Irritability during the month of Ramadan

OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that people in Morocco are more irritable during the month of Ramadan than during the rest of the year. Our objectives were to measure irritability in fasting Muslims during the month of Ramadan, to describe its various modes of expression, and to examine risk factors for this irritability. METHODS AND SUBJECTS: We studied 100 healthy volunteers during the month of Ramadan for two successive years (1994 and 1995). All subjects were male (mean age, 32+/-5.8 years), and 51% of them were smokers. Irritability was assessed over a 6-week period (before, four times during, and after the end of Ramadan). We assessed both subjective (visual analog scale) and objective irritability. We also recorded the consumption of psychostimulants, duration of sleep, and anxiety level as measured by the Hamilton Anxiety Scale. RESULTS: Irritability was significantly higher in smokers than in nonsmokers before the beginning of Ramadan. It was higher in both groups during the Ramadan month. Irritability increased continuously during Ramadan and reached its peak at the end of the month. Consumption of psychostimulants (coffee and tea) and anxiety level followed the same pattern. Smokers and nonsmokers had a similar pattern of irritability over time, but irritability increased more in smokers than in nonsmokers.     

Cartilage graft in type I tympanoplasty: audiological and otological outcome

The aim of this study is to evaluate anatomical and audiological results of cartilage tympanoplasty compared to fascia tympanoplasty in the reconstruction of tympanic membrane perforations. We carry a retrospective study about 380 patients operated in our department between 1998 and 2005. Patients were classified into two groups: 90 (23.6%) undergo cartilage tympanoplasty and 290 (76.4%) fascia tympanoplasty. In each group, we calculated the average of pre and postoperative air bone gap (ABG) and the average air conduction gain (ACG) at 250-4,000 Hz. The surgical technique is explained in detail. We detail and analyze the audiological and anatomical results in each group. Successful closure of the tympanic membrane perforation was achieved in 97% of the cartilage group as compared to 94% of the fascia group. The average ACG was 21 +/- 11 dB in cartilage group and 20 +/- 22 dB in fascia group. With an average follow-up of 2 years, residual perforation was observed in 2.2% in cartilage group. Reperforation of fascia graft and retraction were noted in 2.1 and 1%, respectively. The authors show the great reliability of cartilage tympanoplasty to close tympanic membrane perforations. We recommend using cartilage as a first choice, especially in stable or evolutive chronic otitis media, and in recurrent perforation of the tympanic membrane.     

Comparison between aerobic and anaerobic co-composting of agricultural residues

Fertile soil is the most important resource for food production. The agricultural area in Egypt is limited to 6 million faddans. This limited area has derived many farmers to use several types of chemical fertilizers, to enhance the fertility of the land and hence the productivity. Excessive application of chemical fertilizer lead to the build up of these residuals because they are superfluous. This will cause waste of money and also soil pollution. Ultimately, this would adversely affect the ecological system in the soil and surrounding environment, especially water bodies. Composting of organic solid wastes will address some of the problems of solid waste disposal and gives a beneficial product which may replace the expensive chemical fertilizers. Other organic compostable solid wastes could be utilized to produce this compost. Agricultural residues are cheap raw materials for such compost and are available in vast quantities as well. This compost can be used as a soil conditioner to improve soil characteristics and its productivity. Crop residues mixed with manure, may be co-composted to give a soil conditioner. Agricultural residues, about 106 million tons/year, may produce about 55 million tons/year of compost. Three co-composting were carried out at the experimental station of the Faculty of Agriculture in Abis. Two aerobic co-composting of winter and summer crop residues and one anaerobic co-composting inter rop esidue were produced. The development of the co-composting processes controlled by the temperature, moisture content, and chemical composition was studied. The aerobic co-composting of winter crop residues was found to be the best experiment as it complied with the standards of the Ministry of Agriculture Decree No. 100/1967. This co-compost is expected to be free from pathogenic microorganisms as the dominant temperature was almost about 50 degrees C from the 42nd day till the 101st day of the experiment.     

Supra-sternal notch tuberculous abscess: a report of three cases

Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis remains a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge; its clinical presentation can mimic a wide range of pathological conditions. Here we report on 3 female patients who presented with supra-sternal masses that were suspected clinically to be of thyroid origin. By use of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), they were proved to be tuberculous lesions involving the pre-tracheal lymph nodes. Serological examination for HIV-I/II was not reactive in the 3 patients. The patients responded well to a regimen of multi-drug therapy. It is concluded that extra-pulmonary tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of thyroid or para-thyroid swellings and that FNAC is a simple, quick and reliable procedure in the diagnosis of extra-pulmonary tuberculous lesions involving the neck.     

Pneumopericardium: a rare cause of cardiac tamponade in an infant on a positive pressure ventilation

Cardiac tamponade most commonly results from accumulation of blood, or other fluids, within the pericardial sac. However, rarely air tamponade can lead to tension pneumopericardium and death. Positive pressure ventilation in infants carries a risk of barotrauma and presents as pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum or rarely pneumopericardium. We present an infant with cardiac tamponade due to pneumopericardium to illustrate the classical signs and symptoms, and the management of this rare condition.     

Stability of monoHER in an aqueous formulation for i.v. administration

MonoHER is a semisynthetic flavonoid used successfully in modulating the cardiotoxic effect of doxorubicin but not its antitumor activity. The oral bioavailability of monoHER is <1%. Therefore, it should be prepared as an i.v. formulation for use in clinical trials. The solubility of monoHER in water is highly pH dependent. At pH相似文献   

Oestradiol skin delivery from ultradeformable liposomes: refinement of surfactant concentration

The aims of this study were to refine ultradeformable liposomes for oestradiol skin delivery and to evaluate Span 80 and Tween 80 as edge activators compared with sodium cholate. Vesicles containing phosphatidylcholine (PC) mixed with edge activators and oestradiol were prepared. Entrapment efficiency and vesicle size were determined. Interactions between activators and vesicles were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry. Transepidermal permeation of oestradiol from vesicles was studied compared to saturated aqueous control in vitro. The maximum flux (J(max)) and its time (T(max)) were calculated from the flux curves and skin deposition was assessed. The compositions of refined formulations were predicted, liposomes prepared, and tested against control. Entrapment efficiency depended on PC concentration with some contribution from sodium cholate and Tween 80. Vesicle sizes ranged from 124 to 135 nm. Edge activators interacted with lipid bilayers and disrupted packing. The refined edge activator concentrations in PC vesicles were 14.0, 13.3 and 15.5% w/w for sodium cholate, Span 80 and Tween 80, respectively; they increased J(max) by 18, 16 and 15-fold and skin deposition by 8, 7 and 8-fold compared with control. Ultradeformable vesicles thus improved skin delivery of oestradiol compared to control and Span 80 and Tween 80 were equivalent to sodium cholate as edge-activators.     

Indirect determination of captopril by AAS

An indirect method is described for the determination of captopril (KPL) in pharmaceutical preparations by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The procedure is based on the complexation of KPL with an excess of Pd(II) ion. The unreacted Pd(II) was resoluted on a cationic ion-exchanger resin, while Pd(II)-KPL sequestrate was not retained. The effluent Pd(II) sequestrade was measured by AAS. The absorbance is found to increase linearly with increasing KPL concentration, because the amount of Pd(II) is related to the concentration of KPL, which is corroborate by the calculated correlation coefficient value of 0.9939. The system obeys Beer's law for 1-40 microg ml(-1), S.D. was found to be 0.039 (n = 5). The Pd(II)-KPL complex was obtained in the solid phase. Characterization of the complex was performed by elemental analysis, TG, conductance measurements and IR, 1H-NMR spectroscopy.