Bone cross-sectional geometry in male runners, gymnasts, swimmers and non-athletic controls: a hip-structural analysis study.

Loading of the skeleton is important for the development of a functionally and mechanically appropriate bone structure, and can be achieved through impact exercise. Proximal femur cross-sectional geometry was assessed in the male athletes (n = 55) representing gymnastics, endurance running and swimming, and non-athletic controls (n = 22). Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (iDXA, GE Healthcare, UK) measurements of the total body (for body composition) and the left proximal femur were obtained. Advanced hip structural analysis (AHA) was utilised to determine the areal bone mineral density (aBMD), hip axis length (HAL), cross-sectional area (CSA), cross-sectional moment of inertia (CSMI) and the femoral strength index (FSI). Gymnasts and runners had greater age, height and weight adjusted aBMD than in swimmers and controls (p < 0.05). Gymnasts and runners had greater resistance to axial loads (CSA) and the runners had increased resistance against bending forces (CSMI) compared to swimmers and controls (p < 0.01). Controls had a lower FSI compared to gymnasts and runners (1.4 vs. 1.8 and 2.1, respectively, p < 0.005). Lean mass correlated with aBMD, CSA and FSI (r = 0.365-0.457, p < 0.01), particularly in controls (r = 0.657-0.759, p < 0.005). Skeletal loading through the gymnastics and running appears to confer a superior bone geometrical advantage in the young adult men. The importance of lean body mass appears to be of particular significance for non-athletes. Further characterisation of the bone structural advantages associated with different sports would be of value to inform the strategies directed at maximising bone strength and thus, preventing fracture

Language, perception and production in profoundly deaf children

Prelingually profoundly deaf children usually experience problems with language learning (Webster, 1986; Campbell, Burden & Wright, 1992). The acquisition of written language would be no problem for them if normal development of reading and writing was not dependent on spoken language (Pattison, 1986). However, such children cannot be viewed as a homogeneous group since some, the minority, do develop good linguistic skills. Group studies have identified several factors relating to language skills: hearing loss and level of loss, I.Q., intelligibility, lip-reading, use of phonology and memory capacity (Furth, 1966; Conrad, 1979; Trybus & Karchmer, 1977; Jensema, 1975; Baddeley, Papagno & Vallar, 1988; Baddeley & Wilson, 1988; Hanson, 1989; Lake, 1980; Daneman & Carpenter,1980). These various factors appear to be interrelated, with phonological awareness being implicated in most. So to understand behaviour, measures of all these factors must be obtained. The present study aimed to achieve this whilst investigating the prediction that performance success may be due to better use of phonological information. Because linguistic success for the deaf child is exceptional, a case study approach was taken to avoid obscuring subtle differences in performance. Subjects were screened to meet 6 research criteria: profound prelingual deafness, no other known handicap, English the first language in the home, at least average non-verbal IQ , reading age 7-9 years and inter-subject dissimilarities between chronological reading age discrepancies. Case histories were obtained from school records and home interviews. Six subjects with diverse linguistic skills were selected, four of which undertook all tests. Phonological awareness and development was assessed across several variables: immediate memory span, intelligibility, spelling, rhyme judgement, speech discrimination and production. There was considerable inter-subject performance difference. One boy's speech production was singled out for a more detailed analysis. Useful aided hearing and consistent contrastive speech appear to be implicated in other English language skills. It was concluded that for phonological awareness to develop, the deaf child must receive useful inputs from as many media as possible (e.g., vision, audition, articulation, sign and orthography). When input is biassed toward the more reliable modalities of audition and articulation, there is a greater possibility of a robust and useful phonology being derived and thus better access to the English language

Screening of Epiphytic Algae on the Aquatic Plant Phragmites australis inhabiting Tigris River in Al-Jadria Site, Baghdad, Iraq

The present work included qualitative study of epiphytic algae on dead and living stems, leaves of the aquatic plant Phragmitesaustralis Trin ex Stand, in Tigris River in AL- Jadria Site in Baghdad during Autumn 2014, Winter 2015, Spring 2015, and Summer 2015. The physical and chemical parameters of River’s water were studied (water temperature, pH, electric conductivity, Salinity, TSS, TDS, turbidity, light intensity, dissolve oxygen, BOD5, alkalinity, total hardness, calcium, magnesium and plant nutrient). A total of 142 isolates of epiphytic algae were identified. Diatoms were dominant by 117 isolates followed by Cyanobacteria (13isolates), Chlorophyta (11 isolates) and Rhodophyta (1 isolate), Variations in the isolates number were recorded on different parts of macrophyte host as well as, indifferent seasons. Eight new algal isolates (Achnanthesexigue var. heterovalvata Krasske, Navicula exilissima Grunow, Navicula falaisiensis var lanceola Grunow, Navicula microcephalo Grunow, Pleurosigma obscurum W. Smith, Stauroneis amphioxys var. amphioxys Gregory, Stenopterobia intermedia Lewis and Audouinella hermannii Roth).were identified as new records

Study on Nutritional Problems in Preschool Aged Children of Kaski District of Nepal

Undernutrition remains a key public health burden in Nepal. This study aimed to measure knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about nutritious food amongst mothers of 3 – 5-year-olds from rural and urban areas. A cross-sectional mixed-methods approach comprised a quantitative survey and qualitative focus groups. The community-based survey included 524 mothers of children who are no longer breastfed. Open-ended and structured questions investigated knowledge, beliefs and attitudes about nutritious food, child feeding patterns, and major barriers, food insecurity, and health-seeking behaviours. Focus groups were held with key informants, a thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative data. Results: Major barriers to recommending nutritious foods included: lack of knowledge (19%); cost (21%); and culture/beliefs (7%). Nearly 55% children were given fruit once a week. Almost 37% of mothers never gave meat, fish and egg regularly to their children and 34% did not choose healthy food from stores, and 12% lacked food. Most children (57%) had been taken at least once to a spiritual healer and 16% had been taken more than once. The qualitative analysis suggested that important factors of knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about healthy diet are poverty, education, strong cultural beliefs, family size, household income, time and a growing preference for fast food. Conclusion: Knowledge of and attitudes towards nutritious food is still poor. Beliefs about food practice are strongly embedded in Nepal. Thus, this study shows that policymakers should consider a public health intervention and approach based around changing these largely cultural beliefs and behaviours

Les tumeurs malignes primitives de l'intestin grêle: aspects cliniques et thérapeutiques de 27 patients

Les tumeurs malignes de l'intestin gr&ecirc;le (TMPIG) sont des tumeurs rares. Elles repr&eacute;sentent 1 &agrave; 5% de toutes les tumeurs du tube digestif. Elles sont caract&eacute;ris&eacute;es par une h&eacute;t&eacute;rog&eacute;n&eacute;it&eacute; anatomopathologique et une symptomatologie pauvre et non sp&eacute;cifique entrainant ainsi un retard diagnostic, des difficult&eacute;s Th&eacute;rapeutiques et donc un mauvais pronostic. Nous rapportant les caract&eacute;ristiques &eacute;pid&eacute;miologiques, diagnostiques et th&eacute;rapeutiques ainsi que la survie des patients atteints des TMIG au sein de l&rsquo;institut national d&rsquo;oncologie de Rabat. Il s&rsquo;agit d&rsquo;une analyse r&eacute;trospective des dossiers cliniques des 27 patients ayant le diagnostic de tumeurs malignes de l&rsquo;intestin gr&ecirc;le admis dans notre institut entre 1998 et 2002. L&rsquo;&acirc;ge m&eacute;dian &eacute;tait de 46 ans (15-70 ans). Le d&eacute;lai m&eacute;dian de diagnostic &eacute;tait de 6 mois (0-96 mois). La douleur abdominale &eacute;tait le sympt&ocirc;me le plus fr&eacute;quent (77.8%). L&rsquo;&eacute;tude anatomopathologique a montr&eacute; 63% de lymphome non Hodgkinien, 14.8% d&rsquo;ad&eacute;nocarcinome, 7.4% de tumeur stromale, 7.4% de carcinome neuroendocrine et 7.4% de sarcome intestinal. Vingt patients (76. 9%) ont eu une r&eacute;section chirurgicale et 14 patients (53. 8%) ont eu une chimioth&eacute;rapie en fonction du stade de la maladie et du type histologique. Apr&egrave;s un recul m&eacute;dian de 11.6 mois, la survie globale apr&egrave;s 12 mois &eacute;tait de 44.4% et la m&eacute;diane de survie &eacute;tait de 11.6 mois. Les tumeurs malignes de l&rsquo;intestin gr&ecirc;le sont rares. Leur diagnostic est tardif limitant ainsi la prise en charge th&eacute;rapeutique curative. Les cliniciens doivent &ecirc;tre avertis des sympt&ocirc;mes gastro-intestinaux non sp&eacute;cifiques.Key words: Intestin gr&ecirc;le, tumeur maligne, diagnostic, chirurgie, chimioth&eacute;rapie, survie, Maro

Effects of Some Essential Oils on Aspergillus flavus Growth and Aflatoxin Production

The present study aimed at investigating the effects of some essential oils on inhibiting fungal growth of A. flavus and aflatoxin production. Clove oil was found as the best among the six different oils tested against the radial growth at the concentration of 0.05. mL/100ml. However the other oils were also significantly better than the control except the Pumpkin oil. Different concentrations (0.00, 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 ml/100ml) of only three of the oils were tested against the radial growth of A. flavus. Clove and Cumin oils were significantly effective than the control at all these concentrations. Although Pumpkin oil was slightly more effective than the control at its higher concentration (0.05) ml/100ml), it was not effective at its lower concentrations (0.01 and 0.03 ml/100ml). Clove oil was also the best in suppressing mycelial growth at the concentration of 0.05 ml/100ml. However, the other oils were also significantly better than the control, while, Pumpkin oil was non-effective. Spore germination was also affected by the oils tested. Clove oil gave complete inhibition at its higher concentration followed by Cumin, Rehan, Garlic and Desert date, while Pumpkin oil was the least one. Aflatoxin production was highly affected by the essential oils tested. Clove and Cumin exhibited a complete inhibition, followed by Rehan; Garlic and Desert date while Pumpkin oil was non-effective

Some colouring problems for Paley graphs

The Paley graph Pq, where q≡1(mod4) is a prime power, is the graph with vertices the elements of the finite field Fq and an edge between x and y if and only if x-y is a non-zero square in Fq. This paper gives new results on some colouring problems for Paley graphs and related discussion. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Nurse-led interventions among older adults affected by cancer: an integrative review.

Aging can introduce significant changes in health, cognition, function, social, and emotional status among older adults affected by cancer. Little is known about how existing nurse-led interventions address the needs of older adults. The objective was to identify existing nurse-led interventions among older adults to optimize recovery and survivorship needs. A integrative systematic review was reported conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 Guidelines. Electronic databases (APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases) were searched using key search terms. Articles were assessed for inclusion according to a pre-determined eligibility criterion. Data extraction and quality appraisal were conducted. Findings were integrated in a narrative synthesis. 21 studies were included and a total of 4,253 participants represented. There were a range of study designs: quantitative (n=10), randomised controlled trials (n=6), mixed methods studies (n=3), qualitative (n=1) and a non-randomised controlled study (n=1). Most participants had prostate cancer with some representation in colorectal, lung, head and neck, renal, oesophageal, and mixed cancer patient populations. This review shows a lack of evidence on the inclusion of geriatric assessments for older people with cancer within existing nurse-led interventions. Further research is needed to test nurse-led interventions with the inclusion of geriatric assessments, and their contribution in the multidisciplinary team across the cancer care continuum for various cancer patient populations