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Background: Over the years, the scope of practice for the pharmacy profession has considerably broadened and several practice areas can now be chosen by young pharmacy graduates. However, not much is known about the career preferences of Nigerian pharmacy students.Objectives: To explore factors influencing the choice of a pharmacy degree, career preferences and perceptions of pharmacy practice areas in final year pharmacy students at selected universities in Northern Nigeria.Methods: A cross sectional study using a structured paper-based questionnaire to collect data from consenting students of six Northern Nigerian universities, was conducted from May to August 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to report the results obtained.Results: A total of 226 questionnaires were retrieved. Many of the respondents were male (57.5%) and studying for the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree (88%). Pharmacy was the first-choice course of study for almost 70% of the respondents, and the most common factors influencing their choice were personal interest (59.7%) and good job prospects (50.4%). Majority of respondents perceived that community pharmacy practice would provide them with the most financially rewarding career (32.7%), best work environment (33%) and best job opportunities (20%). Most of them also perceived themselves as having a heavy workload if they worked in hospital pharmacy (47.8%) and the best work schedule if they worked in academia (28.9%). Respondents’ top four career choices were community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, public health pharmacy and industrial pharmacy.Conclusion: This study identified factors influencing the choice of a pharmacy degree and career preferences of respondents. Structured career counselling for young pharmacists is recommended.

Introduction: Arab Americans are significantly affected by depression with prevalence as high as 50%. Our study assesses whether unique causes of depression such as stress, acculturation, and heritage identity play a role in the high prevalence of depression in Arab Americans. Methods: We surveyed 142 self-identified Arab Americans using a convenience model. Participants answered questions about their level of perceived stress, everyday discrimination, and acculturative stress. They also answered questions regarding their level of acculturation and heritage identity. Finally, participants answered questions regarding their depressive symptoms. A score of 16+ on the depression scale was used as the cut-off for depression. Results: The prevalence of depression in our sample was 60%. In our logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, BMI and education, we found that perceived stress (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.10, 1.33, p 0.05). Conclusions: Our study shows that perceived stress and acculturative stress increase the odds of depression in Arab Americans and therefore may play a role in the high prevalence of depression in this population. We hope our findings inform clinicians on the important underlying causes that may be causing depression in their Arab American patients.

Background: African trypanosomiasis is a protozoan disease with huge socio-economic burden to sub-Saharan African exceeding US$4.6 annual loss. To mitigate the incidence of trypanosomal drug resistance, efforts are geared towards discovery of molecules, especially from natural products, with potential to inhibit important molecular target (trypanosome alternative oxidase, TAO) in trypanosomes that are critical to their survival. Method: Crude methanol extract of Anogeissus leiocarpa was subjected to in vitro bioassay-guided antitrypanosomal assay to identify the most active extract with trypanocidal activity. The most active extract was run on a column chromatography yielding five fractions, F1-F5. The fractions were assayed for inhibitory effect on TAO. The most promising TAO inhibitor was subjected to antitrypanosomal evaluation by trypanosome count, drug incubation infectivity test (DIIT) and in vivo studies. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify and quantify phytochemical constituents of the potential TAO-inhibiting fraction. Results: Ethyl acetate extract (EtOAc) significantly (p

The current study aimed at investigating the impact of Flipped Classroom Strategy by using E-Learning Systems (Blackboard) based on Critical Thinking Skills of the acquisition of fresh female students of the derivative concept of Calculus. To conduct this study, the researchers followed the explanatory sequential mixedmethods by dividing randomly the 54 fresh female students from the University of Bisha into two equal groups: the experimental group and the control group. The selection was based on their achievement in First Exam. To measure students’ acquisition of the derivative concept, the researchers relied on a post-test, and semi-structured interview with some learners. The analysis of the obtained data showed that teaching Calculus using Flipped Classroom Strategy that based on Critical Thinking Skills is better than the traditional teaching methodology in the acquisition derivative concept. In fact, the interviews show that the fresh female students in the experimental group preferred the new strategy, and said that it makes learning mathematics interesting and easier.

BackgroundAzadirachta indica,Khaya senegalensis,Anogeissus leiocarpusandTamarindus indicaare important ethnomedicinal plants used for health mitigation since the history of mankind. They are used discretionarily in folkloric medicine on the premise that they are natural products devoid of synthetic preservatives. However, nature endows plants with metabolites for warding off potential attacks from animals and the environment. Some of these metabolites are responsible for toxicity of some plants. Furthermore, drug-induced liver injuries and nephrotoxicity are the leading causes of pharmaceutical attrition of promising drug candidates in clinical trials. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the safety of four ethnomedicinal plants in short-, medium- and long-term usage.MethodsRats dosed once with 5000 mg/kg extracts of each of these plants served as acute study (AS) while rats dosed daily with 2000 mg/kg for 2, 12 and 14 weeks served as sub-acute (SAS), sub-chronic (SCS) and chronic (CS) studies, respectively. Rats administered distilled water served as the negative control (NC).ResultsA. leiocarpusandT. indicasignificantly reduced percentage weight gain in the SCS compared to the NC.A. leiocarpussignificantly (PK. senegalensissignificantly (PPA. indica and T. indicasignificantly (PA. leiocarpusandK. senegalensissignificantly (P+and K+were significantly higher in the SCS and CS studies compared to the NC. The histological lesions seen ranged from cellular degeneration, congestion, fibrosis to necrosis.ConclusionThus, nonlethal, reversible toxic insults occur in short-term usage (AS); while, insidious lethal toxic effects occur in medium-term (SAS) and long-term usage (SCS and CS). The ability of these plant to maintain adequate hematological parameters, bodyweight and absence of mortality may explain free usage of preparations made from these plants in folkloric medicine.

The promotion of enhanced gas recovery (EGR) and CO2 storage is still shrouded in contention and is not well accepted, due to the excessive in situ CO2 mixing with the nascent natural gas. This adulterates the recovered CH4 and thus results in a high sweetening process cost thereby making the technique impractical. This has not only limited the field application of EGR in actual projects to a few trails but renders it uneconomical. This study aims to present, experimentally, alternating N2 injection as a potential technique for EGR and CO2 storage in sandstone rock cores. A laboratory core flooding experiment was carried out to simulate a detailed process of unsteady-state methane (CH4) displacement using Bandera grey core plug. This was carried out at 40 °C, 1500 psig, and 0.4 ml/min injection rate by alternative injection of N2 and CO2 in succession designed to suit the application based on optimum operating conditions. The results show that both CO2 storage capacity and CH4 recovery improved significantly when gas alternating gas (GAG) injection was considered. The best results were observed at lower N2 cushion volumes (1 and 2 PV). Therefore, the GAG injection method with N2 as cushion gas can potentially increase both CO2 storage and CH4 recovery of the gas reservoir. This technique if employed will assert the current position and provide vital information for further researches aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and economic viability of the EGR and CO2 sequestration processes.

La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (LCMO) thin films have been grown on MgO substrate using the metal organic deposition process. The lattice mismatch between LCMO and MgO is relatively large around 8.14% imposing large in-plane-tensile strain and out-of-plane-compressive strain on the film. Hence the structural, microstructural and electrical properties have been found to be strongly correlated to the strain degree and relaxation. Cross-section transmission electron microscopy observations demonstrate the presence of microstructural defects due to the large lattice mismatch between the LCMO and MgO. In addition to structural and microstructural defects, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy measurements show the existence of a minor phase of MnO in the film. Magnetization versus temperature measurement show a relatively low Curie temperature around 75 K. The electrical behavior is found to be semiconducting over a large temperature interval. The electrical transport mechanisms have been investigated using the small polaron hopping and variable range hopping models and correlated to their microstructural properties. Keywords: Manganite, Thin film, Epitaxy, Electric transport mechanism

Several researchers employed N2 to augment CH4 recovery efficiency and CO2 sequestration during the Enhanced Gas Recovery (EGR) process in consolidated rocks. To our knowledge, there has been limited data backing the reason why CO2 experienced a more extended breakthrough during the EGR process in the presence of N2 gas. This study inves-tigated CO2 and N2 behaviour during the core flooding experiment by CO2 injection in Bentheimer core plug. N2 was used as the continuous phase during the core flooding process, while CO2 was the dispersed phase. The experiment was designed with varying injection rates at 30 and 40 0C temperature points. The experimental findings showed that the dispersion and diffusion coefficient, CO2 storage, concentration profile and breakthroughs were highly influenced by temperature change, especially at lower injection rates. However, at high injections, those properties are less sensitive to change in temperature, with most of the curves overlapping in the concentration profile. The highest and most negligible dispersion and diffusion coefficients were recorded at the highest and lowest injection rates respec-tively. These results agree with those reported by several researchers for sandstone rocks. Thus, higher temperatures have a more substantial effect on dispersion and diffusion coefficient, which eventually led to higher mixing between CO2 and N2. The breakthrough time decreases with an increase in reservoir temperature, confirming the diffusion and dispersion coefficients are temperature dependent. The experiment at 30 0C recorded an extended breakthrough time over that at 40 0C. The maximum breakthrough time at 0.52 PV was recorded at 30 0C at the lowest injection rate. The concentration profile highlighted the trend between the displacing and displaced gas during the core flooding experiment. From the range of injections and temperatures tested, the CO2 PV stored decreases as the rate of injection increases from 0.4 – 1.2 ml/min. However, the CO2 stored was more promising at higher rates, corresponding with high differential pressure, due to flow resistance within the tortuous flow channels in the porous medium.

The alkylation of 6-methyl-2-thioxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrimidine-4-one phenacyl bromides under different conditions was investigated. It was found that during the reaction in the medium of DMF/K2CO3 a mixture of 2-(2-aryl-2-oxoethyl)thio-6-methyl-pyrimidine-4(3H)-one and 3-hydroxy-3-aryl-7-methyl-2,3-dihydro-5H-thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine-5-one was formed. The holding of the resulting mixture in the concentrated sulphuric acid leads to the formation of cyclization products - derivatives of 3-aryl-7-methyl-5H-thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-5-one with high yields. Individual S-alkylated derivatives – 2-(2-aryl-2-oxoethyl)thio-6-methyl-pyrimidine-4(3H)-one - were obtained by reacting in methanol in the presence of sodium methoxide. Pharmacological screening of synthesized compounds for anticonvulsant activity on the model of pentylenetetrazole seizures in rats was carried out and some regularity “structure-activity” was established.

Intussusception is a common pediatric emergency, although a prolapsed intussusception is a rare entity, often misdiagnosed as a rectal prolapse. We report a 10-month-old female baby who presented with a three week history of a mass protruding per anus and vomiting, and a 2 week history of bloody diarrhoea. A clinical diagnosis of a prolapsed intussusception was made and no imaging studies were ordered to avoid a delay in management. The patient underwent an emergency laparotomy, where a dual reduction was done and the bowels were found to be ischemic hence a right hemicolectomy was performed with end-to-end ileo-transverse anastomosis. Unfortunately, 2 weeks post laparotomy, the patient presented with a high output enterocutaneous fistula. Another emergency laparotomy was performed, with findings of intestinal adhesions and an anastomotic leak. Adhesiolysis was done along with re-freshening of the ileo-transverse anastomosis. Intussusceptions presenting in the form of a prolapse through the anus is a rare condition indicating a serious sign and is often mistaken for a rectal prolapse. A digital rectal examination can help differentiate the two from each other. Surgery is the mainstay treatment for a prolapse intussusception, and should not be delayed.

This study was to assess the anthelminthic potential of Sterospermum kunthianum leaf extract against Ascaridia galli in experimentally infected broiler chickens. The extract and fractions were evaluated for in vitro inhibition and in vivo anthelmintic effects. Acute toxicity studies of extract revealed no sign of toxicity or death in birds at oral dose range of 1000–5000 and was considered safe. There was a concentration dependent decrease on inhibition of A. galli egg embryonation and deparasitization. At 100 mg/ml, albendazole (ALB) caused the highest inhibition of embryonation (195.3 ± 0.9) which was not significantly different from the decrease caused by crude methanol extract (CME) (188 ± 0.9), hexane fraction (HF) (177 ± 1.2) or ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) (168.3 ± 0.9). The highest inhibition rates (%) were 97, 94, 88 and 85 for ALB, CME, HF and EAF, respectively. The deparasitization obtained at day 21 in ALB (95.62%) treated birds was not significantly (P > 0.05) different from the 81.27% and 89.24% obtained from the crude methanol treated birds. The deparasitization caused by CME at 400 mg/kg (89.24%) was significantly higher than the one caused by EAF at the same dose (50.19%). Day 21 post treatment, significantly (P

In this work we present a fast and label-free technique for biomolecules detection. The approach has been proved to be powerful to investigate small DNA mutation. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an outstanding technique for DNA analyses by providing a specific fingerprint of chemical structure with a high sensitivity in a very short acquisition time. Homogeneous decoration of Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) by silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) was carried out using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. SiNWs have been synthesized via metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) method. We investigate in this work the effect of the Ag-NPs nanodecoration conditions through the variation of the laser ablation pulses number (NLAP). Thus, the Ag-NPs decorated SiNWs were used as sensors to detect organic and biomolecules by means of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). By varying the NLAP, we were able to identify the optimal combination of Ag-NPs' size and surface coverage that yields the highest SERS signal. SEM images revealed well-ordered SiNWs (~2.4 μm-long and 30–60 nm diam.) with their uniform decoration by Ag-NP. High resolution-TEM analyses confirmed the effective decoration of the SiNWs by Ag-NPs of which average size is found to increase linearly from ~20 to 50 nm when the NLAP is increased from 500 to 10,000. The Ag-NPs/SiNWs matrix shows significantly higher (150 fold) Raman signal compared to their Ag-NPs-decorated-flat‑silicon counterparts. We found that SERS efficiency is sensitive to the nanoparticles size and reaches its maximum of (1.6 × 106) for the Ag-NPs having the optimal diameter of ~40 nm (obtained at NLP = 5000). The developed sensor proved to be highly sensitive to detect upto pico-molar concentrations of R6G. These Ag-NPs/SiNWs probes were demonstrated to have outstanding potential for label free detection of DNA samples with high sensitivity and reproducibility. It was found that the developed nanohybrid sensor is able to differentiate DNAs with very small genetic sequence difference.

Visine eye drops are a commonly used topical drug for irritation of the eye. The active component in Visine eye drops is tetrahydrozoline. Tetrahydrozoline is an imidazoline derivative found in several ophthalmic and nasal decongestants. Exposure is common in young children, who unintentionally ingest it, but cases have been rising in the adult population. The main systemic effects are bradycardia and hypotension due to activation of the central alpha-adrenergic receptors. In this case report, a 76-year-old man presents with bradycardia after 24 hours following ingestion of 120 mL of 0.05% tetrahydrozoline (eight bottles of Visine eye drops) in a suicide attempt. His initial ECG demonstrated complete heart block and QT prolongation. Subsequent ECGs showed unremitting first-degree atrioventricular block and QT prolongation. Here, we are presenting the first case of complete heart block following tetrahydrozoline consumption.

Surgeons in resource-limited settings have adapted to overcome the challenges of the limitations of resources using different available methods and inventions from the local environment. We report four cases of oesophageal cancer palliatively treated with improvised gastrostomy feeding tubes by using 24Fr urinary catheters, to optimize their nutritional status to withstand chemotherapy/radiotherapy. Two patients managed to begin chemo and radiotherapy, but only one out of the four survived. The aim of this report is to appraise the methods used by surgeons to overcome the challenges they face in clinical practice.

A novel Schiff base N'-((4-bromothiophen-2-yl) methylene) naphthalene-2-sulfonohydrazide ligand was prepared by condensation of equivalents amount of naphthalene -2-sulfonylhydrazide with 4-bromo-2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde. The newly synthesized ligand was isolated in excellent yield. CHN-EA, UV-Vis., GC/MS, FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR were used to determine the structure of the desired ligand. Density functional theory DFT B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) was performed to optimize the E and Z- structural isomerization process. Several quantum calculation parameters like optimized bond length, angle ant torsional angels in addition to HOMO/LUMO, GRD, and MEP map, for both E and Z isomers have been calculated and compared under the same level of theory., Moroccan Journal of Chemistry, Vol 9, No 2 (2021): In Progress

ObjectivesTo introduce surgical safety checklists and time outs to future physicians through early incorporation of time outs in the first year gross anatomy course.SettingThe Wayne State University School of Medicine Anatomy Lab.ParticipantsApproximately 300 first year medical students per year participated in the intervention.InterventionsAn educational presentation on medical errors focusing on surgical errors was developed. Students in 2017–2018 viewed the presentation and completed two time outs, one with the first anatomy dissection and a second with the last dissection. Preintervention and postintervention surveys were completed and results compared. Students completed a second postintervention survey after the second time out. Students in 2018–2019 were asked to complete the time outs before every dissection. Time out procedure sheets were collected to determine completion rates. The intervention was further modified for academic year 2019–2020 and time out sheets were again collected.Outcome measuresFour domains of learning were surveyed: (1) major components and goals/limitations of universal protocol, (2) medical error lexicon, (3) components of a time out, and (4) confidence in completing time out checklists.ResultsPostintervention surveys demonstrated significant improvement in each domain. Students found time outs easy to complete and developed confidence in performing time outs. Following a successful pilot, time outs were incorporated into every dissection. Students continued to perform this procedure despite absence of adverse consequences for not doing so.ConclusionStudents found the time outs easy to complete and developed the confidence and ability to perform a surgical time out early in their medical education. The new skills, knowledge and attitudes that these medical students have developed will hopefully improve the care they provide to patients, thereby advancing the practice of quality improvement and patient safety in the clinical setting.

Background. Improving patient satisfaction and quality of life is of great importance when considering the different prosthetic treatment options for patients with severely resorbed residual alveolar ridges. We aimed to evaluate and compare patients’ satisfaction when changing from fixed, removable, and/or conventional implant prostheses to basal implant-supported prostheses. Methods. Sixty patients with a history of fixed, removable, and/or conventional implant prostheses who received basal implant-supported prostheses (BCS®, IHDE Implant System) were included in this study. Direct interviews were conducted using a four-section questionnaire that covered sociodemographic data, clinical examination, information on previous prostheses, and new implant information. The obtained data were statistically analysed using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test and chi-squared test. Results. Patients were predominantly female, partially edentulous, and aged between 40 and 59 years. Patients’ general satisfaction with basal implants was very high (7.7 out of 8). Patients’ satisfaction with comfort, mastication, speech, and aesthetics significantly improved with the new basal implants. Males aged between 40 and 59 years and patients who had previously used both fixed and removable prostheses were generally the most satisfied. Although some patients had complaints, they still had high satisfaction and would choose the same treatment modality again. Conclusions. Basal implant-supported prostheses have a positive impact on oral health and highly increase patients’ satisfaction.

This study aims to experimentally investigate the potential of solubility trapping mechanism in increasing CO2 storage during EGR by CO2 injection and sequestration in conventional natural gas reservoirs. A laboratory core flooding process was carried out to simulate EGR on a sandstone core at 0, 5, 10 wt% NaCl formation water salinity at 1300 psig, 50 °C and 0.3 ml/min injection rate. The results show that CO2 storage capacity was improved significantly when solubility trapping was considered. Lower connate water salinities (0 and 5 wt%) showed higher CO2 solubility from IFT measurements. With 10% connate water salinity, the highest accumulation of the CO2 in the reservoir was realised with about 63% of the total CO2 injected stored; an indication of improved storage capacity. Therefore, solubility trapping can potentially increase the CO2 storage capacity of the gas reservoir by serving as a secondary trapping mechanism in addition to the primary structural and stratigraphic trapping and improving CH4 recovery.

Repellency of Euphorbia balsamifera, Lawsonia inermis, Mitracarpus hirtus and Senna obtusifolia along with permethrin powder against Sitophilus zeamais was evaluated in the laboratory at 28-32°C and 60-75% RH. The botanicals were applied as powders, methanolic, ethanolic and aqueous extracts at the rate of 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 x 104 ppm per 20 g of sorghum grains, while the permethrin powder was applied at 0.056 x 104 ppm. Percentage repellency was recorded at 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours after exposure (HAE). All the botanicals were found to have a repellent effect against Sitopholus zeamais at all three concentrations. The highest (82.22 ± 2.22%) repellency among the botanical powders was exhibited by 10.0 x 104 ppm of Euphorbia balsamifera within 24 HAE. Methanolic leaf extracts were found to be more effective than the other formulations, causing total repellency against the weevils at 10.0 x 104 ppm of all the botanicals, while the activities of the aqueous extracts were the least repellent (41.37 ± 7.39 to 60.14 ± 1.64%) after 24 hours of exposure. The repellent activities of the botanicals decreased with increasing exposure periods for powders and aqueous extracts, and increased with increasing duration for methanolic and ethanolic extracts. The results showed that the botanicals were good repellents against Sitopholus zeamais and could serve as stored sorghum protectants against maize weevil infestation. Grains protected with these botanicals could be used as seeds for planting. Meanwhile, studies on the toxicity of these botanicals against higher animals are recommended.

Background: Instrumental vaginal deliveries are witnessing a steady decline despite its usefulness in improving obstetric outcomes in resource‑limited settings. This decline in instrumental deliveries is enhanced by dearth of information on good outcomes thereby making its use unpopular among younger generations of obstetricians. The study was aimed at determining the rate of instrumental deliveries and associated outcomes in Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). Materials and Methods: This study was a 10‑year retrospective hospital‑based study carried out between January 2007 and December 2016 in JUTH which compared the use of vacuum extractors and forceps to effect vaginal deliveries and the delivery outcomes encountered following such deliveries. Results: Of the 16,614 deliveries during the study period, 71 were instrumental vaginal deliveries with an incidence of 0.4% for the study period. Vacuum accounted for 97.2% of the deliveries and forceps 2.8%. Prolonged second stage was the indication for instrumental delivery in 85.9% of parturients and there were no significant differences in Apgar scores between babies that had instrumental deliveries and those that did not. Age and parity were not significantly associated with instrumental deliveries. The instrumental delivery rates were, however, significantly lower than earlier reports from this center, and that globally recommended. Conclusion: Instrumental vaginal deliveries are fast declining in JUTH and the few instrumental deliveries carried out showed a faster decline in forceps deliveries. Efforts have to be made to revive the art of instrumental vaginal delivery in the center to save it from extinction. Keywords: Complications; forceps; instrumental vaginal delivery; North Central Nigeria; outcomes; trends; vacuum delivery

The aim of this study was to investigate the ameliorative effect of Lawsonia inermis Linn used traditionally against trypanosomosis. Twenty-five adult Wistar rats of both sex were individually infected intraperitoneally (IP) with 106 Trypanosoma congolense per ml of blood. Following establishment of infection, the rats were randomly divided into five groups of 5 rats each. Rats in groups I, II, and III were treated with 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg of the extract, respectively, while rats in groups IV and V were treated with 3.5 mg/kg and 2 ml/kg of diminazene aceturate (DM) once and physiological buffered saline, respectively. All treatments except DM were given orally for 7 days IP. The antitrypanosomal effect of the plant was assessed by observing the level of parasitaemia daily, packed cell volume (PCV) weekly, erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration on day 21. Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, triterpenes, steroids, cardiac glycosides, saponins, tannins and flavonoids. The extract significantly (P 0.05) in extract treated groups but significantly higher (P

Leishmaniasis in Yemen is still not fully investigated nor well studied. Recently, outbreaks of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in western highland were declared. However, there are no reports concerning the disease and the circulating species in the region. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Utmah district located in Western Highlands in Yemen. A cross-sectional survey was carried out at those highlands. For the survey, 1165 participants were subjected to Leishmanin Skin Test (LST) accompanied with direct interviews and physical examination. The overall prevalence of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the district was 18.5% and the cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) was more frequent in the escarpments with a prevalence of 37%, including 5.5% for active lesion and 31.5% for scar of healed lesions. Children under the age of 16 years old comprised most of the CL cases (76.3%). The escarpments of western highlands in Yemen were hyperendemic areas for CL and the infection was more prevalent in children.

Background: Pleomorphic adenoma is a common benign salivary gland neoplasm characterized by neoplastic proliferation of parenchymatous glandular cells along with myoepithelial components, having a malignant potentiality is the commonest benign tumor to arise in the minor salivary gland. Simian virus 40 (SV40), is a highly oncogenic DNA tumor virus (polyomaviridae) which was recently found to be associated with various human tumors including pleomorphic adenoma. The virus is a monkey virus which was believed to be transmitted to humans only under exceptional situations. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of SV40 DNA among Sudanese patient with pleomorphic adenoma of the salivary glands. Material and Method: This is a case control study was conducted at Khartoum state, during period 2006-2012. Thirty study samples represents as cases that had salivary gland pleomorphic adenoma and ten normal salivary gland tissues represent as controls. Qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to evaluate the presence of SV40 DNA. Results: In this study, human pleomorphic adenoma (PA) of salivary gland specimens and normal salivary gland tissues used as control were analyzed by qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for SV40. All sample (case and control) Tissue specimens were SV40 negative. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed the absence of SV40 DNA in salivary and did not indicate any role among patients with PA.

The aim of the study was to determine the possibility of suppression of the prostaglandin synthesis by new derivatives of N-phenylanthranilic acids; they inhibit the activity of the microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) enzyme using the method of a flexible molecular docking. For the docking studies the crystallographic structural models with high resolution from Protein Data Bank were used: mPGES-1 in the complex with glutathione (pdb code 4AL0). A flexible molecular docking was carried out using the Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) software package. According to the results of the docking studies four scoring functions were calculated (Affinity dG Scoring, Alpha HB Scoring, London dG Scoring, GBVI/WSA dG Scoring). The values of the scoring functions calculated indicate the thermodynamic probability and energy favorability of forming complexes between molecules of the substances under research and the specified receptor, in which arrangement of ligands in the active site of the receptor and residues of amino acids of side chains are of similar geometry and types of binding of the known inhibitors of mPGES-1 determined on the basis of the crystallographic studies.

Summary Objectives The acquisition of carbapenemases by Acinetobacter baumannii is reported increasingly worldwide, but data from Lebanon are limited. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of imipenem-resistant A. baumannii in Lebanon, identify resistance determinants, and detect clonal relatedness. Methods Imipenem-resistant A. baumannii were collected from nine Lebanese hospitals during 2012. Antimicrobial susceptibility, the cloxacillin effect, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) synergy were determined. Genes encoding carbapenemases and insertion sequence IS Aba1 were screened via PCR sequencing. IS Aba1 position relative to genes encoding Acinetobacter-derived cephalosporinases (ADCs) and OXA-23 was studied by PCR mapping. Clonal linkage was examined by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR (ERIC-PCR). Results Out of 724 A. baumannii isolated in 2012, 638 (88%) were imipenem-resistant. Of these, 142 were analyzed. Clavulanic acid–imipenem synergy suggested carbapenem-hydrolyzing extended-spectrum β-lactamase. A positive cloxacillin test indicated ADCs, while EDTA detection strips were negative. Genotyping indicated that 90% of isolates co-harbored bla OXA-23 and bla GES-11 . The remaining strains had bla OXA-23 , bla OXA-24 , bla GES-11 , or bla OXA-24 with bla GES-11 . IS Aba1 was located upstream of bla ADC and bla OXA-23 in 97% and 100% of isolates, respectively. ERIC-PCR fingerprinting revealed 18 pulsotypes spread via horizontal gene transfer and clonal dissemination. Conclusion This survey established baseline evidence of OXA-23 and GES-11-producing A. baumannii in Lebanon, indicating the need for further surveillance.

Summary Objectives To detect, characterize, and assess the genetic clonality of carbapenem-non-susceptible Enterobacteriaceae in 10 Lebanese hospitals in 2012. Methods Selected Enterobacteriaceae isolates with reduced susceptibility to carbapenems were subject to phenotypic study including antibiotic susceptibility, cloxacillin effect, modified Hodge test, and activity of efflux pump inhibitor. Carbapenemase genes were detected using PCR; clonal relatedness was studied by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Results Out of 8717 Enterobacteriaceae isolated in 2012, 102 (1.2%) showed reduced susceptibility to carbapenems. Thirty-one (70%) of the 44 studied clinical isolates harbored bla OXA-48 , including 15 Klebsiella pneumoniae , eight Escherichia coli , four Serratia marcescens , three Enterobacter cloacae , and one Morganella morganii . The majority of OXA-48 producers co-secreted an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase, while one had an acquired AmpC of the ACC type. In the non-OXA-48 producers, carbapenem resistance was attributed to the production of acquired AmpC cephalosporinases of MOX or CIT type, outer membrane impermeability, and/or efflux pump overproduction. DNA fingerprints revealed that OXA-48 producers were different, except for clonal relatedness among four K. pneumoniae , two E. coli , two E. cloacae , and three S. marcescens . Conclusions Nosocomial carbapenem-non-susceptible Enterobacteriaceae are moderately spread in Lebanon and the predominant mechanism is OXA-48 production.

The aim of this study was to determine the Clinical observations (Visually and via Laboratory analysis) and haematological changes induced by subchronic administration of methanolic leaf extract of Crotalaria lachnosema ( C. lachnosema ) leaf (MLECL) on male Wistar rats. Four groups designated as Groups 1(control), 2, 3 and 4, of ten rats each, which were exposed to the extract in feed at dose levels of 0, 40, 200 and 1000 mg/kg for 42 days respectively. The clinical observations were recorded. At the end of the study period, the surviving rats were sacrificed following light ether anaesthesia and blood was collected from each rat via jugular venesection. The extract was found to cause impairment in both the body weight and relative organ weights of the exposed rats at termination of the experiment (P < 0.05) compared to the control group. The extract was found to affect the erythron only in group 2 with total red blood cell count (7.72 ± 0.25 × 10 12 /L), haemoglobin concentration (127.00 ± 2.66 g/L) and packed cell volume (48.44 ± 2.11 %) being significantly (P < 0.05 ) lower relative to those of the control (8.86 ± 0.32 × 10 12 /L, 150.80 ± 6.03 g/L and 48.44 ± 2.11 %, respectively). It was concluded from these studies that exposure to MLECL caused toxic effects in male Wistar rats (toxic effect like the decreased erythron; haematopoietic system is one of the most sensitive targets of toxic compounds, and thus considered an important index in pathophysiological status in man and animal). Human food or animal feed products contaminated with the plant C. lachnosema , even at very low concentrations, with the LD 50 of 1300 mg/kg should be discouraged. Keywords: Crotalaria lachnosema , Haematology, LD 50 , Toxicity, Weight changes

Aim: This study was designed to evaluate the anthelmintic activity of the stem-barks of Cassia occidentalis and Guiera senegalensis which are used traditionally to treat gastrointestinal helminth infections in goat. Materials and Methods: Phytochemical analysis using standard techniques was used to detect secondary metabolites contained in the plants. In vitro anthelmintic activity of the crude methanol extracts of the plants was determined using egg hatch inhibition test (EHIT) and larval development inhibition assay (LDIA). Results: The extracts of C. occidentalis and G. senegalensis inhibited hatching of eggs and larval development of Haemonchus contortus in a concentration-dependent manner. At concentrations of 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 mg/ml, the extract of C. occidentalis produced significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of egg hatching of H. contortus eggs when compared with the untreated (distilled water) control group. C. occidentalis inhibited, by up to 86%, the larval development of H. contortus. Similarly, the extract of G. senegalensis at concentrations of 10 and 100 mg/ml produced significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of egg hatching of H. contortus eggs and inhibited larval development by up to 85% of the parasite. C. occidentalis (EC50 = 4.23 mg/ml) was found to be more efficacious than G. senegalensis (EC50 = 88.24 mg/ml) against H. contortus eggs. However, G. senegalensis (EC50 = 0.0012 mg/ml) was more effective than C. occidentalis (EC50 = 0.11 mg/ml) against the larvae of H. contortus. Conclusion: The crude methanol extracts of C. occidentalis and G. senegalensis possess in vitro anthelmintic activity against H. contortus that requires detailed in vivo pharmacological and toxicological trials to justify their use in clinical veterinary practice.

This study explores democratic practice in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic in the light of globally prescribed and acceptable norms, tenets and values of democracy as a form of government. The study was conducted in Nigeria and adopted a multistage sampling technique to administer questionnaire to 700 delegates across the six (6) geopolitical zones of Nigeria’s 36 States. The results and findings show that Nigeria’s democracy is plagued with massive electoral fraud, including intimidation, disenfranchisement of eligible contestants and voters from participating in the democratic process, corruption of the election process, scam, and fraudulent declaration of winners of elections. The implications of such democratic deceit in Nigeria’s democracy includes voter apathy resulting from lack of confidence in the democratic process and outcome, violence and political instability and the nonparticipation of qualified and honest citizens in the politics of Nigeria. Consequently, leaders that emerge from Nigeria’s democratic politics are not always the choice of the people, which explains why they are not accountable to the people as well as why there is deficit of public trust in Nigeria’s democratic system.

International audience; A fiber interferometer interfaced to 3 geo-mechanical elements is presented for applications in geophysics. The fiber sensor is based on an extrinsic fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (EFFPI) which incorporates a modulation scheme to lock the interferometer at quadrature and to enable displacement measurements below a quarter of the interrogating wavelength. It operates over a relatively large frequency dynamic of ~500000 with a precision better than 2 nm. The fiber interferometer is next interfaced to a differential hydrostatic long baseline inclinometer, a 3-axis borehole tiltmeter and a single-axis seismometer, respectively. Results obtained demonstrate that the fiber interferometrically-interrogated instruments exhibit performances equivalent to or even surpassing those of the reference instruments employed for comparison during their deployment to an underground test site since March 2012. Keywords—modulation-based extrinsic fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer; fiber optique hydrostatic inclinometer; fiber optique borehole tiltmeter; fiber optique seismometer

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of topical prednisolone acetate 1% and topical ketorolac tromethamine 0.5% in the maintenance of pupillary mydriasis during cataract surgery. Methods: Fifty patients were enrolled in this prospective, partially masked and randomised study. They were assigned to receive topical treatment with either prednisolone acetate (n = 25) or ketorolac tromethamine (n = 25), starting 24 hours before cataract extraction (either routine extracapsular cataract extraction or phacoemulsification). One drop of the study medication was instilled every 6 hours for a total of 4 drops. No epinephrine was used in the intraoperative irrigation solution. Pupil diameter was measured three different times during surgery. To ensure participant safety, biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy, intraocular pressure, adverse events and visual acuity were also monitored. Results: The mean pupil diameter change from the time of the pre-incision until after cortical irrigation and aspiration and lens implantation was significantly less with ketorolac than with prednisolone (P = 0.003). Consequently, mean pupil diameter after cortical irrigation and aspiration and lens implantation was significantly greater with ketorolac than with prednisolone (P

Treatment with indinavir has been shown to result in marked decreases in viral load and increases in CD4 cell counts in HIV-infected individuals. A randomized double-blind study to evaluate the efficacy of indinavir alone (800 mg q8h), zidovidine alone (200 mg q8h) or the combination was performed to evaluate progression to AIDS. 996 antiretroviral therapy-naive patients with CD4 cell counts of 50-250/mm3 were allocated to treatment. During the trial the protocol was amended to add lamivudine to the zidovudine-containing arms. The primary endpoint was time to development of an AIDS-defining illness or death. The study was terminated after a protocol-defined interim analysis demonstrated highly significant reductions in progression to a clinical event in the indinavir-containing arms, compared to the zidovudine arm (pFoi demonstrado que o tratamento com indinavir resulta em importante redução da carga viral e aumentos das células CD4 em pacientes infectados pelo HIV. Foi realizado um estudo duplo-cego, randômico para avaliar a eficácia do indinavir isoladamente (800 mg cada 8h), zidovudina isoladamente (200 mg cada 8h) ou a combinação, para avaliar a progressão para AIDS. Foram distribuidos para tratamento 996 pacientes virgens de tratamento antiretroviral, com contagens de CD4 entre 50 e 250 células/mm3. Durante o estudo, o protocolo foi modificado para adicionar lamivudina aos braços contendo zidovudina. O "endpoint" primário foi o tempo para o desenvolvimento de uma doença-definidora de AIDS ou morte. O estudo foi interrompido após uma análise preliminar definida no protocolo ter demonstrado reduções significativas na progressão para um evento clínico nos grupos contendo indinavir, comparado ao grupo da zidovudina (p< 0,0001). Após uma mediana de seguimento de 52 semanas (chegando a 99 semanas), as reduções percentuais nas ocorrências para indinavir+zidovudina e indinavir, comparado com zidovudina foram de 70% e 61%, respectivamente. Reduções significativas na medida do RNA viral e aumentos nas contagens de CD4 também foram observadas nos grupos contendo indinavir, em relação ao da zidovudina. A melhora nas células CD4 e RNA viral foram ambas associadas a risco reduzido de progressão da doença. Os três tratamentos foram geralmente bem tolerados.

De Haas-van Alphen oscillations of the organic metal $\theta$-(ET)$_4$ZnBr$_4$(C$_6$H$_4$Cl$_2$) are studied in pulsed magnetic fields up to 81 T. The long decay time of the pulse allows determining reliable field-dependent amplitudes of Fourier components with frequencies up to several kiloteslas. The Fourier spectrum is in agreement with the model of a linear chain of coupled orbits. In this model, all the observed frequencies are linear combinations of the frequency linked to the basic orbit $\alpha$ and to the magnetic-breakdown orbit $\beta$., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures

Background The poultry industry due to intensive methods of farming is burdened with losses from numerous infectious agents, of which one is the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. In a preliminary study, the extracts of Loxostylis alata A. Spreng, ex Rchb. showed good activity in vitro against A. fumigatus with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.07 mg/ml. For this study crude, a crude acetone extract of L. alata leaves was evaluated for its acute toxicity in a healthy chicken model and for efficacy in an infectious model of aspergillosis (A. fumigatus). Results At a dose of 300 mg/kg, the extract induced some toxicity characterised by decreased feed intake and weight loss. Consequently, 100 and 200 mg/kg were used to ascertain efficacy in the infectious model. The plant extract significantly reduced clinical disease in comparison to the control in a dose dependant manner. The extract was as effective as the positive control ketoconazole dosed at 60 mg/kg. Conclusions The results indicate that a crude extract of L. alata leaves has potential as an antifungal agent to protect poultry against avian aspergillosis.

In this paper, an alternating implicit block method for solving two dimensional scalar wave equation is presented. The new method consist of two stages for each time step implemented in alternating directions which are very simple in computation. To increase the speed of computation, a group of adjacent points is computed simultaneously. It is shown that the presented method increase the maximum time step size and more accurate than the conventional finite difference time domain (FDTD) method and other existing method of natural ordering., {"references":["K.S.Yee, \"Numerical solution of initial boundary value problem involving\nMaxwell-s equations in isotropic media\", IEEE Trans. Antennas Propagation,\nAP-14 (1966) 302-307.","Paul H. Aoyagi, Jin-Fa Lee, and R. Mittra, \"A Hybrid Yee\nAlgorithm/Scalar-Wave Equation Approach\", IEEE Trans. Microwave\nTheory and Tech., 41(9) (1993) 1593-1600.","D.J.Evans, \"Group explicit methods for the numerical solution of partial\ndifferential equations -(Topics in Computer Mathematics)\", Gordon and\nBreach Science Publishers, 1997.","D.W. Peaceman and H.Rachford, \"The numerical solution of parabolic\nand ellptic differential equations\", J. Soc. Indust. Appl. Math, 3 (1955)\n505-512.","V.K.Saul-yev, \"Integration of equations of parabolic type equation by the\nmethod of Net\", Pergamon Press, New York, 1964.","Rohallah Tavakoli and Parviz Davami, \"New stable group explicit finite\ndifference method for solution of diffusion equation\", Applied mathematics\nand Computation, 181 (2006) 1379-1386.","Rohallah Tavakoli and Parviz Davami, \"2D parallel and stable group\nexplicit finite difference method for solution of diffusion equation\",\nApplied mathematics and Computation, 188 (2007) 1184-1192.","N.M.Nusi, M. Othman, M. Suleiman, F. Ismail, and N. Alias, \"Numerical\nsolution of 2D TM wave propagation with 4-point EG-FDTD scheme\",\nProc. of the 4th International Conference on Research and Education in\nMathematics (ICREM4), Renaissance Hotel, Kuala Lumpur (2009) 21-23\nOct."]}

This Letter describes a dual-amplitude modulation technique incorporated into a double reflection extrinsic-type fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer to measure periodic, nonperiodic as well as quasi-static displacements. The modulation scheme simultaneously maintains the interference signal pair in quadrature and provides a reference signal for displacements inferior to a quarter of the source wavelength. The control and phase demodulation of the interferometer carried out via software enable quasi-real-time measurement and facilitates sensor alignment. The sensor system can be exploited in the low frequency range from 10(-3) to ∼500 Hz and has a resolution better than 2.2 nm, targeting applications in geophysics.