Traumatic spinal cord injury in South Africa and Sweden : epidemiologic features and functioning

Background: Trauma to the human spinal cord typically strikes out of the blue, leaving those surviving the initial ordeal with permanent or temporary deficits in health and functioning. Because of this, traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCI) impose a significant burden on society. While these facts are well known for certain countries, the International Perspectives on Spinal Cord Injury Report highlights the need for the remaining countries to establish a foundation upon which injuries could be prevented and functioning problems addressed. In South Africa, the foundation for primary prevention and knowledge of the unmet needs of persons with TSCI are not yet established. Aim: To develop an evidence-based foundation for TSCI in South Africa that addresses prevention both in terms of injury occurrence and problems with functioning. Methods: This thesis utilised a mixed-method approach to answer epidemiologic and functioning questions. A prospective, population-based design was used in Study I and II to determine the incidence, aetiology and injury profiles of newly-injured adults with TSCI in Cape Town, South Africa and Stockholm, Sweden. In the Functioning section of the thesis (Study III), a comparative content validity design was used to define the nature of functioning categories in a generic outcome measure currently used in the South African SCI rehabilitation field, and a standardised measure not yet adopted in the local context, against the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and the brief ICF core sets for SCI in the post-acute context. In Study IV, qualitative description was used to explore the experiences of reclaiming participation in 17 chronic survivors of TSCI by emphasising their met and unmet needs as well as the conditions influencing them. Findings: One-hundred and forty-seven and 49 incident cases, resulting in an annual crude incidence rate of 75.6 and 19.0 per million population, were registered for the region of South Africa (study I) and Sweden (study II), respectively. The leading cause of injury in South Africa was assault, accounting for approximately 60% of all incident cases, compared with the leading cause in Sweden, where falls was responsible for 58% of all cases. The two cohorts differed significantly with respect to demographic and aetiologic characteristics. Concerning functioning, Study III found that the generic rehabilitation outcome measure was not fully conceptualised within the ICF and did not cover all the essential functioning aspects as contained in the brief core set. In contrast, the standardised outcome measure was fully conceptualised within the ICF and covered, in its entirety, the activity and participation categories contained in the brief core set. In Study IV, clients’ perspectives confirmed 'participation' as a desirable and possible goal by effectively dealing with the new self, negotiating obstacles, identifying facilitators of participation, and becoming an agent. These critical aspects − also categories − were essential for reconstructing meaning and prioritising important life situations. Conclusions: The incidence of TSCI in South Africa is among the highest in the world and is mainly caused by assault, while the incidence in Sweden appeared consistent to what is proposed for Western Europe. Furthermore, there is a need to raise awareness and facilitate the use of standardised outcome measures in TSCI rehabilitation, since the current operational measure in the South African SCI rehabilitation field presented some shortcomings. It is remarkable to conclude that while participation is indeed a reality after injury, the dimensionality of challenges remains an issue for further discourse. The insights gained from these studies provide an evidence-based foundation for impacting primary prevention action plans and the alignment of rehabilitation practices towards addressing the unmet needs of survivors

New method for coating microspheres with zirconium carbide and zirconium carbide--carbon graded coats

A new method for the chemical vapor deposition of ZrC and C--ZrC alloys has been developed. This process has been applied to the fabrication of coated particle nuclear fuels of the type used in the large High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor. A powder feeder is used to supply ZrCl$sub 4$ to the fluidized bed coating furnace where it undergoes reaction with a hydrocarbon to form ZrC. Quantitative metering of the ZrCl$sub 4$ makes it possible to control the deposition of the ZrC and the codeposition of the C--ZrC alloys on the fuel particles. Examples of both types of coats made using the described technique are discussed and illustrated. (auth

Classic Kaposi's sarcoma in morocco: clinico -epidemiological study at the national institute of oncology

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Classic Kaposi's sarcoma (CKS) is a rare disease likely associated with human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) infection, and occurs predominantly in Jewish, Mediterranean and middle eastern men .There is a dearth of data in Moroccan patients with CKS regarding epidemiology, clinical characteristics and outcomes. This report examines a cohort of patients with CKS evaluated at the national institute of oncology over 11-year period.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective analysis of patients referred to the national institute of oncology with classical Kaposi sarcoma, between January 1998 and February 2008, was performed. Reviewed information included demographics, clinical and pathological staging, death or last follow-up.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During the study period, 56 patients with a diagnosis of CKS have been referred to our hospital. There were 11(19,7%) females and 45 (80,3%) males (male-to-female ratio: 4:1). Mean age at diagnosis was 61,7 ± 15 (range: 15- 86 years). Nodules and/or plaques were the most frequent type of lesion. The most common location was the lower limbs, particularly the distal lower extremity (90%). In addition to skin involvement, visceral spread was evident in 9 cases. The most common visceral involvement sites were lymph nodes (44%), lung (22%), and gastrointestinal tract (22%). Associated lymphoedema was seen in 24 (42%) of the patients. There were 18 stage I patients (32,14%), 8: stage II (14,28%), 21 stage III(37,5%) and 9 stage IV (16,07%). A second primary malignancy was diagnosed in 6 cases (10,7%), none of the reticuloendothelial system.</p> <p>With a median follow-up of 45 months, 38 (67,8) patients are alive, of whom 25 (65,78%) patients with stable disease, five with progressive disease currently under systemic chemotherapy and 8(21,05%) are alive and free of disease, over a mean interval of 5 years.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the largest reported series in our context. In Morocco, CKS exhibits some special characteristics including a disseminated skin disease at diagnosis especially in men, a more common visceral or lymph node involvement and a less frequent association with second malignancies.</p

<em>Lemna minor</em> studies under various storage periods using extended-polarity extraction and metabolite non-target screening analysis.

Plant metabolomic studies cover a broad band of compounds, including various functional groups with different polarities and other physiochemical properties. For this reason, specific optimized methods are needed in order to enable efficient and non-destructive extraction of molecules over a large range of LogD values. This study presents a simple and efficient extraction procedure for Lemna minor samples demonstrating polarity extension of the molecular range. The Lemna samples chosen were kept under the following storage conditions: 1) fresh, 2) stored for a few days at -80 degrees C, and 3) stored for 6 months at -80 degrees C. The samples were extracted using five specifically chosen solvents: 100 % ethanol, 100 % methanol (MeOH), acidic 90 % MeOH (MeOH-water-formic acid (FAC) (90:9.5:0.5, v/v/v), MeOH-water (50:50, v/v), and 100 % water. The final extraction procedure was conducted subject to three solvent conditions, and the subsequent polarity-extended analysis was applied for Lemna minor samples using RPLC-HILIC-ESI-TOF-MS. The extraction yield is in descending order (acidic 90 % MeOH), 50 % MeOH, 100 % water and 100 % MeOH. The results displayed significant molecular differences, both in the extracts investigated and in the fresh Lemna samples, compared to stored samples, in terms of the extraction yield and reducing contents as well as the number of features. The storage of Lemna minor resulted in changes to the fingerprint of its metabolites as the reducing contents increased. The comparisons enable a direct view of molecule characterizations, in terms of their polarity, molecular mass, and signal intensity. This parametric information would appear ideal for further statistical data analysis. Consequently, the extraction procedure and the analysis/data evaluation are highly suitable for the so-called extended-polarity non-target screening procedure