Objective: To explore unusual association between Turner Syndrome (TS) and Hypopituitarism in a Tunisian cohort. Methods: We reported 6 patients with TS associated to Hypopituitarism, including three familial cases except the fourth sister who showed only a TS phenotype. Biochemical analysis, resonance magnetic imaging and cytogenetic analyses were performed. Results: The average age of our patients was 17.2 years (11-31 years). They were all referred for short stature and pubertal delay, except for the fourth sister who presented spontaneous puberty with the integrity of the pituitary axis and the presence of an X ring chromosome. Karyotype analysis showed monosomy in 3 cases and a mosaic TS in the 3 remaining cases, including one patient with abnormal X chromosome structure. Somatotropic and corticotropic deficiencies were confirmed in 2 sporadic cases while the gonadotropic and thyrotropic axes were spared. In contrast; familial cases were consistently affected by the integrity of the corticotropic axis. MRI showed pituitary hypoplasia in all familial cases and pituitary stalk interruption syndrome in only one sporadic case. No correlation was found between the chromosome formula and the anterior pituitary involvement. Conclusion: Co-segregation of congenital Hypopituitarism with pituitary hypoplasia and X chromosome aberrations could imply a molecular anomaly of transcription factors responsible for the differentiation and development of pituitary cells such as PROP1, POUF1, Hesx1, Lhx3, Lhx4. The etiopathogenic link between X chromosome abnormalities and the occurrence of Hypopituitarism remains unclear; however, the progress of molecular biology may clarify the interrelation between transcription factors and sex chromosome segregation abnormalities.
Poor water quality and lack of access to improved sanitation continue to pose a significant threat to human health. The burden of disease analysis suggests that lack of access to safe water supply, sanitation and hygiene is the third most significant risk factor for poor health in developing countries with high mortality rates. Diarrhoea is the leading disease associated with unsafe water supply, sanitation and hygiene and is responsible for the deaths. The study observed that out of the 150 respondents, 37% are 31-40 years, followed by 20-30 years with 32%. 130 (86.7%) respondents have got married, and 61% of the respondents are female. 85% adopted the nuclear family system, and 50% of respondents are illiterates in the study areas. 85% of respondents are daily wage earners, 37% are earnings rupees between 2000-2500 per month. 27% of respondents are landless labours, and 37% of households possess below 2 acres of land. 40% of respondents suffer from health problems, and 44% consume rice as their staple food. 62% of respondents have debts, and 33% got from money lenders. 62% of respondents do not have toilet facilities and go open defecation. 92% of respondents stated that toilet makes dignity, saves time and energy, saves their children school days, makes adolescent girls privacy, save wage loss, and toilet makes quality life.
Fused silica capillaries treated with N, N-didodecyl-N, N-dimethylammonium bromide was used in capillary electrophoresis to separate basic proteins using ammonium acetate as BGE at pH 4.0, 70 mM. This surfactant forms a semi-stable coating that provides a strong anodic electroosmosis; however, such coating must regularly be regenerated to maintain efficiency and reproducibility. The temporal stability of the coating was greatly improved by a new procedure as described in previously study by our group. In this study, it is found such experimental conditions that the starting zone could be enriched without loss of sample. The injection of a short plug of the BGE diluted 100 times for 3 sec in 50 µm i.d. capillaries behind the sample zone at 15 kV gave the best performance, whereas, a plug of lower dilution degree (10 times) in 25 µm i.d injected for 3 sec at the same field strength gave the optimum results for this dimension. In conclusion, those conditions were found to effectively decrease the loss of sample and to give a higher separation performance in regard to peak efficiency and resolution compared to injecting the sample without a plug.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Attempts have been made to formulate controlled release drug dosage forms using chitosan as a release controlling polymer. Granules of combination of chitosan, hydroxylpropyl cellulose, lactose, starch and Ibuprofen were prepared by wet granulation method using 1.0% lactic acid solution. The granules were physico-chemically characterized in terms of density, porosity, angle of repose, carr’s index and housner ratio and was found to be free flowing with good compressibility. FTIR spectroscopy was used and confirmed that there is no interaction between the drug and the added polymers. In vitro release of Ibuprofen, in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4, showed a steady and slow increase in the percentage of drug released over 24 hours as the percentage of chitosan was increased in the formulations compared to that from commercial tablets which released over 80.0% of their content in only two hours. The kinetic analysis using different mathematical models of the data revealed that the release kinetics of the drug form these formulations is somewhere between diffusion controlled, Fickian (anomalous) and non-Fickian which refers to a combination of diffusion and erosion controlled release. Thus, the high correlation coefficient of the data of drug release from most granules when zero order kinetics was applied revealed that there is a constant drug release with time for 24 hours.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
The wet coating of anhydrous borax powders with stearic acid (SA) to reverse their inherent hydrophilic surface properties was investigated. The coating procedure was based on the results from a previous study that revealed that the stearic acid solution (2 wt. % SA) mixed for 60 minute at 750 rpm on the magnetic stirrer was sufficient for the surface modification of anhydrous borax. For the experiments, stearic acid powders were first dissolved in water at 80 °C. The mixture obtained by adding anhydrous borax powders to this solution was vigorously mixed on a magnetic stirrer to initiation and completion the surface modification. Each of these solutions was then filtered using a filter paper to separate the undissolved particles, and the residue on paper was dried at 50 °C for 48 h until constant weighing was obtained. Wettability has been accepted as a key parameter for success in wet coating treatment. This parameter gained via the experimental characterization technique was used for an evaluation of the powder properties. The degree of wettability of anhydrous borax powders was measured and compared both after their surfaces were coated with stearic acid and after they were treated with water for a certain period of time in an aqueous environment. The stearic acid coating made the powder hydrophobic and this property was highly preserved after washing.
Pneumonia is an acute pulmonary infection that can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. It infects the lungs, causing inflammation of the air sacs and pleural effusion: a condition in which the lung is filled with fluid. The diagnosis of pneumonia is tasking as it requires a review of Chest X-ray (CXR) by specialists, laboratory tests, vital signs, and clinical history. Utilizing CXR is an important pneumonia diagnostic method for the evaluation of the airways, pulmonary parenchyma, and vessels, chest walls among others. It can also be used to show changes in the lungs caused by pneumonia. This study aims to employ transfer learning, and ensemble approach to help in the detection of viral pneumonia in chest radiographs. The transfer learning model used was Inception network, ResNet-50, and InceptionResNetv2. With the help of our research, we were able to show how well the ensemble technique, which uses InceptionResNetv2 and the utilization of the Non-local Means Denoising algorithm, works. By utilizing these techniques, we have significantly increased the accuracy of pneumonia classification, opening the door for better diagnostic abilities and patient care. For objective labeling, we obtained a selection of patient chest X-ray images. In this work, the model was assessed using state-of-the-art metrics such as accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. From the statistical analysis and scikit learn python analysis, the accuracy of the ResNet-50 model was 84%, the accuracy of the inception model was 91% and lastly, the accuracy of the InceptionResNetv2 model was 96%.
Woman constitutes the family, which leads to the development of society and Nation. The social and economic development of women is necessary for the overall economic advancement of any society or a country. Entrepreneurship comprises venture activities that are the center of the recognition of various opportunities, creativity, and innovation in the production process and development of new business models and ventures. Entrepreneurship plays a major role in developing society of a fastdeveloping country like India. In comparison to other countries, the event of women entrepreneurship is extremely low in India, especially in rural areas. However, middle-class women aren't too eager to alter their roles because of fear of social backlash. The growth is more visible among high families in urban areas. Rural women frequently have primary responsibility for agricultural production, additionally to domestic responsibilities and childcare. In developing countries like India where the economic status of women is extremely pathetic especially in rural areas and opportunities of earning are very less. For establishing self-esteem and recognition in society, women are attracted to entrepreneurship. To sustain within the competitive market, businesses administered by women are mainly hooked into internal resources and their capabilities supported which they struggle to compete with the external environment. The present paper endeavors to study the opportunities and challenges of women entrepreneurs. The study aims to analyze the factors that encourage women entrepreneurs. This study is based on secondary data collected from previous research papers, journals given by various research scholars, blogs, and websites. This study concludes that women entrepreneurs should be provided with special training facilities to overcome challenges and for developing their skills and talents.
Human trafficking victims suffer a direct assault on their fundamental rights, enduring a modern form of slavery and exploitation. Perpetrated by criminal groups, human trafficking exploits victims, especially women and children, in forced labor, prostitution, or organ trafficking, treating them as commodities in a market driven by supply and demand, thereby profiting at the cost of fundamental rights and human dignity. This chapter underscores the critical significance of understanding the multifaceted challenges inherent in combating human trafficking, emphasizing the urgent need for effective measures. By delving into the complexities of the transnational organized structure of this crime, the chapter provides valuable insights into the hurdles faced by law enforcement and investigative agencies. Recognizing the gravity of human trafficking as a direct violation of fundamental rights and human dignity, this chapter aims to contribute to the development of comprehensive strategies and policies to address this pervasive issue.
Background: From the public health point of view, the microbiological properties of domestic water supply are the most important parameters of domestic water supply because of the propensity for microbial water-related diseases. In Enugu State, statistics have shown that reported cases of waterborne diseases (including typhoid fever) have been on the increase since 2003. The aim of the study was to determine the bacteriological qualities of domestic water supply and prevalence of typhoid fever in five communities of Enugu State in connection with the rising incidence of typhoid fever in the state. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of sources of domestic water supply and prevalence of typhoid fever in five rural communities of Ezeagu Local Government Area. 297 copies of structured questionnaire, 10 grab water samples analysed using the membrane filtration method and 227 blood samples collected for Widal test were used to generate the data for the study, analysed as frequency distributions, t-test of means difference and Pearson product moment correlations using MaxStat (version 3.60) statistical software. Results: 2 (40%) of the 5 communities complied with the WHO standard for faecal coliform counts. Prevalence of typhoid fever was high in all the communities (71.4%-100%). Only faecal coliform counts correlated positively and strongly (r=0.69) with prevalence of typhoid fever. Conclusions: Since faecal coliform counts correlated positively and strongly (r=0.69) with prevalence of typhoid fever, improving the bacteriological qualities of domestic water supply may help to reduce the prevalence of typhoid fever.
Background: The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with significant morbidity and mortality among healthcare workers worldwide. The present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare workers toward COVID-19 at Ataq General Hospital, and three other hospitals and health centers in Shabwah Governorate, Yemen. Materials and Methods: From January 1, 2022, to February 28, 2022, a cross-sectional survey of healthcare workers was conducted in the city of Ataq, Shabwah Governorate at the following hospitals: Ataq General Hospital, Al Shefa’a Hospital, Al Aafiah Hospital, and COVID-19 Isolation Center. Results: A total of 107 healthcare workers completed the survey. Their mean age was 28.17 ± 7.73 years, 79 (73.8%) of them were male and 28 (26.2%) were female. The overall knowledge was good, with a score of 19 out of 21; however, most participants were unaware of some of the extra-respiratory symptoms of the disease, such as diarrhea and confusion, and about 57% of them were unaware that eating or interacting with wild animals may contribute to the infection with the COVID-19 virus. Attitude analysis of the participants revealed that about half of those surveyed do not believe that Yemen can contain COVID-19. In general, the practice of the participants was good. Conclusion: Although the overall knowledge score in this study was good, most respondents could not recognize some of the extrapulmonary manifestations of COVID-19 and were unaware of the possibility of transmission of the disease from wild animals. In addition, about half of those surveyed do not believe that Yemen can contain COVID-19
Object: In the competitive world of the market economy, every economic unit tries organizing everyday activities. Creating a set of suitable and cost-efficient organizational structures and making competitive products and services, top managers should find the mechanisms of building alternative ways of organizational structures. Methods: This paper presents the traditional and modern management structures, their historical steps, and developed methods. In this footfall of the market economy, companies in developing countries should build their management system’s organizational structure. They should advance a management system, managerial behaviours, and new management styles of developed ones. For this purpose in this research has learned organizational structures of developed companies. The investigation discusses the emergence, formation, and modern appearance of management structures that evaluate organizational structures’ importance in enterprises and companies’ activities, using vivid examples. Findings: Then, it has shown some forms of developed organizational structures of companies with the assessment of their highest role in management. In the conclusions and recommendations, we offer our approaches to solving existing organizational problems using the historical period of development to this day.
Critical race theory (CRT) is an intellectual movement that seeks to understand how white supremacy as a legal, cultural, and political condition is reproduced and maintained, primarily in the US context. While CRT is part of a much longer research tradition investigating race and racism, which includes such key fgures as W. E. B. Du Bois, Frantz Fanon, Angela Davis, Audre Lorde, Gloria Anzaldúa, Cherríe Moraga, and many more, CRT distinguishes itself as an approach that originated within legal studies (in part building from and responding to critical legal studies); aims to be a vehicle for social and political change; has been adopted interdisciplinarily across many fields, including perhaps most notably education; and, in certain contexts, has come to be the umbrella term for studies of race and racism generally. CRT originated as an extension and critique of critical legal studies (CLS). It was also an outgrowth of Marxist critical theory that challenged the rationality, impartiality, and purpose of the legal system. According to the tenets of both CRT and CLS, the legal system is a political and ideological institution that, in part, rationalizes and justifies the existence of the state. Te legal system also requires mastery of an arcane and intentionally inaccessible vocabulary and a set of knowledge and power processes that limit ordinary people’s access to it. Te arbiters of law pretend to rely on reason but actually rely on subjective, politically motivated, culturally biased, and quasi-religious rationale for making and enforcing their decisions. CRT maintains the critique of legalistic thinking found in critical legal studies, but then adds a framework for understanding white supremacy as an immutable fact of a neocolonial state, as well as a praxis for changing it. What separates CRT from other forms of racial critique is that, “Unlike most of the earlier genres of race cholarship, critical race scholarship does not treat race as an independent variable; rather, it regards race as a site of struggle” (Orbe & Allen, 2008, p. 209).
Background and Aim: Second and third-generation supraglottic airway devices (SADs) are increasingly used in laparoscopic surgeries due to their improved oropharyngeal seal and gastric drainage. This study evaluated and compared the clinical efficacy of the Ambu AuraGain (AAU) and the i-gel in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Materials and Methods: In this prospective, randomized comparative study, 80 adult patients (ASA I and II) were randomly assigned to two groups (n=40 each): Group A (Ambu AuraGain) and Group G (i-gel). The primary objective was to compare oropharyngeal leak pressure (OLP). Secondary objectives included insertion time, ease of insertion, success rate, fiberoptic view of the glottis, and postoperative complications. OLP and peak airway pressure (PAP) were measured at various intervals, including during carboperitoneum. Results: The mean OLP was significantly higher in Group A than in Group G, both after insertion (32.9 ± 3.45 vs. 26.53 ± 1.61 cm H2O; p<0.001) and after deflation of carboperitoneum (34.15 ±2.9 vs. 28.2 ±1.71 cm H2O; p<0.001). The margin of safety (OLP–PAP) was significantly higher in the AAU group at all times (p<0.001). However, the i-gel was significantly faster to insert (14.8 ±2.94 vs. 22 ± 3.74 seconds; p<0.001) and easier to place (100% easy vs. 37.5% easy; p<0.001). Fiberoptic alignment was significantly better in the i-gel group, with 70% achieving a Grade 4 view compared to 29% in the AAU group (p<0.001). Postoperative complications were low and comparable between groups. Conclusion: Ambu AuraGain provides a superior oropharyngeal seal and a higher safety margin against leaks during laparoscopic surgery compared to i-gel. Conversely, i-gel is superior in terms of ease of insertion, speed, and anatomical alignment with the glottis, making it a better conduit for fiberoptic-guided intubation. Keywords: Ambu AuraGain, i-gel, Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, Oropharyngeal leak pressure, Supraglottic Airway device.
Medicinal plants are the gift of nature and play an important role as a part of our diet to maintain health. They also serve as a versatile weapon to combat several diseases. Every civilization has its own experience and knowledge of the therapeutic uses of plants. The belief and observations regarding traditionally used medicinal plants increase people's interest in using them against urolithiasis. Urolithiasis is a common problem that has been afflicted for centuries and has a high recurrence. Of the world's population, about 12% suffer from urolithiasis. All over the world, in different countries and cultures, people use plants to prevent and cure kidney stones according to their ethnopharmacological information. These formulations are very effective. That's why they have been used for hundreds of years. This review covers the eighty (80) medicinal plants of the most cited family Asteraceae against urolithiasis and their historical antiurolithiatc background shared in well-known books of Dioscorides, Pliny the Elder, Al Razi and Ibn Sina. This information was extracted to compose antiurolithiatic plants with their parts and formulations used in 21 countries such as Algeria, America, Australia, China, India, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippine, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and Uzbekistan. Scientifically proven pharmacological activities of the same part of the plant have direct (litholytic) and direct pharmacological effects like analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, astringent, demulcent, diuretic, litholytic, lithotriptic, antiurolithiatic, antispasmodic, ACE inhibition and Phospholipase A2 inhibition also shared as a plausible mechanism of action. The route of administration is oral in all cases. Hopefully, this book will be useful for the general public and attract the scientific world for antiurolithiatic drug discovery. This valuable ethnopharmacological information will provide opportunities for the future research and development of new natural antiurolithiatic compounds.
Cet article s’articule autour de la question de la satire chez Sony Labou Tansi dans La vie et demie. Conscient de la complexité de la notion de la satire dans le temps et chez les spécialistes, il nous a semblé judicieux de confiner notre étude dans le strict cadre de la satire entendue comme genre et non comme esprit ou mode. Nous avons démontré que la satire dans La vie et demie se justifie par la présence des topiques qui fonctionnent comme une signature du genre. L’argumentation a mis un accent sur la dimension rhétorique de la satire en parlant des formes de comique mises en place dans La vie et demie, lesquels participent à l’étayage de la satire politique du Guide providentiel et de ses nuisibles descendants. Aussi, avons-nous souligné que la dimension rhétorique de la satire se justifie par la présence de la ménagerie. L ’imagerie animale qui permet de caractériser les personnages de Sony Labou Tansi emprunte à la faune sauvage sa diversité des bêtes.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in the healthcare domain, revolutionizing various aspects of medical research, diagnostics, treatment, and patient care. This paper provides an overview of recent developments and applications of AI in healthcare, highlighting its potential to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility in medical practices. The integration of machine learning algorithms, natural language processing, and computer vision techniques has enabled AI systems to analyze vast amounts of medical data, support clinical decision-making, and personalize treatment plans. Additionally, AI-powered technologies play a crucial role in predictive analytics, early disease detection, and the optimization of healthcare workflows. Despite the promising advancements, challenges related to data privacy, ethical considerations, and regulatory frameworks need to be addressed to fully harness the benefits of AI in healthcare.
Inlet valve in an engine tends to be subjected to immense thermal loads besides chemical corrosion. Opening and closing of inlet valve practically could be in the order of 2000 times per 1.6 km. In the mean time of engine working cycle, seat insert of the inlet valve is the surface, against which an intake valve seats. Conventional engine valves are provided with a curved angle for its seating position, but for this study, the same is proposed to be positioned at a tapered angle. This tapered position as converted into radius in order to permit rich air at the inlet and reduce exhaust emission. This study is to investigate the nature of the future redesigned Scooping valve for a 1.25L 4-cylinder Petrol engine with VTVT (Variable Timing and Valve Train) under combined mechanical and thermal loading cycle by feeding the input conditions for this study after NX-CAD modelling in ANSYS 10.0 software and the numerical results thus obtained are recorded for future valve design considerations.
The seeds for this work were planted many years ago when Linda Bean wastranscribing some of my lectures and encouraged me to write a book. Shepatiently labored through years of archived material until it was time for me tobegin writing. Her commitment and dedication to this project are deeplyappreciated.Once I began writing, Karen Entner assisted me by organizing materials,making content suggestions, and maintaining the manuscript. We workedtogether to edit version after version until the flow of words brought a sense ofpeace to the heart, mind, and soul. Her dedication and heartfelt work are muchappreciated and one of her lifelong dreams comes to fruition with the publicationof this book. “This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow,as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” —William ShakespeareShakespeare’s age-honored words, spoken by Polonius to his son Laertes in ActI of Hamlet, sound so clear and unambiguous. They tell us that to maintainhonest relations with others we must first be true to ourselves. Yet if Laerteswere to be totally honest with himself, he would realize that his father may aswell have told him to catch the wind. After all, to which “self” are we to be true?Is it the one that shows up when we’re in a bad mood, or the one that is presentwhen we feel humbled by our mistakes? Is it the one who speaks from the darkrecesses of the heart when we’re depressed or upset, or the one that appearsduring those fleeting moments when life seems so fanciful and light?From these questions we see that the concept of “self” may turn out to be abit more elusive than initially presumed. Perhaps if Laertes could have turned totraditional psychology, it would have shed some light on the subject. Freud(1927), the father of psychology, divided the psyche into three parts: the id, theego, and the superego. He saw the id as our primal, animal nature; the superegoas the judgment system that society has instilled within us; and the ego as ourrepresentative to the outside world that struggles to maintain a balance betweenthe other two powerful forces. But this certainly would not have helped youngLaertes. After all, to which of these conflicting forces are we to be true?Again we see that things are not always as simple as they seem. If we dare tolook past the surface of the term “self,” questions arise that many people wouldrather not ask: “Are the many aspects of my being all equally part of my ‘self,’or is there only one of me—and if so, which, where, how, and why?”In the following chapters, we will undertake a journey of exploration of“self.” But we will not do so in a traditional manner. We will neither call uponthe experts in psychology, nor upon the great philosophers. We will not argueand choose between time-honored religious views, or resort to statisticallysupported surveys of people’s opinions. We will, instead, turn to a single sourcethat has phenomenal direct knowledge on the subject. We will turn to one expertwho, for every moment of every day of their life, has been collecting the datanecessary to finally put this great inquiry to rest. And that expert is you.
The study was conducted on glass slides to observe the growth patterns of urinary calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals and their inhibition using 5, 10, 15 and 20 % Phaseolus lunatus seed infusion. For this purpose, a drop of gel medium (sodium metasilicate of 1.06 specific gravity and 3M acetic acid solution) at pH 5.02-5.17 was placed in the middle of a glass slide and converted into a gel. A 1 M oxalic acid drop was dropped to the left, and 1 M calcium chloride and magnesium acetate (1:1) solution was dropped to the right side of the properly formed gel. The glass slide was observed under a microscope till it was completely dried. In the case of the crystal inhibition study, a drop of Phaseolus lunatus infusion was also added to the right side after adding calcium chloride and magnesium acetate solution. The results without infusion showed detailed morphology and aggregation patterns of observed crystals such as donuts, dumbbells, needles, platy, prismatic, rosette, round edges, X-shape crystals, and loose and compact aggregates. All infusions of Phaseolus lunatus showed defective crystals. 5% infusion inhibited crystals of all morphologies with their loose and compact aggregates except X-shaped crystals and rosettes. Meanwhile, 10% and 15 % infusions decreased X-shaped and rosette crystals. 20 % infusion showed defective rosettes. The microscopic study of calcium oxalate crystal growth and its inhibition is simple and provides rapid qualitative analysis of antiurolithiatic activity.
Every religion includes a whole series of beliefs and practices and we should start by concentrating our attention on religious practices to understand a religion. This paper intended to clarify the religious practices of Vietnamese Catholic Youth. Based on the theory of Glock and Stark and by using survey method, descriptive statistics, this is the first study to demonstrate the religious practices of youths in a diocese of Vietnam. This issue considered as an interesting research topic in the context of Vietnamese research because it explores youths lives from a different perspective by focusing on the micro level of analysis. The respondents in this study were total of 388 young adults between 18 and 30 years of ages from 24 parishes who were randomly selected through Probability Proportional to size sampling method. The findings of the research indicate that the ritualistic dimension of religiosity among Vietnamese Catholic youth is still so high in the context of change in Vietnam