Recent Articles

Despite Taiwan’s title as one of the most efficient recycling systems, individual recycling habits contribute to these efficient recycling systems. Despite Taiwan’s successful strategy of demolishing waste through incineration, improper recycling at a grassroots level, such as students’ municipal solid waste recycling habits, result in recycling contamination, and improper waste recycling could lead to the release of toxic fumes into the atmosphere. This study compares the recycling practices and recycle bin setups of a public school and a private international school to determine important factors that could contribute to decreasing waste recycled improperly. The results show that immediate feedback if a student recycled improperly as well as clear recycling signs were essential factors to decrease recycling mistakes.

Supraventricular tachycardia is the most common type of tachyarrhythmia seen in childhood. First-line treatments (adenosine, esmolol-propranolol, digoxin, electrical cardioversion) usually suppress tachycardia, but rarely tachycardia is resistant and requiring Class IC and/or Class III agents, such as amiodarone, sotalol, propafenone, and flecainide.

Introduction: Tanzania aims for 95% of persons living with HIV (PLHIV) to know their serostatus by 2023. Methods: An uncontrolled before-after study design was conducted between March 2018 (pre-intervention phase) and July 2018 (post-intervention phase). A total of 183 participants (males=89; females=94) were recruited for this study. Data were collected at baseline and at the one-month and three-month follow-ups using a pre-and post-test semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive data are presented using measures of central tendency and their respective measures of dispersion. No comparative statistical analysis was performed.

Among surgical cases of bronchoplasty with complete pulmonary preservation, those that require anastomosis of three stomas are rare. Usually, a double-barrel type reconstruction is performed by suturing two distal bronchi together and then anastomosing them to the proximal bronchus. However, the procedure is technically difficult because of the difference between the stomal diameter of the proximal bronchus and that of the two distal bronchi, and the tension at the anastomosis site is imbalanced. Herein, we present a rare surgical case of a bronchoplasty with complete pulmonary preservation in whom we performed an anastomosis between three stomas using a modified Montage-type technique. The advantage of this technique is that it allows free trimming of the anastomosed side-to-side stoma before anastomosis with the third bronchus, thus decreasing the tension at the anastomosis site and improving the outcome. We believe, this technique is superior to the other known techniques.

Pathologists are frequently involved in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis on conventional biopsies and cytology specimens. Histology generally does not pose difficult tasks in the correct clinical and imaging scenario, but atypical forms of sarcoidosis exist, and in these cases, the diagnosis may become difficult. The final diagnosis always requires the careful integration of the histology with the clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings. The differential diagnoses of sarcoidosis includes granulomatous infections, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, pneumoconiosis, autoimmune diseases, drug reactions, chronic aspiration, and even diffuse fibrosing diseases. In this study, we discuss the histomorphological aspects of Sarcoidosis, along with radiological, biochemical and clinical aspects. The most important finding is the presence of non caseating granulomas by histology which needs to be interpreted in the light of appropriate clinico-radiological and laboratory findings. This study emphasises the role of the pathologist and discusses the differential diagnosis.

The results obtained from heavy metal pollution assessment of River Ureje using Heavy Pollution Index (HPI) and Contamination Index (Cd ). HPI values at upstream and downstream point of the river, Cd, Pb, Cr had high pollution load that exceeded threshold value of 100 while Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni had low pollution index which are below threshold value. This indicated that high pollution status of Cd, Pb, Cr were observed because they compete with other essential metallic cations for binding sites and inhibits enzyme activity while there is no pollution presence of Zn, Mn, Ni, Cu. Cd value results in both upstream and downstream point revealed that Zn, Cd, Cu, Pb had a low contamination index below 3) Cd value which to tends have high effect on drinking water quality and aquatic system. In conclusions, this study revealed that High level of HPI above critical index value was observed for Cd, Cr, Pb while Mn shows high Cd far above contamination index value.

Background: The smell in a hospital is an amalgam of smells, emanating from varied sources. But primarily the smell is from the strong cleaning agents used in corridors, including phenyl and bleaching powder, etc. Chemicals that trigger odors may cause health effects. A strong urine odor is also responsible for foul smells in hospitals and other public facilities. Strong odors may cause some people to feel a burning sensation, leading to coughing, wheezing, or other breathing problems.

In doped calcium fluoride transparent conducting powder were prepared by solid-state reaction method. Structural properties of the samples were investigated as a function of various In-doping levels (x=0.00-0.01-0.02-0.03). The results of x-ray diffraction have shown that the samples are polycrystalline structure in cubic phase and show presence (111), (220), (311), (400) planes in pure CaF2 sample and the preferred orientation is (220) for pure CaF2 and we have peaks correspond (101), (112), (200), (202) for In for all samples and the preferred orientation is (112) for In for all samples. The average of crystallite size is within the range [2.976-0.845nm] for all samples. The relative intensities, distance between crystalline planes (d), crystallite size (D) and lattice parameters (a) were determined. Measuring the infrared spectrum of pure Calcium fluoride, it is found that there are six vibratory frequencies, namely: (3444.52 - 1517.59 - 1138.40 - 876.40 - 639.93 - 436.29) cm- 1 and six vibratory frequencies for indium doped calcium fluoride at 3wt%. (3441.94 - 1516.77 - 1138.44 - 876.55 - 642.09 -436.44) cm- 1 The study showed that the absorbance values, the absorption coefficient, the refractive index and the optical length were in the indium doped sample by 3wt% greater than that of the pure Calcium fluoride compound and are respectively: α=14.163 cm-1 n=1.767.

Aim of this work is to observe some epidemiological pattern related heart pathology like pericarditis and myocarditis in last decades and the toxicological effect played by various WRC wireless communication radiations as described by scientific literature. All this related the class age distribution of some Rare ADR by various covid-19 vaccines like Pericarditis and miocarditis (more frequent in young) and the use of electronic device WCR among the subpopulation. Of interest to observe that sars cov-2 spike protein, derivates and WCR are able to affect the heart as showed by literature in direct or indirect way. What information can be obtained studing this phenomena?

Superficial CD34-positive fibroblastic tumor is an infrequent soft-tissue tumor characterized by a lesion located in the subcutaneous fascia without affecting the soft or deep muscle planes. Its incidence is unknown; therefore, it represents a diagnostic challenge for both the surgical oncologist and pathologist. Given its high risk of local recurrence, extensive surgical resection is the recommended treatment modality. This is the first report of this rare entity in Latin-America.

There is presented intrasphincetric injection management of achalasia, an esophageal dysmotility disorder involving an abnormal relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. Botulinum toxin A is a well-described treatment for achalasia, in patients who is contraindicated others modality due to comorbidity, especially in older age. We describe a case of a successful treatment of achalasia in the 83-old man with botulinum toxin A, as efficacy and very safe method for symptomatic relieve of these patients.

Overweight and obesity are considered an increasing colorectal cancer risk factor. The association between excess body weight and colorectal cancer appears to be related to a state of systemic low-grade inflammation, due to an overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines.

According to the UNAIDS 2022 report, 52% of the HIV positive children between 0-14 years were able to access treatment and of these 68% attain viral suppression. CCR5 promoter genotype specifically single nucleotide polymorphisms have been linked to modulate patient virological status. However, the few studies that have studied the association in infants have utilized allele-specific PCR a genotypic method limited to detecting already known SNPs. By using Sanger sequencing, we explored the association taking into account novel mutations.

Increasing the nickel content in the layered LiNixCoyMnzO2 (x + y + z = 1), the most promising cathode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), has been a dominant strategy to increase their energy density. In this study, we report the control on the primary particle morphology of precursors with different nickel contents, e.g. Ni0.5Co0.2Mn0.3(OH)2 Ni0.6Co0.2Mn0.2(OH)2 and Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1(OH)2 by adjusting the preparation process. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images demonstrate that by decreasing the pH value and increasing the ammonia concentration, the order of precursors with different nickel contents increases, resulting in gradually directional and orderly stack or interlaced arrangement in the primary particles. With the increase of nickel content, the precursor changes from nano-sheet stacking like plug-in stereoscopic spheres to nano-needle interweaving like wool balls, all of which tend to grow in the direction of [001].

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has become a widely used technique for the rapid, accurate, durable, economical, and trustworthy method for identification of bacteria, mycobacteria and fungal pathogens in the microbiology laboratory.

Dengue fever remains an annual worldwide threat to human health, even though Aedes eradication programs based on the typical route of mosquito- borne transmission have successfully controlled dengue epidemics to a considerable extent. Interestingly, most cases of dengue infection in humans reported in the tropical regions of Asia, Oceania, Africa, and the Americas are due to horizontal transmission. This suggests contribution of atypical transmission routes to continuous infections.

Before the development of highly active antiretroviral medication, AIDS and related illnesses caused a great deal of suffering and death. All of the AIDS-related morbidities and mortality have considerably decreased thanks to modern medication, especially in industrialized nations. However, this accomplishment is still elusive in underdeveloped nations, particularly in those in sub-Saharan Africa. This failure can be attributed to a number of factors. Poverty, ignorance about the treatment, and inadequate therapy adherence are at the top of this list.

Citrus jabara is a type of citrus fruit originally grown in Kitayama-Mura in Wakayama, Japan, and is reputed to have anti-allergic properties. In this study, we tested whether citrus jabara juice inhibits inflammatory mediators in a mouse allergic asthma model.

High tunnels can provide several benefits to horticultural crops, including environmental stress protection such as hail, frost, excessive rainfall, and high wind. In hot and sunny areas, high tunnel is one of the cooling ways for modifying the microclimate and maximizing crop development. Present study was carried out to assess the effect of different type of high tunnels on banana growth, yield, and fruit quality characteristics. Net houses, poly net houses, UV poly shed houses, and open field (control) conditions are among the experimental treatments. The results revealed that the plants produced in the poly net house condition had maximum pseudo stem height (171.00cm), stem girth (68.66 cm), chlorophyll content (57.63), number of fruits (140), number of hands (9.66), individual fruit weight (125.00) and pulp: peel ratio (3.35) of bananas as compared to the other treatments. Quality parameters like total soluble solid (21.78°Brix), ascorbic acid (10.24 mg/100g), total sugar (25.44%), and reducing sugar (15.75%) were higher in fruits grown in poly net house. The study revealed that the poly net house is the best growing environment for bananas in terms of growth, yield, and quality attributes.

Endometriosis is a estrogen-dependent disorder commonly found in pelvis or rare instances anywhere in the body. It is benign and has a chronic course. Complaints of pain, tender mass, cyclical association with menstrual cycle are almost pathognomonic. We present a rare presentation of endometriosis as vaginal wall cyst in a 32 year old female and without any clinical history of endometriosis either in past or present. The isolated presentation of endometriosis as a cyst in vagina is a rare presentation. The case is glaring example of occurrence of endometriosis at unusual extra uterine location. It is essential for gynecologists to keep endometriosis as differential diagnosis when encountering similar cysts in vaginal region.