High Rate of Obesity-Associated Hypertension among Primary Schoolchildren in Sudan

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) frequently has roots in childhood, including following childhood-onset hypertension. Incidence of CVD has increased in developing countries in East Africa during recent urbanization. Effects of these shifts on childhood hypertension are unclear. Our objectives were to (1) Determine the prevalence of hypertension among primary schoolchildren in Khartoum, Sudan; (2) Determine whether hypertension in this setting is associated with obesity. We performed a cross sectional study of 6-12y children from two schools randomly selected in Khartoum, Sudan. Height, weight, BMI, BP and family history of hypertension were assessed. Age-, height- and gender-specific BP curves were used to determine pre-hypertension (90–95%) and hypertension (>95%). Of 304 children, 45 (14.8%) were overweight; 32 (10.5%) were obese; 15 (4.9%) were pre-hypertensive and 15 (4.9%) were hypertensive. Obesity but not family history of hypertension was associated with current hypertension. In multiple logistic regression, adjusting for family history, children who were obese had a relative-risk of 14.7 (CI 2.45-88.2) for systolic hypertension compared to normal-weight children. We conclude that overweight and obesity are highly prevalent among primary schoolchildren in urban Sudan and are strongly associated with hypertension. That obesity-associated cardiovascular sequelae exist in the developing world at young ages may be a harbinger of future CVD in sub-Saharan Africa

Study the Inhibition Effect of Amoxicillin Drug for Corrosion of Carbon Steel in Saline Media

          تم استخدام طرق الاستقطاب المجهادي الساكن وفقدان الوزن لدراسة سلوك تآكل الفولاذ الكربوني في محلول كلوريد الصوديوم بتراكيز مختلفة (0.1 و 0.4 و 0.6) مولاري تحت تأثير درجات الحرارة (293 و 298 و 303 و 308 و 313) كلفن. كذلك تم دراسة كفاءة تثبيط دواء الأموكسيسيلين على تآكل  الفولاذ الكربوني في  محلول كلوريد الصوديوم بتركيز 0,6 مولاري على أساس التركيز ودرجة الحرارة. أظهرت النتائج المستحصل عليها  ان كل تراكيز الملح (محلول كلوريد الصوديوم) أدت إلى   تآكل الفولاذ الكربوني بنسب متفاوتة وكان معدل التآكل عند تركيز 0.6 مولاري من محلول الملح هو الاعلى (50.46 جم / م 2 د). تشير النتائج أيضًا إلى أن معدل التآكل لكل تراكيز الملح  يزداد عند درجة حرارة 313 كلفن. أظهرت دراسات الاستقطاب المجهادي أن المثبط يقلل كل من العمليات الأنودية و الكاثودية ويتصرف كمثبط من النوع المختلط. وجد ان  امتزاز ألاموكسيسيلين يخضع لنموذج  لانكماير متساوي الحرارة. تم استخدام معادلة ارينيوس ونظرية الحالة الانتقالية لحساب  المعاملات الحركية والديناميكية الحرارية. أظهرت النتائج التي تم الحصول عليها أن تفاعل تآكل الفولاذ الكربوني في كلوريد الصوديوم هو تلقائي وهناك اتفاق جيد بين النتائج التي تم الحصول عليها من كلتا التقنيتين المستخدمتين. تم إجراء تحليلات بالمجهر الالكتروني الماسح ((SEM لدراسة ثبات الطبقة الواقية للمثبط.          Potentiostatic polarization and weight loss methods have been used to investigate the corrosion behavior of carbon steel in sodium chloride solution at different concentrations (0.1, 0.4 and 0.6) M under the influence of temperatures ( 293, 298, 303, 308 and 313) K. The inhibition efficiency of the amoxicillin drug on carbon steel in 0.6 M NaCl has also been studied based on concentration and temperature. The corrosion rate showed that all salt concentrations ( NaCl solution) resulted in corrosion of carbon steel in varying ratio and 0.6 M of salt solution  was the highest rate (50.46 g/m².d). The results also indicate that the rate of corrosion increases at a temperature of 313 K.. Potentiodynamic polarization studies showed that the examined inhibitor suppress both anodic and cathodic process and behave as mixed type inhibitor. The adsorption of amoxicillin was found to obey Langmuir isotherm model. Arrhenius equation and transition state theory were used to calculate kinetic and thermodynamic parameter. Results obtained showed that corrosion reaction of carbon steel in NaCl is spontaneous and there is a good agreement between the data got from the both techniques employed. SEM analysis was performed to study the film persistency of the inhibitor

A Proposed Management System for Construction Practices during Sustainable Buildings Life Cycle

For many years, the construction industry damages have been overlooked such as unreasonable consumption of resources in addition to producing a lot of construction waste but with global awareness growth towards the sustainable development issues, the sustainable construction practices have been adopted, taking into account the environment and human safety. The research aims to propose a management system for construction practices which could be adopted during constructing different types of sustainable buildings besides formulating flowcharts which clarify the required whole phases of sustainable buildings life cycle. The research includes two parts: theoretical part which generally ,handles the sustainability concepts at construction industry and specially buildings .But the practical part comprises investigating the professional opinions in construction industry about applications possibility of sustainable requirements and global criteria to construction of sustainable buildings in Iraq where the weakness and strength points in the essential requirements for achieving the sustainable construction practices have been diagnosed and the development need has been specified. The utilized statistical analysis of questionnaire results show readiness of buildings sectors to implement the sustainable practices. The different strategies and techniques in the proposed management have been employed for getting the sustainable procedures of sequences practices within project life cycle

Multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the UK (C-MORE): a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study

Introduction: The multiorgan impact of moderate to severe coronavirus infections in the post-acute phase is still poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities after hospitalisation with COVID-19, evaluate their determinants, and explore associations with patient-related outcome measures. Methods: In a prospective, UK-wide, multicentre MRI follow-up study (C-MORE), adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital following COVID-19 who were included in Tier 2 of the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) and contemporary controls with no evidence of previous COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody negative) underwent multiorgan MRI (lungs, heart, brain, liver, and kidneys) with quantitative and qualitative assessment of images and clinical adjudication when relevant. Individuals with end-stage renal failure or contraindications to MRI were excluded. Participants also underwent detailed recording of symptoms, and physiological and biochemical tests. The primary outcome was the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities (two or more organs) relative to controls, with further adjustments for potential confounders. The C-MORE study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04510025. Findings: Of 2710 participants in Tier 2 of PHOSP-COVID, 531 were recruited across 13 UK-wide C-MORE sites. After exclusions, 259 C-MORE patients (mean age 57 years [SD 12]; 158 [61%] male and 101 [39%] female) who were discharged from hospital with PCR-confirmed or clinically diagnosed COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and Nov 1, 2021, and 52 non-COVID-19 controls from the community (mean age 49 years [SD 14]; 30 [58%] male and 22 [42%] female) were included in the analysis. Patients were assessed at a median of 5·0 months (IQR 4·2–6·3) after hospital discharge. Compared with non-COVID-19 controls, patients were older, living with more obesity, and had more comorbidities. Multiorgan abnormalities on MRI were more frequent in patients than in controls (157 [61%] of 259 vs 14 [27%] of 52; p<0·0001) and independently associated with COVID-19 status (odds ratio [OR] 2·9 [95% CI 1·5–5·8]; padjusted=0·0023) after adjusting for relevant confounders. Compared with controls, patients were more likely to have MRI evidence of lung abnormalities (p=0·0001; parenchymal abnormalities), brain abnormalities (p<0·0001; more white matter hyperintensities and regional brain volume reduction), and kidney abnormalities (p=0·014; lower medullary T1 and loss of corticomedullary differentiation), whereas cardiac and liver MRI abnormalities were similar between patients and controls. Patients with multiorgan abnormalities were older (difference in mean age 7 years [95% CI 4–10]; mean age of 59·8 years [SD 11·7] with multiorgan abnormalities vs mean age of 52·8 years [11·9] without multiorgan abnormalities; p<0·0001), more likely to have three or more comorbidities (OR 2·47 [1·32–4·82]; padjusted=0·0059), and more likely to have a more severe acute infection (acute CRP >5mg/L, OR 3·55 [1·23–11·88]; padjusted=0·025) than those without multiorgan abnormalities. Presence of lung MRI abnormalities was associated with a two-fold higher risk of chest tightness, and multiorgan MRI abnormalities were associated with severe and very severe persistent physical and mental health impairment (PHOSP-COVID symptom clusters) after hospitalisation. Interpretation: After hospitalisation for COVID-19, people are at risk of multiorgan abnormalities in the medium term. Our findings emphasise the need for proactive multidisciplinary care pathways, with the potential for imaging to guide surveillance frequency and therapeutic stratification

Effects of waste PVC addition on the properties of (40-50) grade asphalt

Disposal of plastic waste poses a serious threat nowadays. Effective solutions are required to reduce or eliminate this problem. One of these solutions is to use these materials in asphalt mixtures. PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) during melting has adhesive properties which can be used with asphalt to reduce the bitumen mixture costs. Investigation of physical characteristics of asphalt cement (40-50) mixed with PVC is presented in this paper. The main objective is to study the change in bitumen properties after mixing with PVC of percent (2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12 and 15) % by weight of bitumen. Penetration, ductility, loss on heating, softening point, flash and fire tests were conducted for each percent. It is concluded that penetration decreases by 62.8% on addition of 15% PVC. Ductility also drops when PVC dosage increases. Softening point increases when PVC dosage increases by 6 % for 15% PVC

Effects of waste PVC addition on the properties of (40-50) grade asphalt

Disposal of plastic waste poses a serious threat nowadays. Effective solutions are required to reduce or eliminate this problem. One of these solutions is to use these materials in asphalt mixtures. PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) during melting has adhesive properties which can be used with asphalt to reduce the bitumen mixture costs. Investigation of physical characteristics of asphalt cement (40-50) mixed with PVC is presented in this paper. The main objective is to study the change in bitumen properties after mixing with PVC of percent (2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12 and 15) % by weight of bitumen. Penetration, ductility, loss on heating, softening point, flash and fire tests were conducted for each percent. It is concluded that penetration decreases by 62.8% on addition of 15% PVC. Ductility also drops when PVC dosage increases. Softening point increases when PVC dosage increases by 6 % for 15% PVC

Phase 3 trial of ibrutinib plus rituximab in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia

En este estudio se evaluó el efecto de la adición de ibrutinib a rituximab en pacientes con macro-globulinemia de Waldenström, tanto en paciente que no habían recibido tratamiento previo como en aquellos con recidiva de la enfermedad. Se asignaron aleatoriamente 150 pacientes sintomá-ticos para recibir ibrutinib más rituximab o placebo más rituximab. El criterio principal de valoración fue la supervivencia libre de progresión, evaluada por un comité de revisión independiente. Los criterios de valoración secundarios clave fueron las tasas de respuesta, la mejoría hematológica sostenida desde el inicio y la seguridad. Se evaluó el estado mutacional de MYD88 y CXCR4 en muestras de médula ósea. A los 30 meses de seguimiento, la de supervivencia libre de progre-sión fue del 82% con ibrutinib-rituximab frente al 28% con placebo-rituximab (Hazard Ratio 0,20; P<0,001). El beneficio en el grupo de ibrutinib-rituximab sobre el grupo de placebo-rituximab fue independiente del genotipo MYD88 o CXCR4. La proporción de respuestas mayores fue más alta con ibrutinib-rituximab que con placebo-rituximab (72% vs. 32%, P<0,001). Hubo más pacientes con aumentos sostenidos en la concentración de hemoglobina con ibrutinib-rituximab que con placebo-rituximab (73% vs. 41%, P<0,001). Los efectos adversos más comunes (cualquier grado) con ibrutinib-rituximab, en especial reacciones relacionadas con la infusión, diarrea, artralgia y náuseas. Los efectos adversos grado ≥3 que fueron más frecuentes con ibrutinib-rituximab que con placebo-rituximab incluyeron fibrilación auricular (12% vs. 1%) e hipertensión (13% vs. 4%); los que ocurrieron con menos frecuencia incluyeron reacciones a la infusión (1% vs. 16%) y cual-quier grado de flare de IgM (8% vs. 47%). La tasa de hemorragia mayor fue la misma en los dos grupos de ensayo (4%). Gracias a este ensayo, que mostró beneficios en los pacientes con macroglobulinemia de Wal-denström para la combinación ibrutinib-rituximab frente a rituximab sólo (mejor supervivencia libre de progresión), tanto en pacientes de nuevo diagnóstico como en segunda línea, el fármaco se aprobó por la FDA. La EMA y la AEMPS, convirtiéndose en un estándar de tratamiento para la MW, con gran aceptación entre médicos y pacientes. Además se advirtió de la necesidad de to-mar actitudes activas frente a efectos secundarios relevantes como fibrilación auricular e hiperten-sión fueron más frecuentes con ibrutinib-rituximab, aunque el nuevo fármaco se vio favorecido por una menor frecuencia de reacciones a la perfusión y el fenómeno flare que sin dicho fármaco. El ensayo fue financiado por Pharmacyclics y Janssen Research and Development y se registró en ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02165397.[EN]Single-agent ibrutinib has shown substantial activity in patients with relapsed Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a rare form of B-cell lymphoma. We evaluated the effect of adding ibrutinib to rituximab in patients with this disease, both in those who had not received previous treatment and in those with disease recurrence. We randomly assigned 150 symptomatic patients to receive ibrutinib plus rituximab or placebo plus rituximab. The primary end point was progression-free survival, as assessed by an independent review committee. Key secondary end points were response rates, sustained hematologic improvement from baseline, and safety. The mutational status of MYD88 and CXCR4 was assessed in bone marrow samples. At 30 months, the progression-free survival rate was 82% with ibrutinib-rituximab versus 28% with placebo-rituximab (hazard ratio for progression or death, 0.20; P<0.001). The benefit in the ibrutinib-rituximab group over that in the placebo-rituximab group was independent of the MYD88 or CXCR4 genotype. The rate of major response was higher with ibrutinib-rituximab than with placebo-rituximab (72% vs. 32%, P<0.001). More patients had sustained increases in hemoglobin level with ibrutinib-rituximab than with placebo-rituximab (73% vs. 41%, P<0.001). The most common adverse events of any grade with ibrutinib-rituximab included infusion-related reactions, diarrhea, arthralgia, and nausea. Events of grade 3 or higher that occurred more frequently with ibrutinib-rituximab than with placebo-rituximab included atrial fibrillation (12% vs. 1%) and hypertension (13% vs. 4%); those that occurred less frequently included infusion reactions (1% vs. 16%) and any grade of IgM flare (8% vs. 47%). The major hemorrhage rate was the same in the two trial groups (4%). Among patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, the use of ibrutinib-rituximab resulted in significantly higher rates of progression-free survival than the use of placebo-rituximab, both among those who had received no previous treatment and among those with disease recurrence. Atrial fibrillation and hypertension were more common with ibrutinib-rituximab, whereas infusion reactions and IgM flare were more common with placebo-rituximab. (Funded by Pharmacyclics and Janssen Research and Development; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02165397 .).Janssen Research and Development PharmacyclicsJanssen Research and Developmen