Diagnostic uncertainty of hepatobiliary cystadenoma: Report of 11 cases and review of the literature

AbstractObjectivesThis research was conducted to highlight the pre-operative diagnostic uncertainty of hepatobiliary cystadenomas and to suggest strategies to improve its diagnostic yield.MethodsAll consecutive patients admitted with hepatobiliary cystadenomas from July 2007 to July 2014 were recruited in this study. The following information was retrieved from the medical records of eligible patients: demographics, clinical features, laboratory tests, imaging results, operative procedures, frozen sections, complications, histopathology, outpatient follow-up, and morbidity and mortality.ResultsEleven total patients with a diagnosis of hepatobiliary cystadenomas were treated in our unit. Abdominal ultrasounds and computed tomography (CT) scans were performed in all patients; magnetic resonant imaging (MRI) was performed in three patients with suspicion of hepatobiliary cystadenomas. Six patients underwent a definitive surgery; five patients were incorrectly diagnosed with non-hepatobiliary cystadenoma liver cysts (2 hydatid cysts and 3 simple cysts) by the pre-operative ultrasound and CT scan. These five patients underwent surgical deroofing. The frozen section was positive in two patients and was falsely negative in one patient who was diagnosed with simple cysts. The final histopathology results identified hepatobiliary cystadenomas in all patients.ConclusionsHepatobiliary cystadenomas are rare and are frequently misdiagnosed as hepatic cystic lesions with resultant inadequate surgical treatments. A diagnosis of hepatobiliary cystadenomas should be considered in all patients with atypical liver cystic lesions. Further pre-operative assessment with MRIs and intra-operative frozen sections may improve the diagnostic yield and provide an opportunity for a definitive radical resection

Biomimetic Based EEG Learning for Robotics Complex Grasping and Dexterous Manipulation

There have been tremendous efforts to understand the biological nature of human grasping, in such a way that it can be learned and copied to prosthesis–robotics and dextrous grasping applications. Several biomimetic methods and techniques have been adopted, hence applied to analytically comprehend ways human performs grasping to duplicate human knowledge. A major topic for further study, is related to decoding the resulting EEG brainwaves during motorizing of fingers and moving parts. To accomplish this, there are a number of phases that are performed, including recording, pre-processing, filtration, and understanding of the waves. However, there are two important phases that have received substantial research attentions. The classification and decoding, of such massive and complex brain waves, as they are two important steps towards understanding patterns during grasping. In this respect, the fundamental objective of this research is to demonstrate how to employ advanced pattern recognition methods, like fuzzy c-mean clustering for understanding resulting EEG brain waves, in such a way to control a prosthesis or robotic hand, while relying sets of detected EEG brainwaves. There are a number of decoding and classification methods and techniques, however we shall look into fuzzy based clustering blended with principle component analysis (PAC) technique to help for the decoding mechanism. EEG brainwaves during a grasping and manipulation have been used for this analysis. This involves, movement of almost five fingers during a grasping defined task. The study has found that, it is not a straight forward task to decode all human fingers motions, as due to the complexity of grasping tasks. However, the adopted analysis was able to classify and identify the different narrowly performed and related fundamental events during a simple grasping task

Phenolic Compounds: Classification, Chemistry, and Updated Techniques of Analysis and Synthesis

Phenolic compounds are vast, diverse, ubiquitous and widespread in nature. The biological significance of bioactive phenolic natural secondary metabolites is immense and of high and significant importance. Phenolic compounds are known to exhibit various biological activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This book chapter begins with classification of phenolic compounds in concise manner followed by going through their chemical properties that are essential for their biological activities. Some chemical properties such as acidity and formation of radicals are directly linked with their important and key biological activities such as antioxidant properties. The chapter covers methods and updated techniques of analysis of phenolic compounds. Finally, biosynthesis of such important organic molecules is covered going through some of their current synthesis methods in the laboratory, methods of their synthetic elaboration. Due to the high potential of phenolic compounds for applications in various industries such as pharmaceutical and food industries, the search for the development of efficient methods for their synthesis as well as modern and accurate methods for their detection and analysis will continue

Reducing the Impact of Uplift Pressures on the Base of a Concrete Dam by Configuration of Drainage Holes (Hypothetical Case Study)

A study of the impact of the uplift pressures upon base of a typical water retaining structure was presented. This work was conducted through numerical analysis by finite element method to evaluate the hydraulic uplift pressure distribution generated by the calculated flow. Also, the effects of position of either single or dual drainage holes on uplift pressures characteristic were included. A hypothetical case was solved for three types of drainage holes, and the reduction of uplift pressures were computed in each case, a comparison was presented and the results showed that it can produce the desired reduction in hydraulic uplift pressures by using two drainage holes at equidistance of 8m from upstream edge of structure floor

A Taxonomy of Virtualization Security Issues in Cloud Computing Environments

Objectives: To identify the main challenges and security issues of virtualization in cloud computing environments. It reviews the alleviation techniques for improving the security of cloud virtualization systems. Methods/ Statistical Analysis: Virtualization is a fundamental technology for cloud computing, and for this reason, any cloud vulnerabilities and threats affect virtualization. In this study, the systematic literature review is performed to find out the vulnerabilities and risks of virtualization in cloud computing and to identify threats, and attacks result from those vulnerabilities. Furthermore, we discover and analyze the effective mitigation techniques that are used to protect, secure, and manage virtualization environments. Findings: Thirty vulnerabilities are identified, explained, and classified into six proposed classes. Furthermore, fifteen main virtualization threats and attacks ar defined according to exploited vulnerabilities in a cloud environment. Application/Improvements: A set of common mitigation solutions are recognized and discovered to alleviate the virtualization security risks. These reviewed techniques are analyzed and evaluated according to five specified security criteria

Role of Laser Produced Silver Nanoparticles in Reversing Antibiotic Resistance in Some MultidrugResistant Pathogenic Bacteria

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were produced through nanosecond laser in deionized water. These nanoparticles were characterized by UV–VIS spectrometer and transmission electron microscopy. VITEK®2 compact system was used to identify Escherichia coli (ESBL strain) and Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA strain) as multidrug-resistance (MDR) bacteria. The antibacterial activity of Ag NPs, ampicillin (AMP), and their combinations was tested against both bacterial isolates through standard microbiological culturing techniques. Our data show that both of E. coli and S. aureus were highly resistant to AMP. Ag NPs alone reduced growth in both bacterial isolates considerably. Growth declined drastically in both bacteria when AMP was used in combination with Ag NPs. The minimal inhibitory concentration of combined agents for E. coli was 20 µg/ml Ag NPs + 1 mg AMP/ml and for S. aureus was 10 µg/ml Ag NPs + 1 mg AMP/ml. The results show that the Ag NPs have great potentials in enhancing the antimicrobial activities of drugs that used to be ineffective against MDR bacteria. Administering combinations of antibiotic(s) with AgNPs may help in treating patients suffering from infections caused by MDR bacteria. Further in vivo and in vitro investigations are required to evaluate the side effects of these combinations

Microbial Contamination of Date Rutab Collected from the Markets of Al-Hofuf City in Saudi Arabia

The microbial contamination of 60 samples from six date cultivars in the rutab stage purchased from different retail outlets in AL-Hofuf City, Saudi Arabia was studied. All samples were found contaminated with aerobic mesophilic bacteria at loads in the order 102 to 105 cfu/cm2 with some significant differences among varieties that can be attributed to differences in the weather conditions during rutab season. Also all samples, except only one, were contaminated with molds and yeasts at loads in the order 102 to 103 cfu/cm2. Potentially pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 57 samples and A. flavus/parasiticus in 13 samples, while coliforms were detected in 39 samples

Water And Alcohol Extraction Of Thyme Plant (Thymus Vulgaris) And Activity Study Against Bacteria, Tumors And Used As Anti-Oxidant In Margarine Manufacture

Isolation had been done for active substances from Thyme plant (Thymus Vulgaris) such as volatile oils, Saponins and Tannins. The percentage in form was (21.1%),(59.2%),( 9.7%) respectively. Also a study of anti-bacterial activity of extracts from Thyme using two types of pathogenic bacteria Escherichia Coli and aurous Staphylococcus showed the ability of inhibition for all different extracts by vary inhibition diameters for different active substances, concentrations and bacteria. One type of cancer cellular line used to study the effect of Thyme  extracts on the growth of cells in the laboratory and thus know the specifications of extracts as anti-tumor, (L20B) cell line have been used which  is mice Transformed cell Line. The possibility of using alcohol extract as anti-oxidant to be add to ghee or vegetable oil, the sensory evaluation and physical results were very good over full year. Keywords: Thymus Vulgaris, Antibacterial and  anticancer activity. Extraction, Anti-Oxidant

Phytochemical analysis and bioactivity screening of three medicinal plants of Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To investigate the phytochemical analysis and bioactivity screening of some Asteraceae medicinal plants. Methods: The chemical constituents were isolated by column chromatography and elucidated using chemical and extensive spectroscopic methodologies including gas chromatoraphy-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), as well as 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The plant extracts were obtained by solvent extraction method while hydrodistillation was used to isolate plant essential oils. Furthermore, cup-plate agar diffusion was applied for antimicrobial activity evaluation while minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was assessed by microdilution technique. Results: Centaurea pseudosinaica, Tripleurospermum auriculatum, and Koelpinia linearis afforded previously undescribed three coumarins (xanthotoxin, cirsimaritin, salvigenins) from C. pseudosinaica, one steroid (estradiol) and a pentacyclic triterpene (β-amyrin) from T. auriculatum and a coumarin (santin) from K. linearis in good yields. In addition, the plant extracts and oils exhibited remarkable bioactivities including antifungal, antibacterial and antipyretic etc. Conclusion: The results reveal the presence of bioactive phytomolecules from Asteraceae plant extracts and volatile oils from three Asteraceae plants. Keywords: C. pseudosinaica, T. auriculatum, K. linearis, Xanthotoxin, Salvigenin, Cirsimaritin, Santin, Estradiol, β-amyrin, Antimicrobial activit

Differences in educational attainment between obese and non-obese Kuwaiti female university students

Individuals with obesity tend to perform less well than their non-obese peers in tertiary education, but there is little evidence from non-Western countries and recent studies. The present study aimed to test whether academic attainment differed between female undergraduates with obesity (defined by body mass index (BMI)), and those who were non-obese in Kuwait, a country with very high obesity prevalence. In 400 female Kuwaiti first- and second-year Social Science students (mean age 18⋅0, sd 0⋅6 years), educational attainment was defined as the Grade Point Average (GPA) across all subjects (from 1⋅00 to 4⋅00). The mean GPA (2⋅51, sd 0⋅53) among students defined as obese by the BMI (n 163) was significantly lower than among the students defined as non-obese by the BMI (n 237; 2⋅80, sd 0⋅63; P < 0⋅001), and those defined as obese were more likely to be in the lowest quartile for the GPA (OR 3⋅03; 95% CI 1⋅90, 4⋅85), independent of socio-economic status. Similar differences were observed between students defined as having high versus normal body fatness. Female undergraduates in Kuwait with obesity have lower academic attainment than their non-obese peers, and universities should consider measures to mitigate reduced attainment among their female undergraduates