Comparison of oral prednisolone pulse therapy with intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy in severe alopecia areata

Objective: To compare the efficacy of oral prednisolone pulse therapy in comparison to the intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy in treatment of severe alopecia areata. Patients and methods: In this interventional study, all patients with alopecia areata having at least 30% involvement of scalp or more than 10 patches of alopecia in scalp and body, registered during 2006-2009 in dermatologic department of 5-Azar hospital, Gorgan, Northeast of Iran were included. Forty patients with severe alopecia areata were enrolled and divided into 2 groups. Group A was treated with 200 mg oral prednisolone in one dose, every week for 3 months and group B were treated with 500 mg intravenous methylprednisolone on 3 continuous days each month for 6 months. Results: Recovery rate after 1, 3, 6 and 12th months after treatment was significantly higher in group B compared to group A. Side effects included: acne (5 in group A and 7 in group B), heartburn (4 in group A and 5 in B), striae (4 in group A and 6 in group B) and were more seen in group B but it was not significant statistically. The recovery and rate was not significantly different between two sexes. Conclusion: In this study, 500 mg intravenous methylprednisolone in 3 continuous days each month for 6 months showed a better recovery rate in severe alopecia areata. Patients must be warned about the side effects and outcomes

High temperature deformation of hot-pressed polycrystalline orthoenstatite

Artificial hot pressed polycrystalline samples were prepared from purified powder of Bamble, Norway, orthoenstatite, (Mg0.86Fe0.14)SiO3. The uniaxial creep behavior of the polycrystalline orthoenstatite was studied over stress ranges of 10-180 MPa and temperatures of 1500-1700 K (0.82-0.93 T sub m) under two different oxygen fugacities, namely equilibrium (Mo-MoO2 buffer) and a reducing (graphite heating element) atmosphere, respectively. An intergranular glassy phase of different compositions with a cavitational creep deformation were observed. In the Mo-MoO2 buffer atmosphere with PO2 approx. 10 to the minus 11 power - 10 to the minus 13 power atmospheres, the results of an analytical electron microscopy analysis indicate that the glassy phases are richer in Ca and Al due to the residual impurities after hot pressing. In the reducing atmosphere with an oxygen fugacity of PO2 approx. 10 to the minus 3 power - 10 to the minus 25 power atmospheres, the results of analytical electron microscopy analysis indicate that the glassy phase is almost pure silica with the presence of free iron precipitate on grain facets and at triple junctions due to the reduction of bulk materials

Quality improvement in clinical documentation: does clinical governance work?

INTRODUCTION: The quality of nursing documentation is still a challenge in the nursing profession and, thus, in the health care industry. One major quality improvement program is clinical governance, whose mission is to continuously improve the quality of patient care and overcome service quality problems. The aim of this study was to identify whether clinical governance improves the quality of nursing documentation. METHODS: A quasi-experimental method was used to show nursing documentation quality improvement after a 2-year clinical governance implementation. Two hundred twenty random nursing documents were assessed structurally and by content using a valid and reliable researcher made checklist. RESULTS: There were no differences between a nurse's demographic data before and after 2 years (P>0.05) and the nursing documentation score did not improve after a 2-year clinical governance program. CONCLUSION: Although some efforts were made to improve nursing documentation through clinical governance, these were not sufficient and more attempts are needed

Chemical Examples in Hypergroups

Hypergroups first were introduced by Marty in 1934. Up to now many researchers have been working on this field of modern algebra and developed it. It is purpose of this paper to provide examples of hypergroups associated with chemistry. The examples presented are connected to construction from chain reactions

Microstructural evolution during hot deformation of duplex stainless steel

The microstructure evolution during hot deformation of a 23Cr-5Ni-3Mo duplex stainless steel was investigated in torsion. The presence of a soft &delta; ferrite phase in the vicinity of austenite caused strain partitioning, with accommodation of more strain in the &delta; ferrite. Furthermore, owing to the limited number of austenite/austenite grain boundaries, the kinetics of dynamic recrystallisation (DRX) in austenite was very slow. The first DRX grains in the austenite phase formed at a strain beyond the peak and proceeded to &lt;15% of the microstructure at the rupture strain of the sample. On the other hand, the microstructure evolution in &delta; ferrite started by formation of low angle grain boundaries at low strains and the density of these boundaries increased with increasing strain. There was clear evidence of continuous dynamic recrystallisation in this phase at strains beyond the peak. However, in the &delta; ferrite phase at high strains, most grains consisted of &delta;/&delta; and &delta;/&gamma; boundaries.<br /

Population structure of Ferosagitta ferox (Chaetognatha) in the northwest coastal waters of the Persian Gulf

Population dynamics of Ferosagitta ferox (Chaetognatha) was carried out in coastal waters of Khur-e-Mussa's Channel in Khuzestan Province, northwest Persian Gulf. Monthly samples were collected with 300km mesh size plankton net in oblique tow from near bottom to surface waters. In total, 7 species of Chaetognaths were identified belonging to 1 class (Sagittoidea), 1 order (Aphragmophora), 2 families (Sagittidae and Krohnittidae) and 4 genera (Aidanosagitta, Ferosagitta, Flaccisagitta and Krohnitta). The identified species included A. Bedford, A. neglecta, F. ferox, Flaccisagitta enflata, F. hexaptera, Krohnitta pacifica and one unknown species. Due to presence and excessive frequency of F. ferox in all samples, we focused on its population variation as an indicator of Chaetognatha. We determined length groups for adult individuals in 4-21mm range with 1mm increments. The year round presence of juvenile and small individuals showed the continuous reproduction of F. ferox with two considerable peaks in March and July. The evaluated recruitment indicated that the species has a low growth rate and a long life cycle