Comparison of MRI findings with traditional criteria in diagnosis of Pendred syndrome

Pendred syndrome, defined as the constellation of goiter, sensori-neural hearing loss, and positive perchlorate discharge test, is the most frequent cause of congenital deafness. Newly introduced diagnostic approaches to the disease are rather expensive and complicated, therefore we evaluated the value of MRI as the sole, or adjunctive diagnostic approach, and compared it with the traditional ones. Presuming the classic triad as the gold standard, we compared MRI findings in six such defined patients with six cases having goiter, hearing loss, and normal perchlorate discharge test. Our results indicated that MRI was 83.6 sensitive and 66.7 specific in patients fulfilling all three criteria (complete), while in the 'partial' group the sensitivity and specificity were 66.7 and 100 respectively. In conclusion, MRI, although impressive as an adjunctive diagnostic tool, may not replace the holistic approach, and the latter may be more convenient, cheaper, and still more accurate. However in 'partial' cases with equivocal findings, and in relatives of the patients, MRI may be a valuable diagnostic adjunct. © 2007 British Society of Audiology, International Society of Audiology, and Nordic Audiological Society

Investigating the Efficiency of Biological Filters for Ammonia Removal

  Backgrounds and Aims: Ammonia removal from air to prevent severe damage to the environment and living organisms is very important. Biofiltration is an efficient, easy, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly process for degradation of ammonia from waste air. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficiency of biological filtration using a compost and scallop bed for ammonia removal. Materials and Methods: According to the ammonia removal method a column with 14cm inner diameter and 45cm height made from transparent Plexiglas was used. The column was filled up to 25 cm with compost and scallop (with a scallop: compost ratio of 1:4).  In this study, performance of the biofilter was studied under 10 different flow rates (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 lit/min) and 5 different concentrations (0-20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-80 and 80-100 ppm) at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. Results: The results of this study showed that efficiency is decreased when the flow rate or concentration is increased because the microbial population is reduced. The efficiency was reduced by 84.6-98.2 percent. Maximum efficiency occurred at a 0.19g/(m3.h) loading rate. Efficiency was in 0-20 concentration intervals at a flow rate of 1 lit/min and at an Empty Bed Residence Time (EBRT) of 240 seconds. Conclusion: The results show that a biofilter with a compost and scallop bed is efficient for ammonia removal from air. Results can be optimized in the design and operation of biological systems to be used in the industrial control of ammonia gas.   REFERENCES Yost M. Systematic Inorganic Chemistry. New York: Merz Press; 2007. EPA, Control and pollution prevention options for ammonia emissions, Environmental Protection Agency, Wexford, Ireland.1995.ATSDR. Toxicological profile for ammonia, Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. 2004. Park B, Shin W, Chung JS. Simultaneous Biofiltration of H2S, NH3 and Toluene using an Inorganic/Polymeric Composite Carrier. Environ. Eng. Res. 2008; 13(1): 19-27.Ho KL, Chung YC, Lin YH, Tseng CP. Biofiltration of trimethylamine, dimethylamine, and methylamine by immobilized Paracoccus sp. CP2 and Arthrobacter sp. CP1. Chemosphere 2008; 72(2): 250-6.Groenestijn JW, Kraakman NJR, Recent development in biological waste gaspurification in Europe. Chem. Eng. J. 2005; 113 (2-3): 85-91.Malhautier L, Gracian C, Roux JC, Fanlo JL, Le Cloirec P. 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Determination of Air Pollution Monitoring Stations

Swelling urban populations and increasing number of industry and especially automobiles in and around cities have resulted in adverse effect on human health. One of the most important things regarding air pollution in these days is that the number of motor vehicles has increased, and the resulting problems of new types of air pollution on large scale need to be emphasized in large cities.Thegroundwork for thisstudy is based on collected data, specific studiesregarding to use passive tube sampling techniques and geo-statistic mapping tools. The low cost and easy operation of the diffusive sampling technique makes it an ideal tool for large scale air pollution surveys with a high spatial resolution. Finally, we used Kriging method to draw air pollutions maps related to NO2 and SO2 measurements in Shiraz city. These maps conducted us to find number of air pollution monitoring stations. Results show that we need 2 traffic, 3 urban, 1 suburban and 1 industrial station in Shiraz area.In fact, the proposed method in this study provides a useful tool that can be easily applied to other polluted cities. Meanwhile, it would become effective as well as the actual time required to implement them

"COCHLEAR IMPLANTATION IN PATIENTS WITH INNER EAR MALFORMATIONS"

Performing cochlear implantation in patients with inner ear malformation has always been a matter of dispute. This study was designed to analyze the operative findings,complications, and postoperative performance of patients with inner ear anomalies who underwent cochlear implantation. Six patients with inner ear malformations underwent implantation in our academic tertiary referral center from 1997 to 2002. The average follow-up period was 27 months. Malformations included one incomplete partition, one common cavity, one narrow internal acoustic canal (IAC) in a patient with Riley-Day syndrome and 3 cases of large vestibular aqueduct. All received multi-channel implants either Nucleus 22 or Clarion device. Facial nerve was anomalous in 2 cases. CSF gusher occurred in 4 patients, which was controlled with packing the cochleostomy site. In all cases, the full length of electrode array was inserted, except one with Mondini's dysplasia where insertion failed in the first operation and was referred to another center for a successful surgery on the opposite ear. No other surgical complications were encountered. In 4 cases, all the 22 electrodes could be activated. All patients showed improved hearing performance after implantation. Four showed open-set speech recognition. The one with narrow IAC showed improved awareness to environmental sounds. In the other case (common cavity), the perception tests could not be performed because of very young age. Cochlear implantation in patients with inner ear malformations is a successful way of rehabilitation, although complications should be expected and auditory responses may be highly variable and relatively moderate

The association between demographic characteristics and attempting of pregnancy with postpartum depression and anxiety among women referring to community health centres: A cross sectional study

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety are considered as a risk factor for mother and infant health. Therefore, the present study aims to explore the association between demographic characteristics and pregnancies with PPD and anxiety. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 Iranian women referring to health centres of the Zarand City four weeks to six months from the date of their childbirth, in the first half of 2018. Result: The results showed that employed women with pregnancies who were categorised as depression and anxiety were more likely to have low gestational age, food insecurity, several deliveries, cesarean delivery and unintended pregnancy as well as they were not satisfied with their infant�s gender. Also, women with several deliveries had lower risk for PPD before and after adjustment for confounders (odds ratio OR = 0.92, 95% confidence interval CI: 0.88�0.97, P < 0.001) and had lower risk for postpartum anxiety only after adjustment for confounders (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.75�0.89, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Eventually, demographic characteristics and attempting of pregnancy were independently associated with PPD and postpartum anxiety in women. There need to be more social and governmental support of employed women after delivery to decrease their occupational stresses to deal with PPD and anxiety in the studied population. © Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2020