Mortality following a brain tumour diagnosis in patients with multiple sclerosis

Objectives: As brain tumours and their treatment may theoretically have a poorer prognosis in inflammatory central nervous system diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), all-cause mortality following a brain tumour diagnosis was compared between patients with and without MS. The potential role of age at tumour diagnosis was also examined. Setting: Hospital inpatients in Sweden with assessment of mortality in hospital or following discharge. Participants: Swedish national registers identified 20 543 patients with an MS diagnosis (1969-2005) and they were matched individually to produce a comparison cohort of 204 163 members of the general population without MS. Everyone with a primary brain tumour diagnosis was selected for this study: 111 with MS and 907 without MS. Primary and secondary outcome measures: 5-year mortality risk following brain tumour diagnosis and age at brain tumour diagnosis. Results: A non-statistically significant lower mortality risk among patients with MS (lower for those with tumours of high-grade and uncertain-grade malignancy and no notable difference for low-grade tumours) produced an unadjusted HR (and 95% CI) of 0.75 (0.56 to 1.02). After adjustment for age at diagnosis, grade of malignancy, sex, region of residence and socioeconomic index, the HR is 0.91 (0.67-1.24). The change in estimate was largely due to adjustment for age at brain tumour diagnosis, as patients with MS were on average 4.7 years younger at brain tumour diagnosis than those in the comparison cohort (p<0.001). Conclusions: Younger age at tumour diagnosis may contribute to mortality reduction in those with highgrade and uncertain-grade brain tumours. Survival following a brain tumour is not worse in patients with MS; even after age at brain tumour diagnosis and grade of malignancy are taken into account

Soft Real Analysis

The Soft Real number is a parameterized collection real numbers. And by this relation, every properties of real numbers can be discussed in soft real numbers. In this paper, we introduce the operations on soft real numbers and define countable and uncountable soft real sets. Also, some concepts of real numbers such as( upper bound, lower bound, supermum and infimum) are introduced

Rearrangements and Dilatancy for Sheared Dense Materials

Constitutive equations are proposed for dense materials, based on the identification of two types of free-volume activated rearrangements associated to shear and compaction. Two situations are studied: the case of an amorphous solid in a stress-strain test, and the case of a lubricant in tribology test. Varying parameters, strain softening, shear thinning, and stick-slip motion can be observed.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

INFLUENCE OF BINDING SOLUTION CONCENTRATION, DRYING DURATION AND DRYING TEMPERATURE ON PHYSIOCHEMICAL PERFORMANCE OF NORFLOXACIN GRANULES AND TABLETS

Objective: To investigate the possible individual and joined influences that binding solution concentration, drying temperature and drying duration might have on the physiochemical attributes of granules and tablets using norfloxacin as a model drug. Methods: According to implemented 23 central composite designs, each of the investigated variables were examined at 5 different levels through different 16 formulation runs. For each formulation, obtained granules were qualified for their bulk density, tap density, Hausner ratio, percent of fine and drug content properties whereas the respective tablets were evaluated for their weight variation, drug content, friability, hardness, disintegration, and drug dissolution attributes. Results: Indicated that concentration of binder solution, as compared to drying temperature and drying duration, measured more profound influences on granules' tap density, Hausner ratio, % fine and drug content either through its individual linear and quadratic effects or through its joint effect with drying durations (p&lt;0.05 at 95% CI for all influences). Whilst tablets' friability appeared to be noticeably influenced by the three investigated variables (P ranged 0.001-0.017 at 95% CI), tablets' hardness and disintegration were found to be considerably affected only by binder solution concentration (p = 0.001 and 0.082 at 95% CI, respectively). Moreover, none of the investigated variables has measured a significant influence on tablets' drug content or drug dissolution properties. Conclusion: The study concluded that quadratic and joint influences of variables on attributes of granule and tablet formulations shouldn't be overlooked and better to be considered in the screening design

An Assessment of the Performance of a Group of Entrepreneurs In the South Western Part of Nigeria

This paper reports the study of seventy-four (74) private entrepreneurs (PEs) in the South-Western part of Nigeria. Five ( 5) hypotheses were tested. The five independent variables were survival, measures of control over the environment, growth, size of the organization and innovation. Performance was the dependent variable. It was discovered that entrepreneurial performance was significantly influenced by several factors such as political factor, relevant experiences, formal education, innovation, social relations, capital availability and level of delegation of authority. However, four of the hypotheses were tested in the predicted direction. The prediction that large-sized organizations would have more high performers than others was not supported. The study concluded that any programme designed for the benefit of indigenous entrepreneurs must have multiple rather than single approach to achieve the desired outcomes

An Estimation of Discomfort Indices in Qena City, Upper Egypt

Wind chill index WCI and temperature humidity index THI, are calculated in Qena during the period 2001-2014 using hourly data of temperature, relative humidity and wind speed collected in weather research station located in south valley university at Qena. Results of WCI indicate that the winter months are cool, while, summer months are hot. The middle of spring and autumn is pleasant. Results of THI indicate that Winter, spring and autumn months are comfortable or partially comfortable or quite comfortable. While, summer months are not comfortable due to hot and humid weather. Annual mean values of WCI indicate that Qena weather was pleasant during the period from 2001 to 2014, except the two years 2003 and 2012 was worm. The mean value of the total period indicates that the atmosphere of Qena is pleasant. the THI mean value of the study period as well as the average yearly values are located in the category 100%are quite comfortable

Purification and characterization of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. G1

A cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) was successively purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation, and affinity chromatography on a-CD (epoxy)-Sepharose 6B column. The specific activity of the CGTase was increased approximately 2200-fold, from 8.43 U/mg protein to 18,866 U/mg protein. SDS-PAGE showed that the purified CGTase was homogeneous and the molecular weight of the purified CGTase was about 75 kDa. The molecular weight of the enzyme that was estimated by gel filtration under native condition was 79 kDa. This has indicated that Bacillus sp. G1 CGTase is a monomeric protein. The isoelectric point (pI) of the enzyme was about 8.8. Characterization of the enzyme exhibited optimum pH and temperature of 6.0 and 60 8C, respectively. The enzyme was stable from pH 7.0 to 9.0 and retained its high activity up to 60 8C. However, in the presence of 20 mM Ca2+, the purified CGTase is able to prolong its thermal stability up to 70 8C. CGTase was strongly inhibited by ZnSO4, CuSO4, CoCl2, FeSO4, FeCl3 and EDTA. Km and Vmax for the purified enzyme were 0.15 mg/ml and 60.39 mg bcyclodextrin/( ml min), respectively, with soluble starch as substrate. In cyclodextrin production, tapioca starch was found to be the best substrate used to produce CDs. The enzyme produced g- and b-CD in the ratio of 0.11:0.89 after 24 h incubation at 60 8C, without the presence of any selective agents