Eighteenth Month Research Articles

Correlation of age with body weight and testicular biometry in developing buffalo males of Murrah breed

The current investigation was conducted on one hundred and eighty Murrah buffalo male calves from the age of one to thirty months, to investigate the correlation of age with body weight and testicular biometry. Six animals were included in each month. The body weight (b. wt) of the male calves was recorded on the weight bridge balance and the circumference of scrotum was measured by inch tape. The testicular dimensions were measured ultasonographically. Mean body weight from one to thirty month ranged between 57.0±1.99 and 433.0±9.81 kg. It increased 12.52 kg per month. The mean testicular circumference at 1, 12, 18 and 30 months was 9.00±00, 20.25±0.64, 21.42±0.64 and 26.67±0.42 cm, respectively. The overall increase in testicular circumference from one to thirty months was 0.59 cm per month. The mean length of right testes at one month was 2.89±0.15 cm and at eighteenth month was 6.87±0.27 cm. It increased in parallel pattern with b.wt and age. The width of right testes ranged between 1.01±0.05 to 4.53±0.211 cm. The length of left testes from one to eighteen month ranged between 2.73±0.19 to 6.49±0.10 cm with an increase of 0.21 cm per month. Similarly, the mean width of left testes ranged between 1.12±0.02 to 4.61±0.17 cm and significantly increased 0.12 cm/month. The data obtained in the current extensive study may serve as reference values for Murrah buffalo bulls.

34888 Refractory pustular psoriasis treated successfully with IL-23 inhibitors. Report of 1 patient with generalized pustular psoriasis and 4 patients with palmoplantar pustulosis

Introduction: It is known that the key inflammatory cytokines in plaque psoriasis are TNF-a/IL-23/IL-17/IL-22. Conversely, recent data demonstrate that pustular psoriasis is mainly characterized by a neutrophil-driven inflammatory response following “hyperactivation” of the IL-36 axis. However, it appears that these 2 pathways cross-talk to each other and act synergistically in the pathophysiologic mechanism of pustule formation. In terms of guidance to treatment, no robust data exist. Considering the advances into the pathophysiology, arises the question whether the novel IL-23 antagonists could lead to clinical improvement. Methods: We present a 75-year-old female patient with generalized-pustular-psoriasis for 10 years and 4 patients (2 females and 2 males) 53, 58, 60, and 62 years old with palmoplantar-pustulosis for 3, 5, 5, and 6 years, respectively. The former had unsuccessfully undergone every available at that point systemic therapy (both conventional and biologic) whereas the laters had failed acitretin, MTX/acitretin, apremilast/acitretin, acitretin/MTX/apremilast respectively. All five had PGA score >3. We initiated an IL-23 inhibitor. Patient with the generalized-pustular form and 2 patients with the palmoplantar form received risankizumab whereas the other 2 guselkumab. Results: All 4 had reached PPPGA 0/1 by week 12, whereas the patient with generalized pustular form had reached PGA 1 by week 16. Formers are currently undergoing the sixth month of therapy, whereas the later the eighteenth month and still present great response. Conclusions: Il-23 might be a key operator in the interconnection of the complex pathogenetic pathways in pustular psoriasis. Therefore, IL-23 inhibition could be a therapeutic option. More data are required.

Early-Life Colonization by Anelloviruses in Infants.

Anelloviruses (AVs) are found in the vast majority of the human population and are most probably part of a healthy virome. These viruses infect humans in the early stage of life, however, the characteristics of the first colonizing AVs are still unknown. We screened a collection of 107 blood samples from children between 0.4 and 64.8 months of age for the presence of three AV genera: the Alpha-, Beta- and Gammatorquevirus. The youngest child that was positive for AV was 1.2 months old, and a peak in prevalence (100% of samples positive) was reached between the twelfth and eighteenth months of life. Intriguingly, the beta- and gammatorqueviruses were detected most at the early stage of life (up to 12 months), whereas alphatorqueviruses, the most common AVs in adults, increased in prevalence in children older than 12 months. To determine whether that order of colonization may be related to oral transmission and unequal presence of AV genera in breast milk, we examined 63 breast milk samples. Thirty-two percent of the breast milk samples were positive in a qPCR detecting beta- and gammatorqueviruses, while alphatorqueviruses were detected in 10% of the samples, and this difference was significant (p = 0.00654). In conclusion, we show that beta- and gammatorqueviruses colonize humans in the first months of life and that breastfeeding could play a role in AV transmission.

Clinical profile and long-term outcome of the first seizures in children.

Seizures are one of the most common causes of pediatric admissions to hospitals in children. This study aims to identify the clinical profile and outcome of first seizures in children. Children who presented to the pediatric neurology outpatient clinic and pediatric emergency service with a first-time seizure and aged one month through 18 years old were enrolled to the study. At the time of the study, enrolled children were categorized into three study groups according to seizure characteristics: febrile seizure, nonfebrile-provoked seizure and, unprovoked seizure. The study group consisted of 138 children. Of the 138 patients, 60 (43%) had febrile first seizures, 23 (17%) had nonfebrile-provoked first seizures, and 55 (40%) had unprovoked first seizures. The patients did not experience the recurrence of a seizure by the treatment of underlying cause at the eighteenth month and the eighth year follow-up in the nonfebrile-provoked seizure group. Among the children admitted for unprovoked first seizures, 33 (60%) patients had seizure recurrence during 18 month follow-up and 36 (82%) patients had seizure recurrence during eight year follow-up. Seizure recurrence rate was statistically higher in patients with abnormal EEG and cranial MRI findings in the unprovoked seizure group (p < .05). The patients with provoked first seizure did not develop epilepsy during eight year follow-up. However, 36 patients with unprovoked seizures were diagnosed with epilepsy during eight year follow-up. It is essential to determine the causes of the seizures and treat the condition.

VA Rapidly Reduces Adverse Clinical Events Following Randomized Clinical Trial Showing Harm

The VA has policies directing communication between Research, Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) and health care providers to decrease time between research findings and clinical practice implementation. A randomized double‐blind trial of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients found increased acute kidney injury (AKI) and hyperkalemia from combination therapy with an angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor and an angiotensin receptor blocker compared to monotherapy. Specific to this trial, we sought to assess the apparent clinical impact of these policies, which create a multicomponent intervention comprising of four dissemination strategies.We conducted a retrospective longitudinal database analysis with data from the VA Corporate Data Warehouse using pooled cross‐sectional data to conduct an interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) using separate models for AKI and hyperkalemia. As the intervention occurred February 2013 to December 2014, we assessed the rate of AKI and hyperkalemia between July 2008 and November 2017.Our denominator was comprised of the population of patients utilizing VA health care services at any VA Health Care System who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease stages 1‐3, and moderately or severely increased albuminuria. Although we report our results as the number of events, our numerator was the patients who used combination therapy and who experienced an AKI or hyperkalemia. We also stratified the population due to differences in renal risk.Among all patients, a mean of 66.07 AKI events per month occurred in those using combination therapy in the preintervention period while a mean of 11.32 per month was experienced postintervention. Before the PBM communication, the number of AKI events per 100 000 patients was decreasing at 0.54 per month (95% CI: −0.96, −0.13, P = .011). After the PBM communication, there was a significant change in level: there were 17.97 fewer AKI events per 100 000 patients (95% CI: −28.19, −7.75, P = .001) in the first month; compared to the base trend, there were 0.19 more AKI events per 100 000 patients (95% CI: −0.23, 0.62, P = .37) per month. This translates into the PBM communication being associated with a 53.02%, 55.01%, and 57.51% relative decrease in AKI events experienced per 100 000 patients in the sixth, twelfth, and eighteenth month, respectively, compared to the base trend. For hyperkalemia, among all patients, we observed a mean of 9.49 hyperkalemia events per month in the preintervention period and a mean of 1.77 events post‐intervention. Although ITSA indicated a nonsignificant ten‐fold decrease in events the month immediately following the PBM communication, it found some groups at higher renal risk had a significant decrease in events. We cannot discern whether the change in observed data seems to be solely due to the PBM communication or more than one component of the intervention.Although ITSA cannot determine causality, we estimate 431 AKI events appear to have been averted in the first 18 months if the intervention did not occur.Compared to the seventeen‐year benchmark, the apparent speed and impact of VA’s dissemination strategies of research results between VA Research, PBM, and health care providers are a model for other health care organizations.Department of Veterans Affairs.

Health-related quality of life and post-traumatic stress disorder in inpatients injured in the Ludian earthquake: a longitudinal study

BackgroundThe aim of this longitudinal study was to identify risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in inpatients injured in the Ludian earthquake and examine the relationship between PTSD symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following the earthquake.MethodsThree assessments were performed during an 18-month follow-up period. In total, one-hundred forty-seven inpatients of one-hundred seventy-four inpatients (85% of the initial sample) underwent all the assessments. Injured inpatients admitted to the No. 1 People’s Hospital of Zhaotong City after a severe earthquake (6.5 on the Richter scale) were enrolled in the study and assessed using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version, Clinician-Administered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Scale, and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 Scale.ResultsAt the first, third and eighteenth months after the earthquake, the prevalence rates for PTSD were 23, 14, and 7%, respectively. In a regression model, bereavement, history of major diseases, and severe injury in the earthquake were associated with severe PTSD symptoms. HRQoL was negatively correlated with PTSD symptoms. Compared to that of Chinese norms, participants’ HRQoL was significantly lower in all eight HRQoL domains of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 Scale.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that a substantial proportion of inpatients injured in the earthquake experienced severe PTSD symptoms and poor HRQoL. Therefore, early preventive programs and interventions should be implemented following disasters, to reduce PTSD and improve HRQoL in injured individuals.

Investigation of the Climatic Stability of Sealing Rubbers Used in the Technology of the North

The present paper outlines the results of full-scale tests of climatic stability of rubbers based on BNKS-18 (butadiene-nitrile rubber) and Hydrin T6000 epichlorohydrin rubber containing low-volatile and non-toxic phenolic antioxidants. Samples are exposed in an open ground under natural conditions of exposure to climatic external factors of Yakutsk in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), as well as in deformed state (by 30%). Such indexes of the samples as conditional tensile strength, elongation at break are measured to determine the resistance of rubbers to aging after the first, third, sixth, ninth, twelfth and eighteenth months of exposing. The results of the study reveal the contribution of CO3 stabilizer in maintaining the stability of the physical and mechanical properties of BNKS-18: rubber containing CO3 has less property changes in the open air. Stafen stabilizer occurred more effective for the rubber based on Hydrin T6000: Over the entire period of full-scale exposure, rubber samples containing it demonstrated the smallest changes in the indicators of elastic-strength properties as compared to the industrial stabilizer 6РРD and other experimental stabilizers.

Modified autologous transobturator tape surgery - evaluation of short term results.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the short-term outcomes of our modified autologous transobturator tape (aTOT) technique with rectus abdominis muscle fascial graft for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The data of 22 patients who underwent modified aTOT were recorded. Perioperative data regarding operative time, complications and postoperative visual analogue scores were noted. Patients were assessed 18 months after surgery. The primary endpoints of this study were the improvements in the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (ICIQ-FLUTS) subscores, one-hour pad test and cough stress test rates as an objective cure as well as the improvements in the PGI-I and ICIQ-FLUTS quality of life scores as a subjective cure. Mean age and the mean follow-up period were 51.7 ± 9.8 years and 20.1 ± 0.9 months, respectively. Urethral hypermobility and a positive cough stress test were detected in all the patients. Mean operative time was 43.8 ± 8.1 min. and the overall complication rate was 9%. Mean VAS scores at postoperative 24 hours were 2.6 ± 1.2. At the postoperative eighteenth month, no patient had a positive cough test and mean PGI-I score was 2 while two patients had moderate urinary incontinence according to the pad test. Pad test results, ICIQ subscores of voiding QoL, incontinence, incontinence QoL, total score and total QoL score at baseline and eighteen months after surgery were 76.9 ± 19.9, 9.6 ± 4.1, 15.5 ± 4.0, 39.5 ± 7.9, 27.9 ± 6.6, 68.4 ± 13.8 and 7.1 ± 2, 10.1 ± 2.4, 6.6 ± 2.1, 13.4 ± 4.5, 20.4 ± 4.8, 39.7 ± 9.2 respectively (p = 0.001, p = 0.004, p = 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.001, and p = 0.001, respectively) CONCLUSIONS: Modified aTOT is an effective and safe method with low morbidity for SUI treatment in short term.

Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste Michael Leach (bio) On 30 August 2019, Timor-Leste hosted a major celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the 1999 popular consultation that saw it secure its independence from Indonesia. This significant date was also chosen for the exchange of notes between the East Timorese and Australian prime ministers, bringing the 2018 Australia–Timor-Leste maritime boundary treaty into effect. Meanwhile, Timor-Leste’s first experience of semi-presidential “cohabitation” saw the political impasse over the president’s refusal to appoint ministers continue throughout the year. The year 2018 had ended with a presidential veto of changes to the Law on Petroleum Activities, which was designed to lift the legislated 20 percent limit on state ownership and allow the East Timorese government to become a major joint venture partner. President “Lu Olo” Guterres—a senior figure of the opposition Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (fretilin) party—expressed concerns over the financial sustainability of the nation’s now us$17.7 billion petroleum fund (La‘o Hamutuk 2020b). For their part, some local nongovernmental organizations argued that changes to the law were actually aimed at preventing Timor-Leste’s Audit Court from reviewing large contracts—an accusation the government denied (La‘o Hamutuk 2018). Parliament successfully reversed the presidential veto on 10 January 2019, as the fretilin opposition staged a parliamentary walkout, allowing the government a rare opportunity to assemble the two-thirds supermajority required to reverse the veto. President Guterres then vetoed the 2019 budget on 23 January, arguing that it was gravely unsustainable and drew too heavily on the principal reserves of Timor-Leste’s sovereign wealth fund. This action placed the Greater Sunrise joint-venture payment in jeopardy, as the fretilin opposition has twenty-three seats— enough in normal circumstances to deny the government a parliamentary reversal of the veto. However, this tension was soon resolved on 31 January, when Parliament revised the 2019 budget to us$1.4 billion by removing the us$650 million joint-venture payment. The government was confident it could use the petroleum fund itself as the source of the payment, having altered the fund’s investment rules in the Law of Petroleum Activities amendments. Though opposition members of Parliament referred the legislation to the Court of Appeal, the changes were soon found to be constitutional, and the us$650 million was paid to Conoco Philips and Shell on 16 April (La‘o Hamutuk 2018–2020), making the government of Timor-Leste a 56 percent stakeholder in the Greater Sunrise joint venture. The revised 2019 budget was promulgated by the president on 7 February 2019, to the relief of business groups concerned about the economic impact of a possible return [End Page 605] to the reserve “duodecimal” budget system, which issues monthly installments of one-twelfth of the previous year’s budget and was widely blamed for economic contraction in 2017 and 2018. This particular fear would recur eleven months later as the year turned to 2020. Wider problems beset the Alliance for Change and Progress (amp) government throughout 2019 and came to a head spectacularly early in 2020. These tensions started in mid-2018, with President Lu Olo’s refusal to install nine ministerial nominees from the largest party in the alliance, the National Congress of the Timorese Reconstruction (cnrt), citing judicial inquiries into misconduct or “poor moral standing” (Leach 2018). The president’s stance produced a political standoff that persisted throughout 2019 and was in its eighteenth month as the year closed. This resulted in an executive government dominated by ministers from the two smaller amp parties, Popular Liberation Party (plp) and Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nacional Timor Oan (khunto), despite cnrt being the largest party of the parliamentary coalition. cnrt was frustrated by its lack of access to ministries and had not been satisfied that Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak—the leader of plp—had adequately pursued this issue with the president. The disjunction between cnrt’s dominance of the parliamentary alliance and its limited presence in executive government was made worse by other tensions internal to amp itself: most notably the general absence from government decision-making of cnrt chairman and former independence movement leader Xanana...

Hyaluronic Acid Gel Biodegradation After Intrapalpebral and Intraorbital Injection in Experimental Study.

Amid the increasing clinical application of hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers in the ocular adnexa is a paucity of histological data concerning the fate of the injected material. The current study documents the in vivo biodegradation of HA deposited in the eyelid and orbit. The study included 22 chinchilla rabbits. The right upper eyelid of 12 rabbits received a single 0.2 ml Restylane (Galderma, Uppsala, Sweden) subcutaneous injection. In 10 different rabbits, the right orbit was injected with 1.0 ml Restylane SubQ (Galderma, Uppsala, Sweden) in the extraconal space. The rabbits in the eyelid group were euthanized at 2 weeks, 1 month, 2, 4, 6, and 9 months, while the rabbits in the orbit group were euthanized at 1 month, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months. Histological analysis was performed on the harvested samples. In the eyelid, the HA assumed a sponge-like structure that diminished gradually over time. At 9 months, the injected HA partially persisted, mainly in the peripheral areas of injection. A similar histologic pattern was observed in the injected orbits, with slow changes persisting at the eighteenth month. In both cohorts, clear signs of collagen deposition and pseudocapsule formation were observed around HA droplets, with no signs inflammation. HA injected subcutaneously into the eyelid and orbit of rabbits undergoes slow and gradual biodegradation, with HA persisting to no less than 9 months in the eyelid and 18 months in orbit. Neocollagen synthesis and lack of hyaluronidase activity could explain the unexpectedly prolonged HA persistence.

Intentional replantation of periodontally involved hopeless teeth: a case series study.

To explore the clinical effect, the healing modes, and the potential influence factors of intentional replantation for periodontally hopeless teeth in combination with regeneration techniques. Intentional replantation was operated on forty-eight periodontally hopeless teeth from forty-eight patients. The clinical indexes and the X-ray films were recorded during the follow-up period of 18months. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test or the paired T test was adopted to carry out the statistical analysis. The overall survival rate at the ninth month was 95.8% and declined to 91.7% at the eighteenth month. The improved rate of the mobility was 89.1% at the ninth month and the ankylosis percentage was 77.3% at the eighteenth month. The survival rate and mobility-improved rate of anterior teeth were both better than that of posterior teeth. Probing depth and bone loss decreased while ginginval recession increased (P < 0.05). Smoking had an adverse effect on both mobility improvement and bone gain (P < 0.05). Intentional replantation for periodontally hopeless teeth could achieve favorable outcomes through a reasonable healing mode of tooth ankylosis. Strict control of infection and smoking could improve the success rate of this procedure. To provide additional treatment for allowance of flexible options when patients and dentists are faced with periodontally hopeless teeth.

An optimized standard liquid carrier formulation for extended shelf-life of plant growth promoting bacteria

An experiment was carried out to standardize the protocol for the preparation of liquid formulation of PGPR mix–I containing component cultures – Azospirillum lipoferum, Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus sporothermodurans in completely randomized design with different treatments such as 2% Glycerol, 2% Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), 15 mM Trehalose, 1% Glycerol + 1% PVP, Glycerol (2%) + Trehalose (1%) + Yeast extract (1%) + PVP (1%) + Proline (1%) and control without any additives in four replications. Talc based formulation was kept as a standard. In spite of inconsistent viable count recorded in different treatments till eighth month, from tenth month onwards, formulation amended with 15 mM Trehalose exhibited maximum viable count until eighteenth month. A significant decline of total viable population in talc based formulation was observed at bimonthly intervals compared to 15 mM Trehalose amended formulation. Based on the population study, 15 mM Trehalose amended formulation was adjudged as the best liquid biofertilizer formulation. Even at eighteenth month, significant population was observed in 15 mM Trehalose amended formulation.

Effect of health literacy interventions with the stages of change on Kazakh-Chinese hypertension patients

Objective To evaluate the effect of the intervention combined the high blood pressure health literacy(HBP-HL) with the stages of change on waist circumference(WC), body mass index(BMI) and physiological-biochemical indexes among the Kazakh-Chinese hypertensive patients. Methods The interventional plan was built based on the Stages of Change of Transtheoretical Model . This randomized controlled trial study was carried out from July 2014 to January 2016, and Kazakh hypertension patients from qianjin and small canal pastoral areas were sampled using stratified cluster sampling method, with 74 patients from each place. The general health management combined with High Blood Pressure Health Education handbook was applied in the control group. The intervention group was given the 12-month intervention combined the HBP-HL with the stages of change based on the control group. Meanwhile, WC, BMI and other data were collected at the first, twelfth and eighteenth months. Results Repeated variance analysis showed interaction effects between time and group (F=14.396, 15.214, P<0.05), indicating that the effect of intervention factors on WC and BMI would increase over time when intervention existed. The total cholesterol ((5.69±0.93)mol/L), low density lipoprotein ((3.74±0.86)mol/L) and serum creatinine ((65.46±13.45)mol/L) of hypertension patients in intervention group were lower than those before intervention (t=3.998, 4.581, 2.574, P<0.05). After intervention, the scores of total health literacy (t=5.157) , understanding ability (t=6.504), the latest vital signs (t=11.583) and avoiding food allergy (t=3.778) of the intervention group were higher than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions The intervention strategy of health literacy-behavioral change stage is feasible and effective. It can significantly reduce WC, BMI, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein and serum creatinine in Kazakh hypertension patients in pastoral areas, and the short-term maintenance effect of the intervention is acceptable. Key words: Kazakh; Hypertension; Health literacy; Stages of change; Waist circumference; Body mass index

Growth and yield performance of Aloe vera grown in different soil types of Bangladesh

Plant requires suitable soil for higher yield, quality growth and desired crop productivity that differ with soil characteristics, availability of the nutrient elements and overall soil fertility. Aloe vera, a documented medicative plant, is used for numerous medical and cosmetic applications since very beginning of the civilization. An experiment was conducted in Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh to find out the most appropriate soil for A. vera cultivation. Seven types of soils viz., acid, calcareous, non-calcareous, charland, saline, peat and acid sulphate were collected from different locations of Bangladesh. Eighteenth month old Aloe vera seedlings were collected from Shomvogonj, Mymensingh and planted during last week of May, 2017 following completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Most of the soils were light grey in colour, acidic to neutral in nature and clay to clay loam in texture except non-calcareous and charland soils. Bulk density, particle density and field capacity ranged from 1.23−1.45 g cm−3, 2.20−2.58 g cm−3 and 27.07−30.20%, respectively. The ranges of pH, EC and organic matter contents were 3.8 to 7.8, 0.25 to 14.04 dS m−1 and 0.88 to 16.40%, respectively. The organic matter content was found as low to moderate except peat soil. Total N, exchangeable K, available P and S contents ranged from 0.05−0.95%, 0.17−0.73 cmol kg−1, 3.09−12.10 and 11.06−735.12 µg g−1 soil, respectively. Growth and leaf biomass yield of A. vera was significantly influenced by different soil types. The highest plant height, leaf number, leaf area and leaf fresh weight were recorded from the plant grown in non-calcareous soil whereas maximum fresh gel weight, dry leaf weight and yield increase over acid sulphate soil were found from the plant grown in calcareous soil. The highest fresh leaf gel weight (907 g plant−1) was obtained from the plant grown in calcareous soil which was identical with the gel weight (880 g plant−1) of the plant grown in acid soil. The yield increase of acid, non-calcareous, charland, saline1 (6.32 dS m−1) and saline2 (8.14 dS m−1) soils over acid sulphate soil were 718, 712, 394, 144 and 86%, respectively. The overall performance of the soils in relation to leaf biomass yield was of the following order: calcareous ≥ acid ≥ non-calcareous &gt; charland &gt; saline1 (6.32 dS m−1) &gt; saline2 (8.14 dS m−1) &gt; peat &gt; acid sulphate soil. The results suggest that farmers could be advised to grow A. vera either in calcareous or acid soils of Bangladesh. Since calcareous and non-calcareous soils are mostly used for growing cereals, pulses, cash crop like sugarcane, fruits etc., acid soil could be used for cultivating this important medicinal crop considering the socio-economic conditions of the country.&#x0D; J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(3): 448–456, December 2018

Long-term effect of systemic isotretinoin on female fertility

Background/objective: Acne vulgaris is one of the most common diseases of the youth. Systemic isotretinoin is the only drug which acts on all of the etiopathogenic mechanisms of acne. Isotretinoin has some well-known side effects. Besides these, there is a suspicion whether it affects fertility or not. Previously, we conducted a study about isotretinoin’s effect on ovarian reserve which showed deteriorative reserve. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of systemic isotretinoin on female fertility.Materials and methods: Of the 82 female patients who were enrolled in the first study, 79 patients were included in this study. Twelve months after the end of systemic isotretinoin treatment, patients were reevaluated by using the same parameters which include anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), ovarian volume (OV), antral follicle count (AFC), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, free testosterone and total testosterone.Results: The changes in the mean AMH, OV and AFC were statistically significant between the sixth and eighteenth months (the end of systemic isotretinoin treatment and 12 months treatment free). The mean AMH, OV and AFC values at the beginning and at the 18th month were statistically similar.Conclusion: The deteriorative effects of systemic isotretinoin treatment on ovarian reserve, which can be accepted as an indicator of female fertility, diminish in time.

Enhancing adherence, subjective well-being and quality of life in patients with schizophrenia: which role for long-acting risperidone?

This study evaluated adherence to treatment, quality of life and subjective well-being in patients with psychosis treated with long-acting injectable risperidone. Subjects enrolled were part of a larger study where patients were observed in an adherence to treatment program of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. A total of 27 nonadherent patients (21 men, six women; mean age: 36.1 years; range: 23-63 years) were enrolled. Maximum observational period was 30 months. A total of 12 patients were under treatment for 30 months (44.44%) but only nine had a valid 30-month follow up, while the remaining three patients initially treated at our unit continued long-acting risperidone at their local centre. Reductions of monthly mean values of Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) [repeated measures analysis of variance (rm-ANOVA): p < 0.0001] and Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) (p < 0.0001), increase of monthly mean values of Subjective Well-Being Under Neuroleptic Treatment Scale (SWN) (p < 0.0001) and Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale (S-QoL) (p < 0.01) were observed. Significant differences with respect to SAPS baseline values from the sixth month, SANS baseline values from the seventh month, SWN baseline values from the eighth month, S-QoL baseline values from the eighteenth month were shown in post hoc tests. Reduction of SAPS mean values was associated with increase of SWN (p < 0.0001) and S-QoL (p < 0.0001) mean values as demonstrated by correlation analysis. The same inverse correlation was found between reduction of SANS mean values and increases of SWN (p < 0.0001) and S-QoL (p = 0.0001) mean values. Long-term treatment with long-acting risperidone may be associated with improvement to adherence to therapy and quality of life. Patients may show improvement in psychopathological symptoms, subjective well-being and quality of life.

Hidroksiüre'nin Neden Olduğu Longitidunal Melanonişi

Hydroxyurea is a chemotherapeutic agent which is used in the management of myeloproliferative disorders. Mucocutaneous adverse effects and nail hyperpigmentation can be observed in long-term treatment. Cases of hydroxyurea-induced melanonychia develop predominantly in female patients and the most common pattern is longitudinal bands. Here we present a case of 65-year-old woman patient that has longitudinal melanonychia on the nails of the hands, observed at the eighteenth month of the treatment of hydroxyurea. By means of this case, it is aimed to be aware of the cutaneous side effects of hydroxyurea which is commonly used in myeloproliferative disorders

O distúrbio de linguagem em dois sujeitos com risco para o desenvolvimento em uma perspectiva enunciativa do funcionamento de linguagem

Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar a importância de uma hipótese de funcionamento de linguagem, considerando as relações forma/sentido e os mecanismos e estratégias enunciativas na análise da linguagem de dois sujeitos com distúrbio de linguagem e risco ao desenvolvimento. Dois sujeitos e seus familiares foram acompanhados do primeiro ao décimo oitavo mês de idade, por meio dos Índices de Risco ao Desenvolvimento Infantil. Entre 21 e 24 meses, foram filmados com familiares (mãe, pai, irmão) e com a pesquisadora, em situação lúdica, de modo similar ao que acontece em casa. As filmagens foram analisadas e transcritas ortograficamente e analisadas por meio dos mecanismos e estratégias enunciativas, da relação forma/sentido, buscando-se identificar o funcionamento de linguagem. Enquanto um dos sujeitos evidenciou maiores possibilidades de realização vocal, mas com mecanismos e estratégias enunciativas restritas, o outro apresentou quase ausência de fala, induzindo o adulto a falar por ele. Houve diferenças no funcionamento de linguagem, nos recursos para relacionar forma e sentido, bem como no uso de mecanismos e estratégias enunciativas entre ambos sujeitos, o que demonstra a necessidade de identificar uma hipótese de funcionamento de linguagem no processo de avaliação da linguagem infantil.

The Refiner's Fire and the Imago Dei:

The Refiner's Fire and the Imago Dei:

Correlation between Health-Related Quality of Life and Various Therapeutic Monitoring Parameters of Ivorian HIV-Infected Patients

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important issue for HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The purpose of our study was to highlight particular items of HRQOL correlated to some monitoring parameters during ART in resource-limited settings (RLS): mean CD4 count, adherence, drug side effects (DSE), cotrimoxazole prophylaxis, self-medication and opportunistic infections. Methods: HRQOL and self-medication were evaluated cross sectionally at eighteenth month of ART with 231 Ivorian HIV-infected patients. Our survey was performed using the MOS-HIV questionnaire for HRQOL. The mean CD4 count during ART was determined with values measured at sixth month (M6), twelfth month (M12), eighteenth month (M18). Routine data from clinical visit at M6, M12, and M18 were used to assess longitudinally the quality of adherence, the occurrence of drug side effects and opportunistic infections during ART. These parameters were evaluated by each patient’s physician. Results: Regardless of CD4 counts, scores of HRQOL items attached to them were homogeneous, (patients had an equivalent quality of life). Good adherence was significantly correlated with high general health perception scores, and overall quality of life component scores. Physical functioning and cognitive functioning were significantly influenced by the occurrence of DSE; scores of these items were higher without DSE. Considering the global HRQOL scores, the existence or not of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis did not influence differently the HRQOL scores. Patients who practiced self-medication had global HRQOL scores not significantly different from those who did not practice it. However, we found significant correlations between the practice of self-medication and mental health, energy/ fatigue and cognitive functioning. The scores of these items were greater in patients not practicing self-medication. Conclusion: Information about therapeutic risks related to incomplete adherence, DSE and self-medication must be a crucial element integrated in counseling for HIV-infected patients to help optimize their HRQOL in RLS.