Recent Articles

Among patients with tuberculosis (TB), approximately 1 to 5 percent develop central nervous system (CNS) complications. A tuberculoma is a conglomerate granulomatous focus that develops from coalescing tubercles acquired during disseminated bacillaemia. Radiographically, tuberculomas are discrete, ring- enhancing lesions of the brain surrounded by perilesional edema and may present as single or multiple lesions. The diagnosis of tuberculoma should be suspected in patients with mass lesion of the brain and relevant epidemiologic factors. A definitive diagnosis of tuberculoma is established via needle biopsy of the CNS lesion for histopathology and acid-fast bacilli (AFB) staining and culture. In this case report, we present a 43-year-old woman with a past medical history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) managed with steroids and hydroxychloroquine, who attended to us with a two- month history of numbness and paresthesia of her left extremities and recurrent episodic jerks involving the same side. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a large hemorrhagic mass (55 * 40 mm) in right temporo-parietal lobe surrounded by edema and mass effect with small nodule in left peri Rolandic cortex. Following clinical and laboratory clues, MR spectroscopy and brain biopsy, we started with corticosteroids and the following 4 anti-TB drugs: Isoniazid, Rifampin, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol (HRZE). After 2 months, her symptoms completely resolved and a subsequent MRI scan revealed considerable shrinkage of the right-sided mass and left-sided lesion.

A majority of Carbon-dioxide including smaller amounts of methane and nitrous are emitted from the consumption of fossil fuels around the world to meet the sustainable development goals and global prosperity. Studies have shown that the increase in greenhouse gases has negative effects on human health, and the environment around us. Emissions from the consumption of fossil fuels in factories and industries either to produce electricity or transport people, goods and services cause the release of CO2 and other pollutants into the atmosphere. The majority of industrial energy is supplied by nonrenewable energy resources, which mainly consist of fossil fuels. Currently, fossil fuels are the main source of energy and are concentrated in some regions of the world, therefore direct contamination occurs in areas where they are stored or processed. A majority of electricity consumed by cities and countries across the world is produced from fossil fuels, which accounts for the highest percentage of overall CO2 production in that particular country. People will share the common global environmental problems, either it is local or regional, hence immediate actions are needed to tackle problems at national and regional and global levels. Fortunately, with the advent of new technologies and intervention strategies, it is possible to reduce pollution and reduce the rate of rising global temperature that might result in better economy and ecological systems as well as providing sustainable energy resources. In this research the data on nonrenewable energy sources, fossil fuel reserves in different regions, production and consumption rate of fossils have been identified and reviewed. Additionally, mathematical calculation has been done to find the carbon dioxide emission amounts, both international and national legislations as well as further recommendations have been provided to reduce or prevent emissions.

With the purpose of valorizing the aromatic and medicinal plants, essentielly the Asteraceae family, and ethnopharmacological heritage in the area of Timahdite province of Ifrane, Morocco. An fieldwork has been carried and consists of conducting an ethnobotanical survey on Artemisia ifranensis J. Didier, endemic species, in the region of Timahdite, located in the Moroccan Middle Atlas. The Ethnobotanical study realised in June-July 2012 beside 82 different respondents permitted to describe their medicinal use at the local scale based on the local Known-how, and constitute a source of very precious information for the area studied and for subsequent researches for the domains of the phytochemistry and pharmacology in order to search for new natural substance. In tyhis study, the survey targeted men (70 %) and women (30 %), aged 30 to 50 years and The data Analysis showed that the overall level of schooling of the town was low (64% of the illiterate). The results of the study also had allowed to notice that the leaves was the usual used part (61 %). Most remedies are prepared in decoction (72%). Either, the survey revealed that the medicinal specie was mainly used against diseases of the digestive tract (63%), as well as for other treatment of various diseases as dermatological affection, and for relieving headaches or neuralgia. Moreover, it also comes out from it that the conservation and the sustainable management of the medicinal species identified should be ensured through a management plan.

Gangliocytic paraganglioma (GP) (nonchromaffin paraganglioma, paraganglioma) is a morphologically distinct tumor most commonly occurring in the second part of the duodenum in the proximity of ampulla of Vater. We herein, present a case report of appendiceal mass in a 16-year-old male who presented with recurrent right iliac fossa pain and steno sing cecal tumor on CT abdomen. He underwent right hemicolectomy and histopathological examination of appendix showed infiltration of appendiceal wall with gangliocytic paraganglioma. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of gangliocytic paraganglioma of appendix in our area.

Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory-degenerative joint disease that affects the osteochondral unit with the concomitant intervention of the immune system; this causes pain and progressive functional limitation. With a varied and complex etiopathogenesis, Osteoarthritis has a subtle outcome and an inexorable evolution towards joint deformity. The therapeutic approach makes use of non-pharmacological and pharmacological aids. Pharmacological therapy consists of symptomatic drugs that act on acute and especially chronic pain, in an attempt to decrease the incidence of any structural damage to the cartilage and subchondral bone. If the anti-resorptive drugs cure the subchondral-epiphyseal osteometabolic pathology, the interventions on the cartilage have not produced important and well evaluable results, even after prolonged therapies. This contribution analyzes the profile of Clodronate, used for the treatment of subchondral bone edema in Osteoarthritis, regarding its potential protective effects in cartilage, like DMOADs.

Introduction: Knowledge and use of the male condom is not uncommon. This study sought to fill this gap by exploring Female Condom knowledge, attitude, acceptance and use in a sample of population to inform intervention measures aimed at increasing the acceptability and usage of the Female Condom taking into cognizance its safety and effectiveness. Method Study: A cross-sectional survey conducted between May and July 2019, was used to explore knowledge, attitudes and practices on the female condom targeting Congolese population at Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. To allow the participants to respond to the questionnaire at a time comfortable to him/her. Results: Seven hundred and twenty questionnaires were administered and 567 questionnaires were included in the final analysis giving a response rate of 81%. In total, 277 men and 290 women aged 14 to 63 participated in the study. Among the participants who have already seen the female condom, 80 have already used it, i.e. 21.3%. Of the 80 individuals who reported ever using a female condom, 43 (53.7%) used the female condom with a usual partner and 17 (21.3%) used it with a new partner. Concerning factors contributing to low usage of the female condom, the majority either had difficulty installing (26.3%); great difficulty in fitting (17.5%); the use of the female condom was simply uncomfortable (25%). Discussion: Our study population included 68.3% of participants with higher education, which explains the fact that there is (93.8%) has heard talk about the female condom and among them 66.3% have already seen the female condom. Only 66.3% of people have ever seen a female condom, on the other hand very few people have used it. The majority of people had difficulty using the female condom, including difficulty in inserting the female condom. Difficulties related to the female condom insertion were reported by the majority of the respondents. Conclusion: This study revealed critical gaps in knowledge, condom use, and negotiation skills and highlights the unmet need for interventions to further educate and empower women with and without HIV to prevent spread of HIV in this high-prevalence, high-risk population.

Plasmacytoma is a malignant proliferation of plasma cells that can arise in the bone marrow (osseous) and in the soft tissues. Extramedullary plasmacytomas most commonly occur in the upper respiratory tract. Thyroid involvement is rare. In this report, we describe a new case plasmacytoma of the thyroid gland in a 60-year-old man with a history of multinodular goiter present for several years and an unexpected rapid increase of the mass associated to dysphagia, dyspnea, and dysphonia. Histopathological examination of surgical specimen, along with immunohistochemical studies, unexpectedly led to the diagnosis of plasmacytoma. We also briefly summarize the last 30 years of literature on thyroid plasmacytoma and review the salient characteristics of this rare condition.

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis ( RA)is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease. It is characterized by arthrosynovitis with resultant joint destruction . So, an early clinical diagnosis along with simple serological tests like anti CCP antibodies, C –reactive protein ( CRP) and Rheumatoid factor (RF) play an important role .An attempt was made to study and compare these parameters in OPD and IPD RA patients in our hospital setup, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital , New Delhi. Aims and Objectives: To study the role of RF , Anti-CCP antibodies and CRP in early detection and prognosis of Rheu- matoid arthritis. Materials and Methods: A Total of 440 samples were studied from January 2018 to December 2020 (3years). Correlation between Rheumatoid factor(RF) ,anti CCP antibodies and CRP in suspected RA patients from various departments like PMR , Orthopaedics , Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Paediatrics was attempted. RF and CRP was performed using latex agglutination test and anti CCP antibody by ELISA. Results and Conclusion: Of 440 samples tested, all the factors were positive in 87 patients . Anti CCP and RF alone was seen in 32 patients. RF and CRP positive in 49 patients, RF alone in 22 patients. In 250 patients all the tests were negative. So, Anti CCP along with RF and CRP showed a better positive predictive value in patients of Rheumatoid arthritis. But positivity of these parameters even in patients who lack sign and symptoms also aids in better diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

The aim of this study was to compare in vitro the micro hardness of enamel exposed to the erosive effects of three pre-workout drinks. Forty blocks (4mmx4mm) of bovine enamel were randomly selected and divided among the following pre-workout drinks (n=10): G1: Universal Shock Therapy®, G2: 1.M.R Vortex™, G3: Jack3Dmicro™, G4: Control (distilled water). The enamel microhardness was evaluated before (T1) and after (T2) the in vitro erosive test (5 min/3 times/5 days) using a Vickers digital microduremeter (load 100g/penetration 15s). The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, ±sd) and for comparison testing, using the Kruskall Wallis test and the t Student test (p≤ 0.05). All groups showed a reduction in micro hardness after the erosive test (p =0.001).1.M.R Vortex™ drink showed a large decrease in micro hardness (%SMH:34,92%). Pre-workout drinks significantly decreased the superficial micro hardness of enamel

Introduction: It remains unclear if benefits of antenatal care can be attributed to the amount and content of care or to uncontrolled risk factors that might also affect its use. An understanding of the factors influencing antenatal care is still a challenge because the pathways through which the effects are obtained remain elusive. Objective: The study examined the factor influencing antenatal care utilisation in the Wa Municipality. Methodology and Data: The study employed a retrospective cohort design. The probability proportionate to size sampling was used to select the sub-district health catchment facilities, while the systematic random sampling was used to select respondents. Data was collected from 353 women based on the status of Antenatal care utilization. Results: The results suggest that the educational status, maternal knowledge on adequacy of four or more antenatal care, score for general services received, number of tetanus toxoid doses received and anaemia status at Antenatal care registration were significant predictors to adequate antenatal care utilization. Conclusion: The study further found that women who had anaemia at antenatal care registration, General quality of received women received at antenatal care, level of Tetanus doses as well as knowledge on the adequacy of antenatal care were significant factors that influence antenatal care usage among reproductive aged women in the Wa municipality. The implication is that, attention should be drawn by health management authorities to ensure an improvement in the coverage antenatal care in Wa Municipal while health staff are encouraged to enforce to the latter all due protocols in the discharge of their duties at antenatal care utilisation in Ghana

Pancreatic cancer carries one of the worst prognoses in the United States. It is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States and second after colorectal cancer in digestive system cancer-related death. Early detection is the key to improving its prognosis. Surgical resection is the only curative treatment, but even after margin-negative resection, the 5-year survival rate is still 30%. The following case presents a fascinating diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Despite an initial diagnosis of pancreatitis, negative cytology, tumor markers, and imaging suggestive of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), this patient underwent surgical resection that later revealed pancreatic adenocarcinoma of the tail. This article highlights certain imaging modalities and characteristics that are essential in the diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, in an effort to guide management of similar cases, with hope it leads to better outcomes.

This study reports the adsorption capacity of copper Cu (II) and nickel Ni (II) of biochar obtained from peanut shell. The kinetics and equilibrium of biosorption were examined in detail. Two kinetic models (pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order) were used to correlate the experimental data and to determine the kinetic parameters. Two well-known adsorption isotherms were chosen to describe the biosorption equilibrium (Langmuir and Freundlich). The equilibrium isotherms showed that modified peanut shells possess high affinity, sorption capacity for Cu (II) and Ni (II) ions, sorption capacities of 37.443 mg/g Cu (II) and 28.626 mg/g Ni (II) biomass, respectively. All results showed that peanut shells biomass is an attractive, alternative low-cost bio sorbent for removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous media, therefore biomass materials find good application prospects.

The latent tuberculosis infection worldwide is determined by about 1.7 billion people. Identification of latent tuberculosis infection and prevention of the development of the disease is one of the highest priority tasks in the global radical reduc- tion of the burden of tuberculosis. The research is devoted to the study of the effectiveness of cellular and humoral anti- gen-specific immunological methods for determining the initial signs of tuberculosis infection activity when examining children and adolescents with a latent form of this infection. Cellular immunological reactions in contrast to the determi- nation of specific antibodies of blood serum using the recombinant specific protein ESAT-6-CFP-10, were not sufficiently effective in differentiating active and latent infections. Determination of antibodies to the ESAT-6-CFP-10 protein with analysis of the specific activity criterion and determina- tion of an increased concentration of neopterin up to 9 nM/L in blood plasma samples made it possible to reveal signs of tuberculosis infection activity. These results have been confirmed by the results of chest computed tomography of children and adolescents with the determination tuberculosis of intrathoracic lymph nodes or small intrapulmonary (2-5 mm) intrapulmonary foci, including those with signs of calcification.

Many students suffer from the sound of air conditioners and others suffer from light intensity in classroom. The air conditioners and light intensity affect the efficiency and quality of education. Urduino is used a lot in industrial areas because there is a lot of noise pollution. Additionally, it can be used in high traffic regions as well as to monitor noise in different parts of the city. It can also be used in education systems to monitor the noise in classrooms. The purpose of this study was to monitor the noise in classrooms by Arduino Nano that interfaced with a Sound Sensor. A study was conducted to determine the ambient sound and light intensity of a convenience sample at school during September, October and November 2021. Six classrooms’ samples corresponding to hourly fractions of the average sample broken down into the following periods: from 10:00 am to 2:50 pm. Sound levels were measured to assess acoustic conditions. Light levels were measured to assess light conditions. Each classroom from 1 to 6 was tested the ambient sound intensity and light using an Arduino. Noise varies with time and place. The sound level varies between 27.5 dB and 65 dB with the average sound level in the classrooms was 43.53 dB greater than recommended sound level limit of 35 dB. The light intensity varies between 62.50 lux and 208.5 lux. The average light levels around the recommended 300 lux. Everyone emphasized the quality of using the device to measure the noise level in the classroom. The use of the device leads to monitor the noise of the air conditioner or replacing it. The device has the potential to significantly change the noise pollution monitoring system at school. Researchers recommend all students and authorities the importance of the Arduino.

Prolong mattress use compresses the metal coil springs which may ultimately result in a compromised sleeping surface. This coil spring metal fatigue can result in spinal pain and stiffness. The purpose of this study was to compare the amount of metal fatigue of used mattress coil springs from the areas bearing greatest body weight versus areas subjected to little compression to ascertain the. Six weight bearing coil springs (WBS) were extracted from the center the used (range 8-10 yr.) mattresses (N=32) and six non-weight bearing coil springs (NWBS) were extracted from the head/foot are of the same mattresses. To determine spring weakness a special frame and platform was constructed to compare unloaded spring height with compression distance height following placement of a 1,296 g ingot on the platform. Also, a pressure gauge was used to measure the amount of pressure required to compress the coil springs a distance of 2 cm. Comparison between WBS and NWBS data were statistically treated using independent t-tests and a one-way ANOVA. There were no significant group differences in weight or height in unloaded coils. However, there were significant (p

The objective of this study was to assess which factors, at hierarchical levels, are associated with adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) in undergraduate and graduate students. This is a cross-sectional analysis of the baseline of the Cohort of Universities of Minas Gerais (CUME Project), with alumni from Universities of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in the years 2016 and 2018. The outcome variable was adequate consumption of FV (≥400 g/day). The exposure variables were divided into: block 1, socioeconomic (marital status, education, professional status, individual and family income); block 2, behavioral (physical activity, alcohol consumption, tobacco use, and consumption of legumes, natural juices, ultra-processed foods, soft drinks and industrialized juices, and fast foods); block 3, individual (gender, age, skin color, self-perception of health and presence of obesity, systemic arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and depression). To verify the associations, hierarchical multiple logistic regression was used. The sample consisted of 4,124 individuals with a median age of 34 years and Interquartile Range (IQ) of 12 years, 68.1% women, with a high frequency (62.2%) of adequate consumption of FV. This adequate consumption of FV was associated with being a woman (OR=1.41; 95%CI 1.21-1.64; p

Aim: to demonstrate the PK/PD equivalence of an ovine enoxaparin to the reference product, the originator porcine enoxaparin, Lovenox® from Sanofi, and to assess its safety and tolerability in healthy volunteers with s.c. administration. Methods: a randomized, open-label, 2-way cross-over, single-dose study with 7 days wash-out period was conducted in healthy volunteers of both sexes. A single s.c. injection of 6,000 IU ovine enoxaparin from Metiska Farma (the test drug, T) or Lovenox® from Sanofi (the reference drug, R) was given randomly to each subject in fasting condition. The PD endpoints measured were anti-FXa and anti-FIIa activities in plasma, whereas the PD parameters determined for these endpoints were AUEC0-t (area under the effect curve from time 0 to the last measured activity (t)) and Amax (maximum activity). Bioequivalence (BE) is based on anti-FXa activity, the 90% CIs for GMR T/R (geometric means ratio of Test/ Reference) of AUEC0-t and Amax must fall within the BE limits of 80.00 – 125.00%. The anti-FIIa data are in vivo supportive evidence only. Results: a total of 23 healthy volunteers completed this study. The 90% CIs for GMR T/R of AUEC0-t and Amax for anti-FXa were 107.55 – 116.33% and 110.17 – 117.68%, respectively, while those for anti-FIIa were 100.93 – 122.56% and 105.19 – 124.44%, respectively. All parameters fell within the BE criteria of 80.00 – 125.00%. One AE (adverse event) occurred in one volunteer after s.c. injection of ovine enoxaparin, i.e. bruising which disappeared after a few days. Conclusions: the ovine enoxaparin from Metiska Farma was bioequivalent to the reference porcine enoxaparin (Lovenox®) from Sanofi. Both enoxaparin products were shown to have high safety and tolerability after a single dose in healthy volunteers. This is the first study showing BE of a nonporcine enoxaparin to the reference porcine enoxaparin in Indonesia, a Moslem country

In this work, an original method is proposed and used for measurement of the optical depth of a self-reversed spectral line. A theoretical approach is utilized in an in homogenous laser induced plasma at local thermodynamic to simulate self-reversed line and then to get the main line profile without self-absorption. In this research, the spatial and temporal evolution of optical depth of two spectral lines of Ca II at 393.4 nm and 396,9 nm is studied. Furthermore, the variation of optical depth versus the concentration of species emitter inside of plasma plume is investigated. In addition, the validity of this method is affirmed during comparison with results obtained by other techniques.

This study was proposed to assess the distribution and importance of citrus leaf and fruit spot disease in North Western Ethiopia. The result showed that on sweet orange the prevalence of the disease was ranged from (0 to 100 %). Disease incidence was ranged from (0 to 86.48 %), and from (0 to100 %) on leaves and fruits, respectively. Disease severity was ranged from (0 to 24.18%) on leaves, and from (0 to 73.0 %) on fruits. Correlation analysis was carried out for both disease incidence and severity as response variables and altitude, average daily temperature, mean annual rainfall and tree age as predictor variables. Linear correlation was detected only between mean annual rainfall and disease severity and incidence of leaves and fruits. The regression analysis result indicated that mean annual rain fall has a significant effect over disease severity and incidence of leaves and fruits at (P ≤ 0.05).

A dental chair and its environment can be contaminated with droplet/splatter and aerosol particles, which contain various pathogens, including SARS-Cov-2, that can be transmitted by contact or inhalation. We aimed to evaluate the maximal distance of droplet/splatter projections for four different air and water-cooled dental instruments using a patient simulator, to define the boundaries of the open-plan area contaminated immediately after treatment. We used a dental chair unit placed in a room in the open-plan area. Fluorescent powder was added to water, to know the maximal distance reached by the droplet/splatter on the surfaces of the dental room covered with white sheets. Dental care was performed in an artificial mouth using either an air turbine handpiece, a high-speed electric contra-angle, an ultrasonic scaler, or an air/powder polisher with a constant volume of colored water. Maximal distances of droplet/splatter projections were measured after identifying the fluorescent patterns on the surfaces. Calculated heights and angles were then used after normalization to know the maximal distance that could be reached by these projections. In these conditions, the theoretical maximal distance of droplet/splatter projection was 295 cm for the air-powder polisher, followed by 238 cm for the high-speed electric contra-angle, 93 cm for the air turbine and 77 cm for the ultrasonic scaler. Theoretical projections for the ultrasonic scaler did not go beyond the dental room. In our open-plan area, droplet/splatter projections can extend beyond the dental room entrance, but not over 1.80 m-high partitions, and could contaminate areas located nearby. Simple preventive measures would be to limit the perimeter of these projections, for example by installing a door, in addition to measures to limit the scope of aerosols.