effective radium content and radon exhalation rate in hair dyes samples

Background: Hair dyes are the important materials widely used by various peoples in Iraq and other countries. The present work investigates the presence of the effective radium content and radon exhalation rate in hair dyes samples

Materials and Methods: Twenty hair dyes samples were collected from Iraqi markets. Sealed can technique using LR-115 type II plastic track detector s has been used in order to measure the effective radium content and radon exhalation rate

Results: The average values of the effective radium content ranges were from 2.30 +/- 0.179 Bq/kg to 3.07 +/- 0.254Bq/kg and the average values of radon exhalation rate range of 0.282 +/- 0.019 mBq/m[2].day to 0.369 +/- 0.026 mBq/m[2].day

Conclusion: The results coincide with the recommended OECD and ICRP's action level. In addition a good correlation was found between the effective radium content and radon exhalation rate in hair dyes samples

Iron and chromium doped titanium dioxide nanotubes for the degradation of environmental and industrial pollutants

Pure titanate nanotubes and titanate nanotubes doped with iron [III] and chromium [III] were fabricated by the hydrothermal treatment in methanol and sodium hydroxide mixture. The fabricated nano tubes have high surface area, high aspect ratio, consisted of very good surface morphology and high metals dispersion. The morphology, crysralline phase, composition were characterized by powdered X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Barrett-Joyner-Halenda methods and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that nanotubes possess anatase phase and are composed up of 8-12 nm in diameter and 360-400 nm in length. The band gap of the titanium dioxide nanotubes was determined using transformed diffuse reflectance spectroscopy according to the Kubelka-Munk theory, showed pronounced band gap decrease on doped titanium dioxide nanotubes. The photocatalytic activity of doped nanotubes were evaluated in terms of degradation of phenol and photoreduction of carbon dioxide into methanol and ethanol under Ultra violet and Infra red irradiation. It was found that with iron [III] and chromium [III] doped titanium dioxide nanotubes exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than undoped titanate nanotubes

value of clinical signs in diagnosis of cirrhosis

To document the value of various clinical signs of cirrhosis in its diagnosis. It also reviews the current status of the disease. Observational and descriptive study.Place and duration of study: Medical wards of PNS Shifa, Karachi and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi, Pakistan from June 2002 to May 2003.Subjects and One hundred and seventy diagnosed adult patients having an unequivocal evidence of cirrhosis on ultrasound examination of abdomen were included in the study. Two trained clinicians examined the cases and their clinical signs were recorded on a format specially designed to record the clinical signs. Age, gender, hepatitis status [hepatitis B, C, or other wise] was also documented. Sixty two percent were males and 38% were females. Patient average age was 53.2 years without gross age difference in the HCV positive and HBsAg positive groups.Twenty eight percent were HCV positive, 22% were HBsAg positive, 10% had no evidence of previous infection of hepatitis B or hepatitis C and 40% had no record of these tests. Males dominated the HBsAg group compared to HCV positive group. Pedal edema was present in 92 percent of patients, ascites in 89 percent, jaundice in 64 percent, clubbing in 25 percent, palmar erythema in 23 percent, Terry's nails in 21 percent, testicular atrophy in 4 percent, gynaecomastia in 4 percent, pectoral area hair loss in 2.4 percent, leuconychia in 2.4 percent and hepatic encephalopathy in different grades in 19 percent. No spider navei, caput medusae and Dupuytren's contracture were noted. We document that in current clinical practice the classical signs of cirrhosis expected to be present in advanced cases are observed quite infrequently and therefore, cannot be relied upon in clinical diagnosis of the disease alone. The diagnosis of cirrhosis should be supported by other means including ultrasound examination of the abdomen etc. Further multicenter studies should be conducted to consolidate our findings

Webbed penis in Arab children

Webbed penis is a rare congenital anomaly. Approximately forty cases have been reported, one in an Egyptian baby. We report five more cases, two in Libyan and three in Saudi infants, all diagnosed soon after birth. At operation the penile shaft was related and covered with skin with recreation of the penoscrotal junction. A fibrous band, found in two cases, was excised. The literature is reviewed and some recommendations made for a classification scheme