Paraperesis: A rare complication after depressed skull fracture

Depressed skull fracture is an inward buckling of the skull bones, often because of direct blow to a small surface area of the skull with a bluntobject. Monoparesis is often among its clinical presentations, but midline depressed skull fracture presenting as motor weakness of both lowerlimbs (Paraperesis) has not yet been reported. We report the case of 55 year old male admitted to emergency department with alleged history ofhit on head by a wooden rod. He had pain, mild swelling and a small cut over scalp without any symptoms & signs of neurological deficit. On daytwo of admission patient developed weakness of both lower limbs. On CT scan patient had bilateral depressed skull fracture of high parietal boneon either side of midline. Patient was managed conservatively, made remarkable recovery and was discharged after 2 weeks.Key words: Fracture, paraperesis, edema, depressed fracture, skul

Environmental Impact Assessment of a Flood Control Channel in Sfax City, Tunisia

The objective of this study is to evaluate water and sediment quality in the southern branch of a flood control channel in Sfax city, as well as its neighboring sites. This artificial channel, located 4km away from downtown Sfax, was implemented in 1984 to protect the city against floods. Even though it contributed to reduce the harmful flood effects, this channel also resulted in new environmental problems that may cause a public health threat. Indeed, artificial surfaces pose a greater risk of infection due to bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms. A total of 19 water samples (9 from the channel and 10 from groundwater wells) were collected in a dry period and analyzed in the laboratory. Furthermore, 12 sediment samples were taken from the bottom of the channel. Water quality data were used to examine the spatial variability of the different water quality parametrs. The resultant maps revealed an important contamination and illustrated that the degree of contamination differs from one site to another, depending on the distance from the pollution source (industrial, domestic or agricultural activity), the depth of the groundwater table and also the maintenance of the well and its surroundings

Nasal And Hand Carriage Of Bacteria In Different Groups Of Persons In A Teaching Hospital In India

Research Problem: What is the level of bacterial car­riage in different groups of hospital staff? Objective: To study nasal and hand carriage of bacteria in different groups of persons in a teaching hospital. Study Design: Prospective study. Setting: Surgical wards of J.N. Medical College Hospi­tal, A.M.U., Aligarh. Participants: Randomly selected persons from differ­ent groups of hospital staff (doctors, nurses, ward and OT assistants), visitors of patients, patients and medi­cal students. Sample Size: 275 persons. Study Variables: Nasal and hand carriage of S. aureus and gram negative bacilli. Outcome Variables: Percentage of hospital staff show­ing bacterial carriage in their nose or on their hands. Statistical Analysis: By tests of significance. Result: Overall bacterial carriage rate in different cat­egories of hospital staff was found to be 54.5%. Doc­tors and paramedical staff had higher bacterial carriage rate as compared to other groups. Though Staphylo­coccus aureus was the commonest organism isolated from both nose and skin, carriage of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas and Klebsiella group of gram-negative bacilli was also observed. Nasal carriage was com­moner than dermal carriage. Conclusion: Doctors and paramedical staff in hospital should adopt appropriate preventive measures to avoid transmitting pathogenic bacteria from their nose and skin to their patients

Black Gold\u27s Price Plunge: Are Conventional and Islamic Banks Equally Vulnerable?

Regarding the vulnerability of the banking industry to oil price plunges, we investigate the effects of oil price declines on credit and insolvency risks for the banking industry within specific bank specializations (conventional, Islamic, and conventional banks with Islamic windows), from 2000 through 2016, at both the aggregate and country levels in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Our findings show that falling oil prices significantly increase the credit risk for the banking industry, particularly for banks operating in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Commercial banks with Islamic windows are also prone to oil price shocks. However, falling oil prices do not affect the credit risk of Islamic banks. Utilizing accounting-based and marked-based proxies for the insolvency risk, our analysis shows that oil price plunges do not increase the insolvency risk of the banking industry or bank specializations. We argue that bailout packages given by the wealth funds to GCC banks is a probable cause for counter intuitive results with respect to solvency risk. Our research findings will be of interest to various stakeholders, particularly the regulators who look for empirical evidence to develop deeper insights to the sound functioning of the banking systems

Ions Traces Substitution in Stoichiometric Calcium-Hydroxyapatite: Structural Analysis by Rietveld Refinement

Impact of trace ions as Mg2+, Na+, Sr2+, SO42-, and CO32- on stoichiometric hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) crystal structure is investigated. The first four ions are brought by the raw material while the carbonate group is due to contamination by air. The powders were prepared, under industrial conditions, at 22°C from aqueous solutions by reaction between the calcium hydroxide and orthophosphoric acid at pH from 7 to 7.5. Two samples of hydroxyapatite powder, which differ by the content of ions trace, calcined at 1100°C have been investigated by X-ray powder patterns fitting methods. Results showed that in the absence of ion traces, the partial replacement of PO43- by CO32- groups leads to the - relaxation of the lattice by creation of vacant calcium (Ca1 and Ca2) sites, - reduction of the cell parameters, and new lattice rearrangement with lower PO4 distortion index, (Dind = 0.488) compared to the calculated theoretical value (Dind=3.079). For trace ions incorporated hydroxyapatite sample, the presence of traces cation favors the incorporation of carbonate ions. Coupled substitution on Ca2 and P position affect neither theoretical structure nor thermal stability of the hydroxyapatite but causes vacancies creation in calcium (Ca1) and oxygen (O1 and O3) sites. This structural change leads to a slight lattice distortion (Dind=3.204). Composition and microstructure of analyzed materials appear very promising for biological applications. Keywords: Biomaterials, Calcium-hydroxyapatite, Traces ions, Crystalline structure

ASSESSMENT OF THE PERCEPTION AND SATISFACTION OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF THE NORTHERN BORDER REGION OF SAUDI ARABIA TOWARDS THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE PHARMACISTS

The objective of this study was to assess the general public’s perception and satisfaction on the roles, responsibilities and services provided by pharmacists in the Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study using a pretested and structured questionnaire was carried out from October 1, 2016 to January 31, 2017 among the general public (N = 600) of the Northern Border Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was developed according to the scientific literature published worldwide. The questionnaire included questions related to the demographics of the participants, perception related questions and satisfaction related questions. A total of 600 participants were studied in this study. It was observed that the participants had a good level of perception regarding the roles and responsibilities of the pharmacists. The level of satisfaction with the services provided by the pharmacists was moderate to good. It was observed that about 34% of the population were not interested in discussing matters related to drugs with their pharmacist; about 50% of the participants consider a pharmacist a mere vendor / dispenser of drugs; and about 20% of the population did not provide the response with surety for questions related to perception and satisfaction. It has been concluded that the public of the Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia has a good level of perception regarding the roles and responsibilities of the pharmacists. The level of satisfaction with the services provided by the pharmacists was moderate to good, and needs improvement. There is a need to organize pharmacy related seminars / workshops / awareness programs to improve the knowledge of the public of the studied region with respect to the perception of the pharmacy profession. Keywords: Perception, satisfaction, general public, Saudi Arabia, pharmacist

Evaluating the antidiabetic and antioxidant properties of 5- benzyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol

Purpose: To evaluate 5-Benzyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol (OXPA) for antidiabetic and antioxidant properties. Methods: Antidiabetic activity was evaluated using three in vitro models, glucose uptake by yeast cells, alpha amylase inhibition assay and hemoglobin glycosylation inhibition assays. Antioxidant potential was determined by DPPH radical scavenging, reducing power and lipid peroxidation assays. Results: OXPA showed antidiabetic activity in all the three models. The activity of the compound was comparable with that of metronidazole in glucose uptake by yeast cells, but the alpha amylase inhibition activity of the compound was slightly lower than that of acarbose, whereas the hemoglobin glycosylation inhibition activity of the compound was higher than that of vitamin E. DPPH free radical and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity of the compound was comparable with that of vitamin C. In reducing power assay, the activity of the compound was lower than that of vitamin C (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The results of antidiabetic and antioxidant activity indicate that OXPA may be a drugcandidate for treating both diabetes and its associated oxidative stress