The Relationship between Saccades and Locomotion

Human locomotion involves a complex interplay among multiple brain regions and depends on constant feedback from the visual system. We summarize here the current understanding of the relationship among fixations, saccades, and gait as observed in studies sampling eye movements during locomotion, through a review of the literature and a synthesis of the relevant knowledge on the topic. A significant overlap in locomotor and saccadic neural circuitry exists that may support this relationship. Several animal studies have identified potential integration nodes between these overlapping circuitries. Behavioral studies that explored the relationship of saccadic and gait-related impairments in normal conditions and in various disease states are also discussed. Eye movements and locomotion share many underlying neural circuits, and further studies can leverage this interplay for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Preparation and physical properties of [PVA][0.7] [NaBr][0.3] [H[3]PO[4]][xM] solid acid membrane for phosphoric acid - Fuel cells

A solid acid membranes based on poly [vinyl alcohol] [PVA], sodium bromide [NaBr] and phosphoric acid [H[3]PO[4]] were prepared by a solution casting method. The morphological, IR, electrical and optical properties of the [PVA][0.7][NaBr][0.3][H[3]PO[4]][xM] solid acid membranes where x =0.00, 0.85, 1.7, 3.4, 5.1 M were investigated. The variation of film morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy [SEM] studies. FTIR spectroscopy has been used to characterize the structure of polymer and confirms the complexation of phosphoric acid with host polymeric matrix. The temperature dependent nature of ionic conductivity and the impedance of the polymer electrolytes were determined along with the associated activation energy. The ionic conductivity at room temperature was found to be strongly depends on the H[3]PO[4] concentration which it has been achieved to be of the order 4.3 x 10[-3] S/cm at ambient temperature. Optical measurements showed a decrease in optical band gap and an increase in band tail width with the increase of phosphoric acid. The data shows that the [PVA][0.7][NaBr][0.3][H[3]PO[4]][xM] solid acid membrane is promising for intermediate temperature phosphoric acid fuel cell applications

Immunodiagnosis of Haemonchus contortus infection in sheep by indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]

Indirect plate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was standardized and evaluated for its effectiveness in immunodiagnosis of haemonchosis in experimental and clinical cases in sheep by using somatic whole adult antigen of H. contortus. Plate ELISA was standardized using 5 mg/well antigen concentration with 1:100 and 1:1000 of sera and conjugate dilution. Indirect plate ELISA was able to demonstrate the antibody titre at different weeks post infection in experimental sheep. A comparison of plate ELISA on suspected field sera and faecal sample examination by floatation method revealed that 74 samples were found to be positive by ELISA but only ten by faecal examination. Sensitivity of plate ELISA was found to be 80.0%, whereas specificity was 21.42% indicating that this test is quite sensitive for clinical cases; an early diagnosis, however, lacks specificity

Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea and the relationship to antibiotic prescription practices and proton pump inhibitor use in elderly wards

Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea [CDAD] is associated with an increased morbidity and mortality rate in elderly population. As in one of the north London hospitals, an increase in the cases of CDAD was observed in the Elderly Ward during a three-month period, the use of antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors [PPIs] was investigated for any relationship aiming to educate population and improve clinical practice during outbreaks. In the first step [Group A] undertaken from July 2005 to September 2005, administration of antibiotics was checked in patients that developed CDAD in the Geriatric Ward. In the second evaluation [Group B] after years from January 2007 to October 2007, antibiotic prescription was rechecked identically. Similarly, the assessment was conducted when PPIs were used in patients that developed CDAD. All patients were positive for C. difficile toxin in their stools. No single group of antibiotics was associated with CDAD, but in both groups, many patients who developed CDAD were on multiple drug regimes. In the second group, a proton pump inhibitor was used by one third of patients during hospitalization. Except in one case it was not discontinued when CDAD was confirmed. Restrictive policies in antibiotic consumption may help to lower the incidence of CDAD in hospitalized elderly patients

Pharmacognostic and phytochemical standardization of Ammi visnaga

In continuation of our earlier studies[1, 2, 3] the standardization of raw plant materials, the present study includes the morphological anatomical characteristics of the fruits along with the determination of physico-chemical constants, phytochemical screening. U V, IR, TLC, HPLC and GC-MS finger printing of different extractives of the powder of fruits of Ammi visnaga. The morpho-anatomical characteristics and results of the different chemical protocols would surely serve as a standard reference for identification of Ammi visnaga fruits

Epidural analgesia; its associated with long term backache

To find out the association of epidural analgesia during labour with long termbackache. A randomized controlled trial. Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi. March 2002 to Feb 2003. 100 randomized to epidural group and 100 randomized to non-epidural group. In the follow up study 92 women were from the epidural group and 89 from the non-epidural group. There were no significant differences between groups in demographic details or other key characteristics. There were no significant differences in the onset or duration of low back pain. There were no differences in self reported measures of disability in activities of daily living and no significant differences in measurements of spinal mobility. The incidence of new long term backache was not significantly increased in women who received epidural analgesia in labour. Motor block resulting from epidural local anaesthetic administration was not a significant factor in the development of backache

[ effect of progressive muscle relaxation method on vital signs in myocardial infraction patients]

Acute myocardial infarction is a common life-threatening event. Meanwhile, anxiety is considered as the most common problems for myocardial infarction patients and their families. The present semi-quasi experimental study was performed to examine the effects of progressive muscle relaxation [PMR] technique on the vital signs of myocardial infarction patients. Seventy-six patients with myocardial infarction are divided into two groups of test and control with randomized allocation method. The intervention was the progressive muscle relaxation technique, which was carried out twice a day for three days for the patients of test group. In the any stage of progressive muscle relaxation technique, the instruments used for data collection was demographic information questionnaire and vital signs chart. The use of progressive muscle relaxation significantly decreased the respiratory rate [P=0.03] in the experimental group compared with the control group, but had no significant effect on the other vital signs [pulse rate, systolic and diastolic BP]. Although, progressive muscle relaxation technique decreases the respiratory rate in patients with myocardial infraction, there are slight changes in the other vital signs following PMR application

Pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma. Bilateral pulmonary nodules associated with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

We report a case of a 30-year-old female who had been treated periodically with steroids for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura ITP over the last 10 years. Recently, during the course of investigation, she was found to have incidental asymptomatic multiple pulmonary nodules on chest CT. Following a needle biopsy to exclude malignancy, 2 nodules were excised and were histologically confirmed as pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma PHG. The remaining 2 nodules regressed on increasing her dose of steroids. The case is discussed with emphasis on the histological and radiological differential diagnosis, in addition to including ITP among the spectrum of immunologic conditions associated with PHG

Dental fears among the students of university of Jordan

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of dental anxiety and/or dental phobia. Also, the study has tried to identify the psychological etiology of dental anxiety as perceived by Jordanian students Methodology: The study population consisted of 425 students from.Jordan University who participated in this study [121 males and 304 females] mean age 22 years. The participants were selected from six different colleges excluding dental college. To fulfill the purpose of this study data were collected using the Arabic version of Dental Anxiety Inventory [DAI], which was developed originally, by Marlies and colleagues [5]. The authors added two open questions related to etiology and visiting dentists The results provide evidence that the Arabic Version of DA has good reliability and validity. The results of the study revealed that half the study group did not suffer from dental anxiety [49.17%] while 27.5% students suffered mild dental anxiety. 20.9% students suffered moderate DA and only 2.3% suffered severe dental phobia. Dental anxiety found to be more prevalence and severe among females than males P<.00 1. Also, results indicated that 44% of the students attributed the cause of dental anxiety to aversive experiences during childhood [dental care associated with pain] 15% of students developed the symptoms through negative experiences by one of the parents or older siblings.This study showed that the prevalence and severity of dental anxiety are higher than the previous studies found. The study addresses some recommendations in order to prevent and manage dental anxiety and phobia. Dental anxiety [DA] is a common and distressing problem among individuals of varying ages and sexes. It was found that dental anxiety has negative impact on the dentist-patient relationship. Phobic patients avoid dentist's visits, which leads to advanced oral pathology and eventually loss of teeth'

Morphological and physico-chemical analysis of some anthelmintic drugs of repute

The diagnostic morphological and physico-chemical characters of five important anthelmintic drugs of the indigenous system have been studies on the basis of their morphological characters, ash and extractive values, chemical constituents and T.L.C. analysis

Occurrence of pseudomonads in ray cow's milk, and trials to control pseudomonads aeruginosa in butter and tallaga cheese

Pseudomonas bacteria were detected in 10.7% of the examined 150 raw cow's milk samples collected from different farms in Kafr EL-Sheikh Governorate. Identification of the isolated organisms revealed the presence of 3 species, namely P. fluorescence, P. aeruginosa and P. fragi, of which the former was the most frequent [7.3%]. Moreover, serogrouping of the 4 P. aeruginosa strains revealed that they are belonging to 3 serotypes. Several natural preservatives [essential oils and lactic acid cultures] were examined for control of P. aeruginosa in butter and Tallaga cheese. ABT achieved the results as a best natural preservative since it eliminated P. aeruginosa after 7 and 30 days in butter and Tallaga cheese respectively. The tested preservatives had no marked effect on chemical composition of the tested products

Studies on market hen eggs in Kafr El-Sheikh and El-Gharbia Governorates

A total of 135 egg samples were collected from Kafr El-Sheikh and El-Gharbia Governorates markets [80 and 55 samples, respectively] for determination of their quality. The obtained results showed higher mean T.C.C. and yeast count values in egg shell samples collected from Kafr El- Sheikh Governorate than those in EL-Gharbia Governorate, while, the mean mould count values were higher in EL-Gharbia Governorate. Moreover, the egg content samples collected from Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate showed lower mean T.C.C. and mould count values and higher mean yeast count values than those in EL-Gharbia Governorate. Serological typing of the 8 salmonella isolates, 4 from each Governorate, revealed the presence of two serotypes; with an incidence percentage ranging from 25% to 75%. Residues of inhibitory substance were detected in 5% and 9.1% of the examined egg samples collected from Kafr EL-Sheikh and EL-Gharbia Governorates, respectively. Total aflatoxin content residues were detected in 16 samples [9 and 7 from Kafr EL-Sheikh and EL-Gharbia Governorates, respectively]

Effect of cigarette smoking on serum FSH, LH and testosterone

A group of forty subjects, 20 smokers and 20 non-smokers, volunteered for studying the effect of cigarette smoking on the pituitary-testicular axis. Serum levels of the reproductive hormones: FSH, LH and testosterone were measured by radioimmunoassay Smokers had lower levels of testosterone and higher levels of FSH as compared to non-smokers This finding was more evident in heavy smokers who smoked more than 20 cigarettes / day, suggesting a dose dependent effect. The study suggests that heavy smoking perhaps affect spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis and may be considered as a risk factor in potentially subfertile men

Identification and standardisation of commercial sibr' [Aloes] a cancer agglutinative drug

The 'Sibr' [Aloes], which is one of the earliest known purgatives used in Unani System of Medicine, is botanically the dried leaf juice of the plant Aloe barbadensis Miller. Results of the recent research work have induced a revival of interest in this drug as it has shown anti-inflammatory, cancer agglutinating and radiation injury healing activities. Procuring genuine Sibr, the most efficacious among all aloes, is a difficult problem as all other varieties, morphologically indistinguishable, are also available in the crude drug's market under the common name aloes. A detailed study on botanical characteristics, physicochemical constants and phytochemical colour reactions [qualitative chemical tests] of two commercial samples of Sibr has, therefore, been carried out as this will facilitate identification, standardization and evaluation of these samples as well as other commercial samples. The parameters described and discussed in this communication include macroscopic characters, microscopical study of the powdered drug mounted in lactophenol, total ash, acid insoluble ash, solid contents, water soluble matters, aloin contents and qualitative chemical tests, besides T.L.C. patterns of successive extracts and fluorescence characteristics under U.V. light

Identification of the natural drug 'Biranjasaf' [Artemisia Nilagarica] A comparative Pharmacognostical study

Pharmacognostical studies have been carried out on the plant Artemisia nilagarica [Clarke] Pamp. synonym A. vulgaris Lin. [Family-Asteraceae] described as the correct and authentic source of the natural drug Biranjasaf, being used in Unani system of medicine as anti-inflammatory and deobstruent, along with a commercial sample of the natural drug procured from Aligarh market. The studies have revealed that the market sample does not have the characters of the plant Artemisia nilagarica. The two profoundly differ in their macro and microscopic characters, fluorescence behavriour under UV light, physico-chemical constants, successive extractive values and thin layer chromatographic patterns. The market sample has been provisionally identified as an entirely different taxon Stachys parvifora Benth [Family-Lamiaceae]. The studies carried out on the two samples along with a comparative account have been described in detail. Possibility of use of another plant Achillea millefalium L., usually available in the name of Biranjasaf has also been discussed

Pharmacological evaluation of medicinal plants for their analgesic activity in mice

The selected parts of four medicinal plants, Achillea millefolium, Hibiscus rosasinensis, Linum usitatissimum and Pluckea lanceolata were extracted in absolute methanol to determine their analgesic activity. Analgesic activity was assessed on intact mice by tail flick latency via the tail immersion method. The analgesic activities of these plant extracts were compared with acetylsalicylic acid [300 mg/kg] which was used as the standard drug. Extracts were given orally in doses of 300, 500 and 1000 mg/kg. 0.9% saline was administered to the control group of animals. Results showed that Linum usitatissimum and Pluchea lanceolata possessed highly significant analgesic activity, while Achillea millefolium and Hibiscus rosasinensis did not show any significant effects

Pharmacognostical studies on the leaves of jasminum grandiflorum, linn

Pharmacognostical studies carried out on the leaves of Jasminum grandiflorum linn. commonly used as crude durg by the name 'Chameli' have been described and discussed. The macro and microscopic characters of the leaf, fluorescence characteristics under UV light and other features of powdered drug, qualitative estlimation of organic and inrorganic chemical constituents, some other physico-chemical constants and results of thin layer chromatography have been described in detail

Pharmacological evaluation of methanolic extracts of Semecarpus anacardium and Tinosp ora cordifolia for their analgesic activity

Seeds and stem from the two medicinal plants, Semecarpus anacardium and Tinospora cordifolia respectively were extracted in absolute methanol to determine their analgesic activity. The analgesic activity was assessed on intact mice by tail flick latency in tail immersion method. Acetylsalicylic acid 300 mg/kg was used as standard drug. Both plant extracts were given in the doses of 300, 500 and 1000 mg/kg. Control group received 0.9% NaCl [saline] solution. All the solutions were administered orally. Results showed that showed that none of the plants have analgesic activity

Pharmacognostical studies on the flowers of matricaria chamomilla linn

Pharmacognostical studies on genuine sample of the crude drug Gul-e-Baboonah which are flower heads of the plant Matricaria chamomilla Linn. have been carried out. Detailed marco and microscopic characters, features of the powdered drug, fluorescence characteristics, some phytochemical parameters and results of thin layer chromatography have been described