Peritoneal implantation of ureter in cadaveric renal transplant

Case reportWe report here a case of complication of peritoneal implantation of ureter in cadaveric renal transplant. The patient presented with anuria and delayed graft function. The diagnosis was suspected upon physical examination and radiological investigation. The complication was managed with reimplantation of the ureter into the bladder and the patient recovered with good graft function. We discuss this case, review the literature on this rare complication, and share our suggestions on how it can be prevented.published_or_final_versio

Estimation of water pollution by genetic biomarkers in tilapia and catfish species shows species-site interaction

This study was aimed at the estimation of water pollution with heavy metals using four biomarkers as well as to study the species-site interaction. Two species of tilapia as well as two catfish species caught from four sites that represent differential environmental stresses were used for this purpose. Water samples and gills were analyzed for heavy metal contents. Three enzyme biomarkers (acid phosphatase (AP), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), metalothionein (MT) gene expression) as well as real time PCR quantification of metalothionein transcripts from liver were used to monitor fish response to water pollutants. Results showed various activities of the four biomarkers at the different studied sites. There were clear interaction between fish species and the level of heavy metals. Real time PCR evaluation of metalothionein gene expression revealed species variations at similar sites. It is concluded that there are various types of interaction of species at different sites. These types of interaction depend on the type of biomarker tested

Subcapsular hematoma after ureteroscopy and laser lithotripsy

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Laser tweezers for atomic solitons

We describe a controllable and precise laser tweezers for Bose-Einstein condensates of ultracold atomic gases. In our configuration, a laser beam is used to locally modify the sign of the scattering length in the vicinity of a trapped BEC. The induced attractive interactions between atoms allow to extract and transport a controllable number of atoms. We analyze, through numerical simulations, the number of emitted atoms as a function of the width and intensity of the outcoupling beam. We also study different configurations of our system, as the use of moving beams. The main advantage of using the control laser beam to modify the nonlinear interactions in comparison to the usual way of inducing optical forces, i.e. through linear trapping potentials, is to improve the controllability of the outcoupled solitary wave-packet, which opens new possibilities for engineering macroscopic quantum states.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure

Application des méthodes statistiques et géostatistiques à l’étude de la conductivité électrique des eaux souterraines de la région du N’zi-Comoé (Centre-Est de la Côte d’Ivoire)

La région du N’zi-Comoé est située au Centre-Est de la Côte d’Ivoire. L’approvisionnement en eau potable des populations rurales est assuré majoritairement par les forages d’hydraulique villageoise. Ces eaux appartiennent à un environnement géologique de socle cristallin et cristallophyllien. Les formations géologiques sont constituées de roches magmatiques (granites, migmatites, gneiss) et métamorphiques (schistes, grès, roches vertes). La détermination de la qualité des eaux souterraines peut être appréciée par la conductivité électrique (CE). Elle représente un paramètre physique de l’eau qui fournit des informations sur sa minéralisation. Le but de cette étude est de comprendre l’environnement physico-chimique et l’évolution spatiale de la minéralisation des eaux souterraines des aquifères fissurés de la région du N’zi-Comoé à partir d’un descripteur performant qui est la conductivité électrique (CE). La méthodologie appliquée est fondée sur une approche pluridisciplinaire intégrant les analyses statistiques et géostatistiques, avec un échantillon de 193 forages. L’analyse en composantes principales normées (ACPN) a confirmé que la conductivité électrique des eaux souterraines est influencée par les paramètres physico-chimiques de l’eau. Cependant, elle n’est pas influencée par l’épaisseur d’altération et l’épaisseur forée dans le niveau fissuré. L’analyse géostatistique a montré que le modèle exponentiel modélise au mieux la conductivité électrique, variable régionalisée et structurée. La cartographie de la conductivité électrique, en tenant compte de sa structure spatiale, a permis de mettre en évidence une répartition hétérogène dans l’espace de la minéralisation avec les plus fortes valeurs dans le Sud-Ouest et le Nord-Est.Mots clés: Minéralisation; ACPN; Analyse variographique; Cartographie; Aquifères fissurés; Côte d’Ivoir

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice in Electronic Education Among Teaching Staff and Students in Governmental Medical Faculties - Khartoum State

Background: Electronic education (E-education) is used worldwide as a basic tool for medical education for its advanced improving in medical training. In spite of its wide use in the system of the medical faculties in Sudan, e-education has not taken its right place yet.Objectives: To explore knowledge, attitude and practice (K.A.P) in  electronic education among teaching staff and students in governmental medical faculties in Khartoum state 2013.Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, and institution-based study. A sample of 31 teachers and 345 students were chosen using stratified random sample. Structured pretested questionnaire was used for data collection. Data collected were fed to Statistical Packagefor Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.Results: Knowledge about e-education was excellent (91.3%), attitude was highly positive (83.9%) and practice was good among73.1%of the teachers. And among students knowledge about elearning was excellent (96.8%), attitude was positive in 70.4% and practice was average among52.2% of them.Conclusion: The research shows a good K.A.P among the majority of the students and teachers in Governmental Khartoum State medical faculties especially among teachers. The K.A.P. increases with age among teachers and increases in the clinical level among students. The faculties which take care of e-education and made workshops show higher K.A.P. compared with other faculties. The faculties should take attention to e-education and introduce it in the most ideal way, and more researches should be  conducted in this field.Key words: E-education, teaching staff and students, Khartoum state Governmental medical faculties

Attitude towards psychiatric treatment and referral pattern in the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital- A preliminary report

Objective: There is a paucity of literature on consultation-liaison psychiatry, in northern Nigeria. This study aimed to determine both the pattern of psychiatric referrals, and the attitudes of doctors toward the treatment of mental disorders in a teaching hospital, in northeast Nigeria. Method: In this cross-sectional survey, we used a modified version of the self-rated Kumar 12-item questionnaire and a basic socio-demographic questionnaire to assess a non-random convenient sample of 100 postgraduate resident doctors (with a response rate of 70%) from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). We subjected the dataobtained to descriptive statistical analysis, using EPI info (2003), to report averages. Results: A relatively low percentage (57.1%) of doctors acknowledged treating patients with mental disorders in their practice, with a higher proportion acknowledging referral (75%). Nearly one in five (17.6%) of the respondents were unaware that patients with functional illness could have psychological disorders. We found more awareness for psychotherapy (44.1%) than other non-pharmacological treatment interventions, while10.3% were ignorant of non-pharmacological forms of treatment for psychological problems. Conclusion: Although this is a preliminary report, the research reported here demonstrated that doctors in the teaching hospital concerned recognized the need for psychiatric consultation and referral. It is difficult to draw further conclusions because of the limitations of this study.Keywords: Consultation; Liaison; Psychiatry; northern Nigeri

Millennium development goals—Knowledge and attainability as perceived by doctors: A case study

Objective: To audit the knowledge of doctors and evaluate their disposition toward the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).Materials and Methods: Semi-structured questionnaires requesting information about knowledge of the acronym “MDGs” were administered on willing doctors at three tertiary health centers: University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centre, Bida, and Federal Medical Centre, Yola. Data were analyzed using frequency tables and simple statistical methods.Results: One hundred and eighty-three doctors participated in the study, comprising 65 (35.5%) from Bida, 18 (9.8%) from Yola, and 100 (54.7%) from Ilorin, with a male to female ratio of 2:1 (P < 0.05). Thirty-nine respondents (21.3%) had no fore knowledge of MDG (P < 0.05). Only 77 (42.1%) of the respondents who had fore knowledge of “MDG” knew the number of goals to be eight (P < 0.05). Among those who had fore knowledge of MDG, only 34 comprising 15 (10.4%, Bida), 1 (0.7%, Yola), and 18 (12.5%, Ilorin) could correctly list a minimum of four of the MDGs (P < 0.05). Only 12 (8.3%) of the respondents believed that the MDGs are very achievable.Conclusion: There is an absolute need for more elaborate publicity on the MDGs among doctors as they are key players if attaining the MDGs is to be a reality

Quasi-periodic X-ray brightness fluctuations in an accreting millisecond pulsar

The relativistic plasma flows onto neutron stars that are accreting material from stellar companions can be used to probe strong-field gravity as well as the physical conditions in the supranuclear-density interiors of neutron stars. Plasma inhomogeneities orbiting a few kilometres above the stars are observable as X-ray brightness fluctuations on the millisecond dynamical timescale of the flows. Two frequencies in the kilohertz range dominate these fluctuations: the twin kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (kHz QPOs). Competing models for the origins of these oscillations (based on orbital motions) all predict that they should be related to the stellar spin frequency, but tests have been difficult because the spins were not unambiguously known. Here we report the detection of kHz QPOs from a pulsar whose spin frequency is known. Our measurements establish a clear link between kHz QPOs and stellar spin, but one not predicted by any current model. A new approach to understanding kHz QPOs is now required. We suggest that a resonance between the spin and general relativistic orbital and epicyclic frequencies could provide the observed relation between QPOs and spin.Comment: Published in the 2003 July 3 issue of Natur

Transport properties of Layer-Antiferromagnet CuCrS2: A possible thermoelectric material

The electrical, thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of the quenched, annealed and slowly cooled phases of the layer compound CuCrS2 have been reported between 15K to 300K. We also confirm the antiferromagnetic transition at 40K in them by our magnetic measurements between 2K and 300K. The crystal flakes show a minimum around 100K in their in-plane resistance behavior. For the polycrystalline pellets the resistivity depends on their flaky texture and it attains at most 10 to 20 times of the room temperature value at the lowest temperature of measurement. The temperature dependence is complex and no definite activation energy of electronic conduction can be discerned. We find that the Seebeck coefficient is between 200-450 microV/K and is unusually large for the observed resistivity values of between 5-100 mOhm-cm at room temperature. The figure of merit ZT for the thermoelectric application is 2.3 for our quenched phases, which is much larger than 1 for useful materials. The thermal conductivity K is mostly due to lattice conduction and is reduced by the disorder in Cu- occupancy in our quenched phase. A dramatic reduction of electrical and thermal conductivity is found as the antiferromagnetic transition is approached from the paramagnetic region, and K subsequently rises in the ordered phase. We discuss the transport properties as being similar to a doped Kondo-insulator