Study of the fate of curare (dextro-tubocurarine chloride) in the body

1. The method described by Jalon for estimating tubocurarine by its action on the frog's rectus abdominus, was adopted for determining the drug equivalent of tissue extracts and biological fluids. This method was used to follow the fate of the drug in man and animals.2. The immediate volume of distribution on intravenous injection corresponds to the plasma volume. The drug does not enter the blood cells. It disappears from the plasma exponentially with a halving time of about thirteen minutes. These conclusions apply both to man and to rabbits.3. In the conscious human subject, a concentration of 4μg. per ml. in the plasma causes complete paralysis. A concentration of 1µg. per ml. has very little effect.4. About 20-40% of the drug appears in the urine. This percentage may be increased by water diuresis. Excretion continues for several hours, even when the paralysis only lasts about half an hour.5. The main route of disappearance of the drug from the body does not depend on the kidneys, since double nephrectomy in rats did no more than slightly delay full recovery from paralysis. By extracting whole mice, it was shown that about 60% of the dose was inactivated in the body within four hours.Since subtotal hepatectomy in rats did not appreciably affect the duration of paralysis, the liver is probably not the main site of inactivation. It is possible that inactivation occurs in voluntary muscles, which were found to contain 40% of the dose in an experiment on rabbits.6. The effective dose by oral administration in rats is about 100 times the effective dose by intramuscular administration. Absorption occurs in the small intestine but not in the stomach. On intravenous injection, appreciable quantities (12% of the dose) may be excreted in the stomch.7. A rapid intravenous injection of tubocurarine usually causes bronchoconstriction in guinea-pigs.A second injection has no such effect.The effect may be prevented or interrupted by neoantergan and is probably due to the release of histamine. The best way to avoid this effect in the clinical use of tubocurarine is to give the injection slowly. Slow injections of large doses in guinea -pigs had no effect on the bronchi, although a dose ten to fifteen times smaller caused bronchoconstriction when given rapidly

Accuracy and precision of phytonematode sampling plans

Sampling accuracy and precision are basic to nematode research and rational management decision. Taylor's Power Law is used to determine sample size. The published power law parameters are used here differently to define levels of reliability associated with a fixed, cost-determined, sample size. Such levels may provide the decision-maker with more informative data on sampling methods and their reliabilities. Instead of solving for unknown sample number, the rearranged equation to solve for sampling accuracy permitted the use of exact Student’s t-values. The t-values for confidence limits and standard normal variate were used. Both statistical techniques resulted in identical confidence band, in terms of being below, at, or above the economic threshold level, in the majority of cases. Reckoning with new trends in collecting and processing samples, a 99% confidence interval above action threshold of Tylenchulus semipenetrans population with mean = 2500 at a precision of 80% or more would be attainable

The role of family background on adolescent khat chewing behavior in Jazan Region

BACKGROUND: Khat is a well-known natural stimulant from the Catha edulis plant and is widely used in certain Red Sea countries, including Yemen and the province of Jazan in Saudi Arabia. Jazan is located in the southwestern part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia adjacent to Yemen, where the practice of khat chewing is deeply rooted throughout the entire population. The main objective of this paper was to assess the association between family background, i.e., parent and sibling khat use, and adolescents' khat chewing behavior in Jazan. Other variables were also tested for association, including parents' education levels, family income, and peer influence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample (n = 4,100) of intermediate and upper secondary school students of Jazan. The participants were selected using a three-stage cluster random sampling. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, a chi-squared test, and logistic regression were performed to examine the associations and predictors of khat chewing. RESULTS: A total of 3,923 students of both genders from 72 intermediate and upper secondary schools in Jazan were involved in this study. Of these participants, 42.8% (1,678) were from intermediate schools and 43.8% (1,717) were females. The prevalence of current khat chewing among the students was 20.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 19.27–21.79) and was significantly higher for males at 33.1% (95% CI 31.16–35.08) than for females, of whom 4.3% (95% CI 3.39–5.31) (P < 0.001) chew khat. The multivariate logistic regression analysis suggests that the most important independent predictors of student khat chewing included the students' smoking status (odds ratio (OR) = 14.03, P < 0.001), a friend using khat (OR = 5.65, P < 0.001), a sister using khat (OR = 2.04, P < 0.05), a father using khat (OR = 1.45, P < 0.001), and a brother using khat (OR = 1.56, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results highlight the significant impact of peer and familial khat abuse in adolescent khat chewing behavior. The findings suggest that khat control programs need to focus on peers and family members to reduce the prevalence of the habit along with its unfavorable consequences

Effect of Lavender Oil Inhalation on Injection Pain Intensity Among Children Undergoing Vaccination

Background: Pain control and management are the most critical aspects of basic needs, human rights, and nursing care in children. Aim: to evaluate the effect of lavender oil inhalation on injection pain intensity among children undergoing vaccination Design: A quasi experimental research design was utilized to fit the aim of the study. Setting: the study was conducted in selected governmental, ministry of health and population pediatric primary health centers (health offices). Sample: A purposive sample of 100 child, who attended primary health care centers to receive vaccination injections were enrolled either in control (50) or intervention (50) group randomly. Data collection tools: 1) Structured interview questionnaire, related to the personal characteristics of vaccinated children and nurses who give the vaccine; 2) The Modified Behavioral Pain Scale (MBPS) developed by Taddio et al. (1995). 3) cry duration measured in seconds. Results: There was a highly significant difference between the total pain scores and cry duration of control and intervention group immediately and five minutes after injection with p.≤ 0.05. There was a highly significant positive correlation between total scores of MBPS immediately and five minutes after injection with cry duration in control group. While there was a highly significant correlation between total scores of MBPS five minutes after injection and cry duration in intervention group (P ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: children who were in the intervention group and received lavender oil inhalation after the injection showed lower pain scores using the MBPS scale and shorter cry duration after vaccination injection than those who were in the control group. Recommendation: pediatric nurses need to conduct more strict experimental randomized trials on larger representative samples to evaluate effect of lavender oil inhalation on injection pain reduction among children. Keywords: pain, vaccination, children, pediatric nurses, lavender oil inhalation DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/73-08 Publication date: April 30th 2020

Cartilage loss patterns within femorotibial contact regions during deep knee bend

AbstractOsteoarthritis (OA) can alter knee kinematics and stresses. The relationship between cartilage loss in OA and kinematics is unclear, with existing work focusing on static wear and morphology. In this work, femorotibial cartilage maps were coupled with kinematics to investigate the relationship between kinematics and cartilage loss, allowing for more precise treatment and intervention. Cartilage thickness maps were created from healthy and OA subgroups (varus, valgus, and neutral) and mapped to a statistical bone atlas. Video fluoroscopy determined contact regions from 0° to 120° flexion. Varus and valgus subgroups displayed different wear patterns across the range of flexion, with varus knees showing more loss in early flexion and valgus in deeper flexion. For the femur, varus knees had more wear in the medial compartment than neutral or valgus and most wear at both 0° and 20° flexion. In the lateral femoral compartment, the valgus subgroup showed significantly more wear from 20° to 60° flexion as compared to other angles, though varus knees displayed highest magnitude of wear. For the tibia, most medial wear occurred at 0–40° flexion and most lateral occurred after 60° flexion. Knowing more about cartilage changes in OA knees provides insight as to expected wear or stresses on implanted components after arthroplasty. Combining cartilage loss patterns with kinematics allows for pre-surgical intervention and treatments tailored to the patient׳s alignment and kinematics. Reported wear patterns may also serve as a gauge for post-operative loading to be considered when placing implant components

Peace impact on health: population access to iodized salt in south Sudan in post-conflict period

Aim To determine the population access to salt/iodized salt during and after the armed conflict in south Sudan and to illustrate geographical variations in population consumption of iodized salt in south Sudan after the armed conflict. Methods The sources of data for the conflict period were the 2004 Toward a Baseline: Best Estimates of Social Indicators for Southern Sudan study report and the 2000 Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey, and for the post-conflict period the 2005 Sudan Household Health Survey (SHHS) data set. Results After peace agreement, population access to salt increased by 6.8% (Z = 5.488, P < 0.001) and the consumption of iodized salt increased by 32.9% (Z = 24.668, P < 0.001). More than 73% of families were using iodized salt but geographical differences existed between states. Conclusion Peace had positive impact on population access to iodized salt in south Sudan. Public health authorities in south Sudan need to establish quality monitoring and surveillance systems to track progress toward Universal Salt Iodization goal defined by the World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund, and the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders

Ontario High School Science Word List (OHSWL)

This research aims to explain the development of an Ontario High School Science Corpus and subsequently an Ontario High School Science Word List (OHSWL). The OHSWL is a list of the most frequent technical words in the Ontario high school science curriculum. The science corpus was compiled from Ontario science textbooks and public written lecture material. A total of 803 lemmas were identified as part of the OHSWL. The coverage of the OHSWL in the science corpus vs non-science corpus is 7.79% and 1.52% respectively. The high frequency vocabulary (top 3,000 words) of the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) and OHSWL had a coverage of 85.44% and 75.67% in the science corpus compared to the non-science corpus. With an approximately 10% difference in coverage, the OHSWL proves to be a significant source of vocabulary for an Ontario science learner. While coverage of the first and second 1,000 words of the COCA were greater in the science corpus compared to the OHSWL, coverage of the third 1,000 words was only marginally greater. Therefore, past the top 3,000 words of the COCA, the greatest value for someone learning the Ontario science curriculum is achieved by knowing the OHSWL. This corpus-based study has the potential of helping students in Ontario, regardless of whether they speak English as their first language or not

Frontal Electroencephalogram α‑Asymmetry during the Luteal Phase of the Menstrual Cycle in Women with Premenstrual Syndrome

Background: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that causes significant distress and interferes with normal functioning. Aim: The aim of this work was to assess the resting frontal electroencephalographic patterns in females who meet criteria for PMS and PMDD. Subjects and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted on 150 female participants, of which 145 had PMS, and 45 were control women. All cases were counseled about the procedure. Furthermore, a written consent was taken from every patient. Cases were asked about their current phase of the cycle, in order to determine cycle timing. The custom PMDD interview involved asking each woman a series of questions concerning PMDD symptoms. This structured interview was created from the DSM‑IV‑TR criteria for PMDD. Women with PMDD were asked to complete a daily symptom rating checklist for three consecutive cycles. The ensuing methods were undertaken for each patient, including history taking, general, local and fundus examination, and routine investigations, and were submitted to resting electroencephalogram (EEG) examination during both follicular and luteal phases of the cycle. Results: Seventy percent of women with PMS and 75% of women with PMDD exhibited left frontal activity at rest, during the luteal phase of the cycle (P &lt;0.001). Conclusions: We concluded that resting luteal phase of EEG frontal asymmetry must be added to the research criteria for PMDD (DSM‑IV‑TR).Keywords: Electroencephalogram, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, premenstrual tension, premenstrual syndrome, Tanta University Hospita

Hybrid Modelling for Vineyard Harvesting Operations

Hiring workers under seasonal recruiting contracts causes significant variation of workers skills in the vineyards. This leads to inconsistent workers performance, reduction in harvesting efficiency, and increasing in grape losses rates. The objective of this research is to investigate how the variation in workers experience could impact vineyard harvesting productivity and operational cost. The complexity of the problem means that it is difficult to analyze the system parameters and their relationships using individual analytical model. Hence, a hybrid model integrating discrete event simulation (DES) and agent based modeling (ABM) is developed and applied on a vineyard to achieve research objective. DES models harvesting operation and simulates process performance, while ABM addresses the seasonal workers heterogeneous characteristics, particularly experience variations and disparity of working days in the vineyard. The model is used to evaluate two seasonal recruiting policies against vineyard productivity, grape losses quantities, and total operational cost