Tuberculosis is communicable disease which is common and often deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis continues to be a major public health problem in the world. The aim of this study is to assess prevalence and associated risk factors of pulmonary tuberculosis. Treatment and development of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis were also considered. Drugs for Pulmonary tuberculosis confirmed cases used in calculating tuberculosis prevalence in Libya which is obtained from archive department of Abu Seta Hospital. Data obtained from 427 files during 2019 determine the incidence and epidemiology of tuberculosis in Libya. For a total of 427 confirmed cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, about 75.0% of the cases were male and most of the patients (55.0%) were within the age group of 20 - 40 years old. Of the study patients, 114 patients (26.7%) were viral infected and most of the viral infected cases were in the age group of 20 - 40 years and the majority of this age group patients (n = 41, 53.2%) were infected with HIV/HCV, while the least percentage in this group age were infected with HIV/HBsAg (01.3%). Among 427 cases, 73 cases (17.1%) were comorbid with other chronic diseases. Of the 73 cases, 54 cases (74.0%) were diabetes mellitus whereas only 1.4% of them had bronchial asthma, Parkinsonism and renal failure. The drug therapy of active tuberculosis disease needs combination chemotherapy to escape the selection of naturally occurring drug-resistant mutants. Amongst current anti tuberculosis drugs, the rifamycins hold the highest potential for shortening treatment and improving effects. Prevalence of smear positive tuberculosis and bacteriologically confirmed that a high rate of tuberculosis among unemployed population. This study reported that the highest incidence rate is found in people who are smokers.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Abstract Cigarette smoking has been linked to health challenges of global concern. This study determined Body Mass Index (BMI), serum cotinine and C-reactive protein levels of smokers. Forty-five smokers and forty-five aged-matched non-smokers were recruited into the study. Informed consents were obtained from the participants. Ethical consideration was granted by Cross River State Ministry of Health. Blood samples were collected by standard phlebotomy. Smokers were categorized based on Smoking Pack Years (SPY) into light, moderate and heavy smokers. Serum cotinine and C-reactive protein levels were determined by spectrophotometry. Height and weights were measured and BMI calculated. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. Student’s t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation were utilized for comparison, results were considered significant at p<0.05. There was no significant difference (p=0.103) between the mean age of smokers and non-smokers. Mean BMI of smokers was significantly lower (p=0.015) than that of non-smokers. Mean Serum cotinine and C-reactive protein of smokers were significantly higher (p=0.001) than those of non-smokers. Mean age, serum cotinine and C-reactive protein levels vary significantly (p<0.05) among the smokers categorized based on SPY. BMI did not vary significantly (p=0.269) among the groups. A correlation between age and serum cotinine was negative (r=-0.359, p=0.016), and that between age and SPY was negative (r=-0.348, p=0.019). Correlations between cotinine and C-reactive protein and between cotinine and SPY were positive (r=0.928, p=0.001) and (r=0.947, p=0.001) respectively. A correlation between C-reactive protein and SPY was positive (r=0.957, p=0.001). The study had shown that C-reactive protein increases with cotinine levels and smoking pack years in smokers.
The notable developments in renewable energy facilities and resources help reduce the cost of production and increase production capacity. Therefore, developers in renewable energy evaluate the overall performance of the various equipment, methods, and structure and then determine the optimal variables for the design of energy production systems. Variables include equipment characteristics and quality, geographical location, and climatic variables such as solar irradiance, temperature, humidity, dust, etc. This paper investigated and reviewed the current big data methods and tools in solar energy production. It discusses the comprehensive two-stage design and evaluation for examining the optimal structure for renewable energy systems. In the design stage, technical and economic aspects are discussed based on a robust analysis of all input/output variables for determining the highest performance. Next, assess and evaluate the effectiveness of each method under different circumstances conditions. Then convert each qualitative indicator into a quantitative measure using extensive data analysis methods to determine the overall performance of the various qualitative variables. The paper also provides an in-depth analysis of the mathematical techniques used in measuring the efficiency of the renewable energy production system and discussing future axes of work in the field of specific energy.
COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China a few months ago (December 2019) and had since become a major challenging public health problem for not only China but also many countries around the world. It was on March 11, 2020, characterized by WHO as a pandemic. The pandemic so far has killed more than 526,465 people and infected more than 11,046,917 people around the world as of 05 July 2020. Nigeria currently has 28,167 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 11,462 (40%) discharged, 16,071 (57%) currently receiving treatment at designated facilities across the country and unfortunately 634 (3%) deaths as at the time of writing this manuscript. As far as the authors are aware, there are little or no work carried out on the implications of COVID-19 on dental practices in Nigeria. Recently, COVID-19 was identified in saliva of infected patients and so transmission via aerosols and splatter generated during dental procedures is sure. To limit exposure, there was a need to avoid scheduling patients except for emergency dental care during this outbreak. This limitation on activities of the dental sector has a very huge impact on the economy of the sector as it has already resulted in serious monetary implications for dental practices worldwide. While dental practices in the high-income countries are getting help from their respective Government, those in the middle and low-income countries like Nigeria have been left to wallow in bankruptcy without support. The authors highly recommend that the Government of these neglected countries, step up and support dental practices that are on the brink of closing down due to the low turnout of patients to their practice during this outbreak.
With a few years of teaching medical students and witnessing the status of medical education and health care delivery in Libya, for a decade or more, a reflection of what is happening in Libya, the country which has given respect and economic freedom to a teacher like me. The Republic of India, a South Asian country is the seventh largest nation by area, the second most populous country and the most populous democracy in the globe. One of the fundamental rights of the Indian constitution is the ‘Right to life’ which translates to “Right to Health”. India is a Federal country with 29 states and eight union territories [1]. Indian health care is taken care of by the States by organizing and delivering health care and the Central Government takes responsibility for international health treaties: medical education, prevention of food adulteration, quality control in drug manufacturing, national disease control and family planning. Indian health care under the public sector is provided free to people who are below the poverty line. Indian Public Health sector caters to 18.0% of total patient care and 44.0% of total in patient care. The total expenditure for health care is around 04.0% of the GDP and out-of-pocket expenses are around 69.0%. If it is calculated the cost of health care is around 1700 Indian rupees/capita/year [2]. It is true of Libya also. It has its national health a policy with free medical care and policy to cater to the needs of the Libyan people. With the civil unrest, and a transient locally elected government, Libya finds itself in very critical situation related to its economy and public services including public health. The hospitals built and their destruction because of the civil war lie in a very demanding conditions with poor supply chains and logistics to maintain the necessary demand and supply situation. The health care personnel physicians, nurses and public health workers are competent. They have to operate in a trying condition to save lives with limited healthcare facilities in the form of drug, medicine and medical equipment.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Furosemide is a widely potent diuretic drug used in the management of edema and hypertension. Various brands of furosemide are available in the Libyan market and should be subjected to different quality control tests to assess their pharmaceutical equivalence. This study aimed to assess and compare the quality and the pharmaceutical equivalence of some generic brands of furosemide 40 mg tablets marketed in Libya. The pharmaceutical quality of four brands of furosemide tablets was investigated using official and unofficial compendia standards including uniformity of weight, friability, thickness, hardness, drug content and dissolution rate. The results obtained showed acceptable external features as well as the thickness, diameter and uniformity of weight for all the furosemide tablets. The tested brands complied with the official specifications of friability, hardness and drug content. In conclusion, all four brands can be considered as bioequivalence and thus can be pharmaceutically substituted in clinical practice.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Background: Uterine leiomyoma is the most common benign smooth muscle tumor of unknown aetiology. Progesterone may contribute to leiomyoma growth through the induction of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) protein in leiomyoma cells. This study aims to determine the patterns of Bcell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) and progesterone receptor (PR) expression in uterine leiomyomas seen at LTH, Ogbomoso, over a five-year period using immunohistochemical techniques.Methods: This was a hospital-based retrospective study of histologically diagnosed leiomyomas in the histopathology department of a teaching hospital between January 2012 and December 2016. A total of 141 cases of uterine leiomyomas were semi-quantitatively analysed immunohistochemically for PR and BCL-2 antigens. Results: Immunohistochemical analysis showed that out of 141 cases studied, 74 (52.5%) and 118 (83.7%) were positive for BCL-2 and PR, respectively. Among the 141 cases, 23 (16.3%) were negative for both PR and BCL-2. There was a moderate positive correlation between the immunohistochemical expression of BCL-2 and PR antigens, with a p-value < 0.001 (Pearson correlation = 0.563). Conclusion: This study showed that the majority of women with leiomyomas expressed both progesterone receptor and B-cell lymphoma-2 antigens. Therefore, selective women with leiomyomas could benefit from progesterone receptor modulators instead of undergoing invasive procedures such as myomectomy or hysterectomy.
Urolithiasis is a common problem that has been afflicted for centuries and has a high recurrence. This review covers the sixty-four (64) antiurolithiatic plants of the family Fabaceae used in 18 different countries and their historical antiurolithiatc background. Hopefully, this review will be helpful for the general public and attract the scientific world for antiurolithiatic drug discovery.
Abstract---In contemporary society, most females are deprived of proper education, healthcare, job opportunities, etc., to uphold family customs, patriarchal dominance, and occasionally negligence towards the feminine gender. According to researchers, gender inequalities in health care, especially in eye care, are evident between accessing the care and getting treatment in developing countries. Therefore, we aim to measure the gender-wise eye-care follow-up regularity in accessing long-term glaucoma consultation among various age groups with a sample size of 564 in Delhi-NCR, India. The age groups (in years) are 15-29 (Group I), 30-44 (Group II), 45-59 (Group III), 60-74 (Group IV), and 75 and above (Group V). Groups I to V show, intragroup males have higher odds of getting regular eyecare by 20% (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.413 to 3.4871), 2.08% (OR 1.0208, 95% CI 0.4637 to 2.2472), 3.4% (OR 1.034, 95% CI 0.6369 to 1.6787), 8.46% (OR 1.0846, 95% CI 0.6783 to 1.7344), and 45.83% (OR 1.4583, 95% CI 0.4575 to 4.6484) respectively. The probable causes of gender-wise irregularity are lack of seriousness, financial limitations, dependency, loneliness due to widowhood, etc. To make eye-care services equally accessible to everyone, healthcare agencies should first take various progressive policies to overcome gender-wise socio-economic barriers.
To acquire algorithmic thinking is a long process that has a few steps. The most basic level of algorithmic thinking is when students recognize the algorithms and various problems that can be solved with algorithms. At the second level, students can execute the given algorithms. At the third level of algorithmic thinking, students can analyze the algorithms, they recognize which steps are executed in sequences, conditions or loops. At the fourth level, students can create their algorithms. The last three levels of algorithmic thinking are: the implementation of the algorithms in a programming language, modifying and improving the algorithms, and creating complex algorithms. In preliminary research related to algorithmic thinking, we investigated how first-year undergraduate computer science students of J. Selye University can solve problems associated with the second, third and fourth level of algorithmic thinking. We chose these levels because these levels do not require to know any programming language. The tasks that students had to solve were for example: what will be the route of a robot when it executes the given instructions, how many times we need to cross a river to carry everyone to another river-bank. To solve these types of tasks requires only good algorithmic thinking. The results showed that students reached 81.4% average score on tasks related to the execution of given algorithms, 72.3% average score on tasks where they needed to analyze algorithms, and 66.2% average score on tasks where students needed to create algorithms. The latter type of tasks were mostly various river-crossing problems. Even though, that students reached a 66.2% average score on these tasks, if we had accepted only solutions with the optimal algorithms (minimal number of river crossing), they would have reached only a 21.3% average score, which is very low. To help students find the optimal algorithms of river crossing puzzles, we developed several interactive web-based animations. In the last part of this paper, we describe these animations, we summarize how they were created and how they can be used in education. Finally, we conclude and briefly mention our plans related to our future research.
The CuS@reduced graphene oxide (CuS/RGO) hybrid nanocomposite was synthesized by facile hydrothermal method and used as a photoelectrode material in photovoltaic applications. In the hydrothermal route, RGO is formed by the reduction of GO with simultaneous formation of CuS/RGO nanocomposites. The CuS/RGO nanocomposites was investigated using powder XRD, TEM, HR-TEM, Raman, XPS, DRS UV–Vis spectroscopy, Photoluminescence (PL) measurements. XRD and TEM results suggest that CuS crystalline with individual spherical like homogeneous nanoparticles sizes in the range of 45–35 nm, which is distributed throughout the RGO sheets. We further construct the flexible photoelectrodes by using CuS and RGO and studied the photovoltaic performance. Photovoltaic parameters, such as short-circuit photocurrent density, open circuit voltage, fill factor and conversion efficiency were found to be 16 mA/cm2 , 0.71 V, 70.1% and 7.81% respectively, for CuS/RGO photoelectrode. The improved photo conversion efficiency of CuS/RGO is due to enhancing the electronic injection ability and reducing the photogenerated charge recombination. These photovoltaic results indicate a simple methodology for the low cost and effortless synthesis of an alternative CuS/RGO photoelectrode in high performance photovoltaic devices.
Self-concept and adjustments are important determinants of personality development of an individual and a conducive school environment can contribute building positive self-concept and making adjustment. This study attempted to investigate the level of self-concept and adjustment of visually impaired students attending special and inclusive school settings. Descriptive survey method was adopted to carry out this study and 165 visually impaired students studying in special and inclusive school settings located in Delhi and NCR participated as respondents for the study. The data gathering instruments used for this study include ‘Information Schedule’ designed by the researcher, Self-Concept Questionnaire (SCQ) by Sarswat and Adjustment Inventory for School Students (AISS) by Sinha and Singh. Data were analysed by applying statistical techniques namely– Percentage analysis, Mean, S.D. and t-test. Findings of the study indicated that visually impaired students in inclusive setting possess higher positive self-concept and demonstrate better adjustment than their counterpart in special school setting. Educational implications for different stakeholders are discussed.
Libraries play a vital role in providing access to information and fostering lifelong learning in communities. With the rapid advancement of Information Communication Technology (ICT), libraries are embracing digital tools and services to enhance their offerings and extend their reach. In today's interconnected world, the utilization of Information Communication Technology (ICT) resources and services has become imperative for various sectors. This study examines the utilization of ICT-based resources and services by libraries, focusing on key technologies such as digital libraries, online databases, electronic resources, and library management systems. It explores how these technologies enable libraries to expand their collections, improve accessibility, and deliver personalized services to users. The present study is an attempt to examine uses of information communication technology based library resources and services at university of Tamil Nadu. In this paper, the majority of the users' use of ICT based resources and services are study purpose. The majority of the respondents that satisfaction of ICT based resources and services have developed academic skills.
Scholars who apply artificial intelligence to political questions seek, most generally, to expand the scope and relevance of political model analysis. By incorporating the effects of variable human notions, traditions, and meanings, they seek to humanize political models. Most early applications of artificial intelligence in political science research address substantive issues pertaining to political decision making. Most of these works apply production-system technology to construct choice models in for eign-policy decision contexts. In recent years, political applications have begun to diver sify. Today, lively research efforts flourish in widely varied application areas, such as computational text analysis, logic programming, computer learning, and conflict sim ulation. The works reviewed here constitute the early steps of a nascent program of study. Much remains to be accomplished. Nevertheless, the efforts conducted thus far suggest many potentially fruitful research avenues. Youth are the most essential and promising segment of every country’s population. India has a larger advantage over other countries in terms of becoming a global leader because we effectively tap into the youth’s potential. Quality education is the only way to achieve this. With artificial intelligence’s potential growth in India, now is the ideal time to incorporate AI in education to reap its benefits and prepare India’s young for the future. Artificial intelligence has great potential in India. India’s AI technology has the potential to make it a world leader in artificial intelligence. In India, AI technology is used effectively in nearly every area, including agriculture, healthcare, education, infrastructure, transportation, retail, manufacturing, and
Turcicum leaf blight (TLB) and Polysora rust diseases are taking heavy shiver in all maize growing regions of Karnataka. Several new fungicides are used to control the diseases, among them strobilurin group fungicides in combination with triazolefungicides are found effective in management of diseases. A mixture of Trifloxystrobin 50 WG + Tebuconazole 250 EC and mixture of Azoxystrobin 25 SC + Difenoconazole 25 EC were used in this study to manage the TLB and Polysora rust. The two combination fungicides were evaluated in different days against TLB and Polysora rust on two susceptible varieties namely 219J and CM 202. Results revealed that mixture of Trifloxystrobin 50 WG + Tebuconazole 250 EC @ 0.7 g/lit and mixture of Azoxystrobin 25 SC + Difenoconazole 25 EC @ 2.5 ml/litwere found effective in the management of TLB (15.0 % and 11.0 % respectively) and mixture of Trifloxystrobin 50 WG + Tebuconazole 250 EC @ 0.7 g/lit were found effective in controlling Polysora rust (13.2 %). Allied to yield, more significant increase in yield was recorded in treatment Trifloxystrobin 50 WG + Tebuconazole 250 EC @ 0.7 g/lit (5131.1kgs/ha). While, mixtures of Azoxystrobin 25 SC + Difenoconazole 25 EC @ 2.5 ml/lit recorded yield of 5913.0 kgs/ha, this was significantly superior with respect to disease control and yield aspects.
Freeze desalination (FD) is a method in which saline water is cooled below its freezing point and freshwater is separated from the brine in the form of ice crystals. FD is relatively insensitive to the salinity of the feed solution, making it suitable for desalination of high concentration brines such as the brine rejected from the seawater desalination plants. The design of the FD system and the thermochemical behavior of the brine upon freezing are critical factors in the energy performance of this method. To date, thermochemical properties of the concentrated seawater during cooling, such as the threshold of formation of ice and salt-hydrates and their corresponding cooling load of formation, are not well known. Likewise, the optimal configuration of the FD system to achieve the maximum energy efficiency has not been investigated. This work provides comprehensive data about the cooling load of freezing of concentrated brine rejected from seawater desalination plants along with the threshold of formation of ice and salt-hydrates backed-up by validation. Furthermore, the optimal configuration of the FD system is identified and the effects of the compressor isentropic efficiency and effectiveness of the system’s heat exchangers on the work consumption of the FD system were investigated.
The advancement of the information technology and web technology have brought changes to existing information storage and retrieval system such as Digital library, online database, digital repository, virtual library, etc. Libraries have witnessed tremendous changes in recent years in terms of their collection and services. Information explosion and user's demand of the users required the development of a more comprehensive library collection. Publishers have now started publishing on-line version/electronic versions of their printed journals. Owing to the cost of journals, many colleges and universities are unable to procure these journals. Ministry of HRD and UGC has started procuring the e-resources from the 25 world-class publishers under consortia mode at a much reduced price for all university libraries. BHU library is one of the beneficiaries of this UGC-INFONET Digital Library Consortium. The present study is the part of Ph.D. research work of one of the authors. To ascertain the usage of the e-resources available to the BHU library by the teachers and scholars, this survey was conducted. The present investigation discusses the use of electronic resources (e-journals, e-books, online/ offline databases, web resources) which are made available by the INFLIBNET Centre in eresource consortium like UGC-INFONET Digital Library Consortium by the teachers and scholars of BHU. The present study was conducted as a part of doctoral research work from January 2015 to July 2015.
The present study evaluates the efficacy of Vilanterol-Fluticasone Furoate (VI-FF) versus Formoterol-Budesonide (FM-BD) combination therapy in stable asthma. Both regimens led to significant improvements in asthma control, as evidenced by marked increases in FEV1 (% predicted) and ACT scores over time. The demographic characteristics, baseline respiratory symptoms, and treatment outcomes were similar between the groups, indicating that both strategies were equally effective for managing asthma. The findings indicate that both VI-FF once daily and FM-BD twice daily therapies enhance lung function and asthma control. Significant improvements in FEV1 (% predicted) and ACT scores were observed in both groups, as confirmed by intention-to-treat (ITT) and perprotocol (PPA) analyses. The equivalent efficacy of VI-FF and FM-BD, combined with the convenience of once-daily dosing, suggests that VI-FF may be preferable for patients who struggle with a twice-daily regimen. These findings highlight VI-FF as a convenient and reliable treatment, particularly can benefit patients with adherence challenges. In conclusion, our study's findings align well with other studies regarding demographic characteristics, baseline symptoms, exacerbation history, hospitalization history, and spirometry results. This consistency reinforces the validity and reliability of our results, suggesting that both VI-FF and FM-BD are effective options for stable asthma. The comparable efficacy supports flexibility in treatment choices, allowing for personalized asthma management. Future research should explore the long-term benefits and adherence patterns associated with these treatments to further optimize asthma management.
Purpose: To study the outcome of therapeutic keratoplasty in severe microbial keratitis cases otherwise advised evisceration. Methods: A retrospective, single-center clinical audit included 28 patients with severe microbial keratitis presenting from April 2014 to April 2016. Patients with microbial keratitis either affecting more than 2 quadrants of the limbus and/or cases with infections involving more than 180 mm2 of the cornea who were advised evisceration by more than one ophthalmologist were included. Cases with endophthalmitis were excluded. At 3 months, the outcome was “success” if resolution of infection occurred without recurrence and evisceration was not required. Success was termed “complete” if best vision was 6/24 or better and “partial” other- wise. The outcome was termed a “failure” if infection recurred in the graft or the eye was eviscerated. Results: Mean age of the patients (male:female, 17:11) was 49.5 years, and the mean duration of symptoms before surgery was 28.6 days. Evisceration was required in 2/28 cases. The outcome was “success” in 22/28 cases (78.6%)—complete (10/22); partial (12/22) —and “failure” in 6/28 cases. The outcome was poorer in general in fungal keratitis (n = 16) than bacterial keratitis (n = 7). Conclusions: Primary evisceration is best avoided in infections limited to the anterior segment. Even in hopeless cases, every eye deserves a fair chance.
Vietnam, in many ways, remains a Confucian nation. The Confucian heritage touches many aspects of people’s lives. In this context, homosexuals do not face severe punishments, but face social stigma or public misunderstanding. Same-Sex Marriage is also not accepted because of limited legal support. Therefore, there is a need to study attitudes towards same-sex marriage in Vietnam. The purpose of this article was to validate a Vietnamses version of the Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Marriage Scale (ATSM) designed by Pearl & Galupo (2007) in a Vietnamese population. The sample in this study was 570 students from six universities in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The data collection method used was face-to-face questionnaire. Students completed the Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Marriage Scale and other variables in the questionnaire. The respondent’s characteristics also explored through the survey include: gender, what year students are from, religion of the students, what region students are from and their ethnicity. The study found the Vietnamese translation of the ATSM scale both reliable and valid and suitable for research use.