Talus Bone: Unique Anatomy

The talus, also called astragalus bone, is a small, irregular bone that sits on top of the other bones of the foot. It is the only link between the leg bones and the bones of the foot. Despite its small size, it is made up of dense and strong bones. It transfers the weight of the human body through the tibia to the foot. Reviewing and re-reading the anatomy of talus is absolutely essential for physicians and orthopedic surgeons for proper diagnosis and management of any disorder. This is because it enters into many joints that can affect human movements in walking, running and even correct standing

Congenital Vertical Talus

The talus is a very important bone in the foot skeleton. It represents the connection between the leg bones and the other bones of the foot. Its normal anatomy is correlated to its good function. The bone may be exposed to congenital anatomical variations and deformities, including congenital vertical talus (CVT), which affect the shape and movements of the foot. Although CVT is rare, it is important to keep in mind the possibility of CVT when examining a foot defect in newborns to avoid neglecting its treatment and subsequent complications and to avoid extensive surgical intervention

Neurocognitive Effects of Primary Brain Tumors

Cognitive impairment, a common finding with the brain tumors, may result from the tumor itself or the treatment used: surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy. Surgery for brain tumors improves the cognitive function due to reduction of compression as in case of removal of noninvasive tumors. Stability of cognitive function also was observed after tumor resection, such as tumors of third ventricle. Postoperative cognitive worsening was observed. Postoperative worsening of executive functions may correlate to volume of the operated area. Cognitive deficits may follow radiotherapy by several months to many years. These deficits may be due to vascular injury, local radionecrosis, and cerebral atrophy. This usually involves multiple domains, including memory, attention, executive function, and intelligence. The irradiated volume of brain tissue has great impact on cognition. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and proton beam therapy result in greater sparing of healthy brain tissue and allow for a more-targeted delivery of radiation and smaller penetration of tissue beyond the tumor consequently reduce the risk of cognitive deficit after radiotherapy. Chemotherapy treatment in brain tumor seems to have a role in cognitive dysfunction deficits. The toxicity of chemotherapy increased when was given during or after radiotherapy. Chemotherapeutic agents, such as BCNU, CDDP, cytosine arabinoside, and intrathecal or intravenous methotrexate, have toxic effect to the CNS. Glioblastoma patients undergoing radiotherapy with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide treatment do not develop cognitive deterioration. Patients with brain tumors face the challenge of cognitive impairment due to the tumor itself or treatments. Cognitive deficits in processing speed, memory, attention, and executive functions interfere with patients’ daily life activities. Cognitive rehabilitation program has proven to be effective in patients with primary brain tumors. Cognitive impairments have a large impact on self-care, social and professional functioning, and consequently on quality of life. Preventing these late effects is a challenge for the medical team, psychologists, and rehabilitation specialists. Prevention depends in part on being able to predict those at greatest risk. Advances in neurosurgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy techniques are helping to a great extent, but may not be totally successful at preventing these late effects

THE IMPACT OF INTERACTIVE INTERNAL AUDIT FUNCTION QUALITY DETERMINANTS AND COORDINATION ON AUDIT REPORT LAG

The current study has three main objectives: (1) to investigate the joint impact of internal audit function (IAF) independence factors and competence on the coordination between IAF and external auditor (EA); (2) to examine the effect of coordination on audit report lag; (3) to investigate the joint impact of IAF independence factors and competence on audit report lag. To the best of the researchers’ knowledge there is no previous study shed the light on the interactive impact of IAF quality determinants on coordination and on audit delay. In addition, this study is the first that examines the mediating effect of coordination on the associations between the interactive IAF quality determinants and audit report lag. This paper is conducted based on a sample of Lebanese banks operating in Lebanon, focusing on the three-year period from 2016 to 2018. The researchers adopt the Partial Least Square (PLS) 3 for analyzing data and testing the posited hypotheses. The results show that the first and second interactions between IAF independence factors and competence have respectively moderate and weak positive effect on coordination. The outcomes also show that the first and second interactions have respectively weak and moderate negative effect on audit report lag. However, both coordination and bank size (control variable) have no effect on audit report lag. The results also reveal that there is no mediating effect of coordination on the associations between each of interaction (1) and (2) and audit report lag. This study has some limitations that can be used as base for further future research. For example, the current paper is conducted on a small sample size that may limit the power of this research to generalize its findings. The results of this study provide significant insights to the board of directors, audit committees (ACs), IAFs, managements, and EAs of the Lebanese banking sector, and the governmental and regulatory bodies of the banking sector

Intellectual Efficiency of Primary School Principals in the North within the Green Line and its Relationship to Emotional Intelligence الكفاءة الفكرية لدى مديري المدارس الابتدائية في الشمال داخل الخط الأخضر وعلاقتها بالذكاء الوجداني

Abstract: The study aimed to identify the relationship between intellectual efficiency and emotional intelligence among primary school principals in the North within the Green Line from teachers\u27 point of view. The study sample consisted of (460) primary school teachers. To achieve the study objectives, descriptive survey methodology was used. The results showed that the level of intellectual efficiency among primary school principals was high from teachers\u27 point of view, while emotional intelligence was moderate. The results revealed statistically significant differences in intellectual efficiency level among primary school principals due to qualification, in favor of Bachelor degree, while there were no statistically significant differences due to gender and experience. Also the results revealed statistically significant differences in emotional intelligence level among primary school principals due to qualification, in favor of Bachelor degree, while there were no statistically significant differences due to gender and experience. It was found that there was a statistically significant positive relationship between intellectual efficiency and emotional intelligence among primary school principals from teachers\u27 point of view. ملخص: هدفت الدراسة تعرف مستوى الكفاءة الفكرية وعلاقتها بالذكاء الوجداني لدى مديري المدارس الابتدائية في الشمال داخل الخط الأخضر من وجهة نظر المعلمين. تكونت عينة الدراسة من (460) معلماً ومعلمة من معلمي المدارس الابتدائية. ولتحقيق أهداف الدراسة، استُخدِمَ المنهج الوصفي المسحي الارتباطي بالاعتماد على الاستبانة. تمثلت أبرز النتائج التي توصلت إليها الدراسة في وجود مستوى مرتفع من الكفاءة الفكرية لدى مديري المدارس الابتدائية في الشمال داخل الخط الأخضر من وجهة نظر المعلمين، في حين أن الذكاء الوجداني كان متوسطاً. وأظهرت النتائج وجود فروق في مستوى الكفاءة الفكرية لدى مديري المدارس الابتدائية تعزى لمتغير المستوى التعليمي، لصالح البكالوريوس، في حين لم تظهر أي فروق تعزى لمتغيري الجنس والخبرة. وتبين وجود فروق في مستوى الذكاء الاجتماعي لدى مديري المدارس الابتدائية تعزى لمتغير المستوى التعليمي، لصالح البكالوريوس، في حين لم تكن هناك فروق تعزى لمتغيري الجنس والخبرة. وتبينَّ وجود علاقة ارتباطية إيجابية دالة احصائياً بين الكفاءة الفكرية والذكاء الوجداني من وجهة نظر المعلمين

Extrapolation errors of force transducer curve fitting equations

Calibration laboratories often face the challenge of the impossibility to perform full capacity range calibration of their force transducers, particularly below 10 % of the force transducer’s capacity. Sometimes these laboratories use curve fitting extrapolation to estimate and predict force transducer behavior within uncalibrated capacity ranges. This work deals with the study of extrapolation errors in force transducers to know and estimate prediction accuracies when using extrapolation for force transducer calibration in ranges below 10 % and between 50 % and 100 % of the transducer’s capacity. The results of this study showed that the magnitude of the extrapolation error is very close to the magnitude of the reproducibility error within calibrated capacity ranges in the laboratory

Metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma of the thyroid gland, a case report

The thyroid gland is a known but an unusual site for metastatic tumors from various primary sites. Despite the fact that it is one of the largest vascular organs in the body, clinical and surgical cases have given an incidence of 3 % of secondary malignances of the organ. Nevertheless, thyroid metastases are not an exceptional finding at autopsy, they are encountered in 2 % to 24 % of the patients with malignant neoplasm. Soft tissue sarcomas metastatic to the thyroid are extremely rare as the majority of thyroid metastasis are caused by tumors of the kidneys, lungs, mammary glands, ovaries , and colon or by melanomas. We report a case of 22-years-old woman with right leg rhabdomyosarcoma metastatic to the thyroid gland

Fuzzy modeling and parameters optimization for the enhancement of biodiesel production from waste frying oil over montmorillonite clay K-30

Transesterification is a promising technology for the biodiesel production to provide an alternative fuel that considers the environmental concerns. From the economic and environmental protection points of view, utilization of waste frying oil for the production of biodiesel addresses very beneficial impacts. Production of higher yield of biodiesel is a challenging process in order to commercialize it with a lower cost. The current study focuses on the influence of different parameters such as reaction temperature (°C), reaction period (min), oil to methanol ratio and amount of catalyst (wt%) on the production of biodiesel. The main objective of this work is to develop a model via fuzzy logic approach in order to maximize the biodiesel produced from waste frying oil using montmorillonite Clay K-30 as a catalyst. The optimization for the operating parameters has been performed via particle swarm optimization (PSO) approach. During the optimization process, the decision variables were represented by four different operating parameters: temperature (40–140 °C), reaction period (60–300 min), oil/methanol ratio (1:6–1:18) and amount of catalyst (1–5 wt%). The model has been validated with the experimental data and compared with the optimal results reported based on other optimization techniques. Results showed the increment of biodiesel production by 15% using the proposed strategy compared to the earlier study. The obtained biodiesel production yield reached 93.70% with the optimal parameters for a temperature at 69.66 °C, a reaction period of 300 min, oil/methanol ratio of 1:9 and an amount of catalyst of 5 wt%

Effectiveness of Food Safety and Hygiene Training Program for Hospital Food Services Staff in Holly Makkah

Foodborne diseases have been increasing in recent years, with a greater impact on the health and economy of developing countries. Food can be a potential source of infection and disease, right from the point of procurement to the point of consumption. It is more likely in the food service establishments where mass food is prepared. Hygienic practices at procuring, preparing and serving are essential. Food handlers specially play a major role here. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of food service staff regarding food safety and hygiene, before and after food safety education program in hospital. A cross-sectional design was used to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices about food safety of the food services staff for the purpose of the study before and after a nutrition education program in a systemic sample of a hospital at holy Makkah were assessment by means of a questionnaire survey.After obtaining approval, the questionnaire was addressed to all food services staff. The study included 107 food handlers. Sixty of them (56.1%) were males and 47 were females (43.9%). Their age ranged between 22 and 56 years. Almost half of them (49%) were at least university graduated. Most of them (80.4%) were workers whereas (13.7%) were dieticians. Data analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package of the Social Science (SPSS) version 20. Overall mean percentage of knowledge before an educational intervention was 56.1% and after an intervention it became 77.7%. This difference was statistically significant, p<0.001. It is concluded that the overall knowledge, attitudes and practices scores were higher regarding personnel hygiene, however, it need reconsideration regarding food-borne diseases and sanitation  Since the education, training of those handling food would improve the status of food hygiene knowledge. Keywords: Food Safety, Hygiene, Training Program, Hospital Food Services and Services Staff

The Leading World’s Most Innovative Universities

This open access book is unique in its contents. No other title in the book market has tackled this important subject. It introduces innovation as a way of practice for world-class universities. It, then, discusses the criteria for being innovative in the academic world. The book selects some of the top innovative world-class universities to study the factors that qualified them to be innovative, so that any other university can follow their steps to become innovative. The final chapter of the book presents some recommendations in this regard