylifera fruit pits. The impact of different adsorption conditions were tested to collect the best conditions using LDH-AC composite as an adsorbent and methylene blue (MB) as a model of water-soluble dyes. The LDH-AC composite exhibited superior affinity towards the removal of MB molecules. The capacity for adsorption of MB reached 250.2 mg/g at pH 9. The maximum adsorption capacity reached 816 mg/g at room temperature for a monolayer of LDH-AC composites. The recyclability studies showed a five times use of LDH-AC composite as an adsorbent for MB with an efficiency of 70% at the fifth cycle. The existence of interference cations (Mg2+, K+, and Na+) or anions such as (NO 3 −, SO 4 2−, and Cl−) had a limited influence on the MB adsorption. Image 1 • Synthesis of nanocomposites for wastewater treatment. • Efficient removal of dyes from wastewater. • Adsorption, kinetic and isothermal studies of the nanocomposite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]