Preparation of cellulose nanofibers with hydrophobic surface characteristics.

The aim of this study was to develop cellulose nanofibers with hydrophobic surface characteristics using chemical modification. Kenaf fibers were modified using acetic anhydride and cellulose nanofibers were isolated from the acetylated kenaf using mechanical isolation methods. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated acetylation of the hydroxyl groups of cellulose. The study of the dispersion demonstrated that acetylated cellulose nanofibers formed stable, well-dispersed suspensions in both acetone and ethanol. The contact angle measurements showed that the surface characteristics of nanofibers were changed from hydrophilic to more hydrophobic when acetylated. The microscopy study showed that the acetylation caused a swelling of the kenaf fiber cell wall and that the diameters of isolated nanofibers were between 5 and 50 nm. X-ray analysis showed that the acetylation process reduced the crystallinity of the fibers, whereas mechanical isolation increased it. The method used provides a novel processing route for producing cellulose nanofibers with hydrophobic surfaces

Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 provides a rules-based synthesis of the available evidence on levels and trends in health outcomes, a diverse set of risk factors, and health system responses. GBD 2019 covered 204 countries and territories, as well as first administrative level disaggregations for 22 countries, from 1990 to 2019. Because GBD is highly standardised and comprehensive, spanning both fatal and non-fatal outcomes, and uses a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of hierarchical disease and injury causes, the study provides a powerful basis for detailed and broad insights on global health trends and emerging challenges. GBD 2019 incorporates data from 281 586 sources and provides more than 3.5 billion estimates of health outcome and health system measures of interest for global, national, and subnational policy dialogue. All GBD estimates are publicly available and adhere to the Guidelines on Accurate and Transparent Health Estimate Reporting. From this vast amount of information, five key insights that are important for health, social, and economic development strategies have been distilled. These insights are subject to the many limitations outlined in each of the component GBD capstone papers.Peer reviewe

PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE AND A NEW SCORING SYSTEM

One-hundred-and-forty patients diagnosed as having meningococcal disease have been investigated retrospectively with respect to prognostic factors. The overall mortality was 8.6%, the mortality rate of the infants under 6 months of age being higher than that of the other groups. In cases where there was no meningitis or leucocytosis, the presence of hypotension, disturbed consciousness and diffuse petechiae increased the mortality rate significantly. High fever did not have any effect on mortality. We propose a new practical and reliable scoring system for meningococcal disease for determining the influence of prognostic factors on mortality

PULMONARY-HYPERTENSION DUE TO CHRONIC UPPER AIRWAY-OBSTRUCTION - A CLINICAL REVIEW AND REPORT OF 4 CASES

Partial airway obstruction due to the enlargement of the tonsils and adenoids is a well recognized clinical entity, but cardiorespiratory changes due to chronic obstruction have infrequently been reported. Four children with severe nasopharyngeal obstruction due to tonsil and adenoid hypertrophy, who developed pulmonary hypertension and cardiac failure, were studied. Relief of upper airway obstruction by adenotonsillectomy resulted in a regression of the presenting signs and symptoms

THE ROLE OF HIGH-DOSE INTRAVENOUS METHYLPREDNISOLONE IN THE TREATMENT OF VARICELLA ASSOCIATED THROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURA

Two children with varicella associated thrombocytopenia are presented. Case 1, evidencing no mucosal or parenchymal bleeding was administered prednisone 2 mg/kg/day therapy after having been put under observation for a period of one week without medical treatment. There was an increase in the platelet count during the period of therapy culminating in a return to normal on the eighth day

Congenital syphilis presenting with nephrotic syndrome and leucocytoclastic vasculitis

Nephrotic syndrome is a well-recognized entity in congenital syphilis but leucocytoclastic vasculitis has not yet been described. We report a case of nephrotic syndrome and leucocytoclastic vasculitis associated with congenital syphilis in a 45-day-old male infant who did well after treatment with intravenous penicillin