Bacterial Keratitis: Risk Factors and Causative Agents

Objectives: to describe the clinical, microbiological characteristics and risk factors of Bacterial Keratitis at Prince Zeid and Rashed Military Hospitals. Methods: A retrospective study of the hospital records of 35 patients who were diagnosed as Bacterial Keratitis and treated at the Ophthalmology in-patient department of Prince Zeid and Rashed Military Hospitals. Patients with no corneal scraping, or culture and sensitivity findings, were excluded. Risk factors, clinical and microbiological data were reviewed. Results: In the period from January 2003 to October 2005 35 patients with bacterial Keratitis were identified, 21(60%) were males; 20(57.1%) had right eye involvement, 15(42.9%) had left eye involvement. The common predisposing factors were ocular trauma in 16(45.7%), contact lens in 11(31.4%), ocular surface diseases in five(14.2%) patients and one(2.8%) patient for each of lagophthalmos, steroid eye drops and infected corneal suture. Offending organisms were isolated in 17(50%) cases only. Pseudomonas in 10(58.8%) cases, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus spp. each in 2 (11.8%). Empirical topical antibiotic treatment was unchanged in 28(80%) patients. Topical steroid was employed in 2(5.7%) cases. 13(37.1%) patients were treated with systemic antibiotics. Conclusion: Bacterial keratitis often occurs following ocular trauma and in contact lenses wearers. Pseudomonas was the major causative organism. Proper sampling and microbiological workups are recommended to minimize the negative bacterial isolates. Keywords: ophthalmology, staphylococcus aureus, corneal scrapingSudan Journal of Medical Sciences Vol. 3 (1) 2008: pp. 7-1

Congenital Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction at Prince Rashed Hospital, Irbid,

Objectives: To estimate the frequency of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) and to assess the results of its management. Material and Methods: A prospective study of 80 consecutive patients with congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction, conducted from January 2005 to December 2005 at Prince Rashed Hospital. Only patients below the age of twelve months were included in the study. Diagnosis was made by history of epiphora beginning early in life with obstruction clinically confirmed on examination. Antibiotic drops and massage of the lacrimal sac was advised. Probing was carried out for the nonresolving cases at the age of one year, and balloon dilatation for the failed case. Results: A total of 80 patients with CNLDO were included in the study. Thirty six (45%) of these infants had presented within the first two months of life. Out of these 80 patients 8 patients were lost to follow up. Out of remaining 72 patients, 66 (82.5%) recovered with conservative treatment with topical antibiotics within one year. Only 6 (7.5%) of the patients required probing; success was achieved in five (83.3%) patients and the one who failed was referred for intubation and balloon dilatation at King Hussein Medical Center, Amman. Conclusion: Spontaneous improvement of CNLDO is the natural course in most patients and probing for unresponsive cases is recommended at one year of age. Keywords: Congenital, Nasolacrimal, Probing Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences Vol. 3 (3) 2008: pp. 219-22

The Relationship Between Perfectionism and Goal Orientation Among Gifted Students in the King Abdullah II School of Excellence

This study aimed to find out the relationship between Perfectionism and Goal Orientation among Gifted Students in the King Abdullah II School of Excellence. It also aimed at finding out if the relationship between Perfectionism and Goal Orientation is different according to the level of education and gender. To achieve the objectives of the study, Perfectionism and Goal Orientation scales were developed by the researchers. The sample of the study consisted of 184 students at seventh and eighth grades in the King Abdullah II School of Excellence. They were randomly stratified selected from the students population. The results of the study indicated that the level of Perfectionism among the gifted students was high, and the study showed that the level of the types of goal orientation was high, specifically Mastery goal oriented. The results also indicated there was no statistically significant difference at the significance level (α=0.05) in the strength of the correlation between Perfectionism and the types of goal orientation due to the level of education. The results also indicated there was no statistically significant difference at the significance level (α=0.05) in the strength of the correlation between Perfectionism and the types of Goal Orientation due to gender

Approximate analytical solutions of systems of PDEs by homotopy analysis method

AbstractIn this paper, the homotopy analysis method (HAM) is applied to obtain series solutions to linear and nonlinear systems of first- and second-order partial differential equations (PDEs). The HAM solutions contain an auxiliary parameter which provides a convenient way of controlling the convergence region of series solutions. It is shown in particular that the solutions obtained by the variational iteration method (VIM) are only special cases of the HAM solutions

Series Solution of the Multispecies Lotka-Volterra Equations by Means of the Homotopy Analysis Method

The time evolution of the multispecies Lotka-Volterra system is investigated by the homotopy analysis method (HAM). The continuous solution for the nonlinear system is given, which provides a convenient and straightforward approach to calculate the dynamics of the system. The HAM continuous solution generated by polynomial base functions is of comparable accuracy to the purely numerical fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. The convergence theorem for the three-dimensional case is also given

Mixed-signal functional level implementation of 1000BASE-X physical layer for gigabit Ethernet with synthesis of the PCS

Behavioral modeling, functional modeling and simulation for both digital and analog systems are powerful tools of verification in the mixed-signal (analog and digital) circuit design process. Recently approved IEEE standard 802.3z 1000BASE-X (Gigabit Ethernet) physical layer represents such a mixed signal system. The 1000BASE-X represents a complex and challenging mixed-signal system that transfers data at very high speeds. The system is composed of a Physical Coding Sublayer (PCS) that is entirely digital and a Physical Media Access (PMA) sublayer that is a mixed-signal subsystem but is predominantly analog. In this work, the entire 100OBase-X mixed-signal system was modeled. The digital parts using Verilog[Superscript registered trademark symbol] and the analog parts using SpectreHDL[Superscript registered trademark symbol] (Spectre Hardware Description Language). The top-level integration of the mixed-signal system was achieved using SpectreVerilog[Superscript registered trademark symbol]. The entire physical layer was realized and verified in a 0.35[Mu] CMOS technology. The PCS sublayer was synthesized down to the gate level using Synopsys[Superscript registered trademark symbol]

Novel roles for mucin 1 in the kidney

Purpose of review Recent studies in the kidney have revealed that the well characterized tumor antigen mucin 1 (MUC1/Muc1) also has numerous functions in the normal and injured kidney. Recent findings Mucin 1 is a transmembrane mucin with a robust glycan-dependent apical targeting signal and efficient recycling from endosomes. It was recently reported that the TRPV5 calcium channel is stabilized on the cell surface by galectin-dependent cross-linking to mucin 1, providing a novel mechanism for regulation of ion channels and normal electrolyte balance. Our recent studies in mice show that Muc 1 is induced after ischemia, stabilizing hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1)α and β-catenin levels, and transactivating the HIF-1 and β-catenin protective pathways. However, prolonged induction of either pathway in the injured kidney can proceed from apparent full recovery to chronic kidney disease. A very recent report indicates that aberrant activation of mucin 1 signaling after ischemic injury in mice and humans is associated with development of chronic kidney disease and fibrosis. A frameshift mutation in MUC1 was recently identified as the genetic lesion causing medullary cystic kidney disease type 1, now appropriately renamed MUC1 Kidney Disease. Summary Studies of mucin 1 in the kidney now reveal significant functions for the extracellular mucin-like domain and signaling through the cytoplasmic tail

Smart e-trader: A prototype information management system for UAE stock markets

This paper presents a new online smart trading approach for investors in UAE stock markets. Smart trader is a web-based information management system that provides investors with real time stock market information and personalized stock recommendations. A study was conducted to assess the needs for such system in UAE markets and found a strong demand for it among investors. A new system architecture is also proposed, called smart e- trader, to accommodate investors\u27 new needs and preferences. A prototype system of smart trader has been implemented to evaluate the usefulness and effectiveness of the new approach. The findings of this research suggests that deploying a smart online stock trading applications in UAE markets would help investors make an informative investment decisions as well as assist them manage their stock trading transactions

The Effectiveness of an Educational Program for Developing Tolerance Values and Resistance to Intellectual Extremism at Secondary Level in Jordan

This study aimed to establish an effective educational program based on the rights of non-Muslims in Islamic principles of the development of religious tolerance values and the intellectual resistance of extremism among high school students in Jordan. The study was conducted on a sample of 48 students in 11th grade from Al-Arqam Islamic School, during the second semester of the academic year 2017-2018. A descriptive method was used for gathering the principles of rights for non-Muslims. A semi-empirical method was also used to measure the effectiveness of the educational program on two dependent variables (religious tolerance values, resistance of intellectual extremism), measured with two tools prepared by the researchers: the measure of religious tolerance values, and the measure of resistance to intellectual extremism. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the average performance of both the experimental and control groups in the measures for religious tolerance and resistance to intellectual extremism due to the experimental method of teaching designed for this study