Aged ; Brain Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Fatal Outcome ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; secondary

Increase in cross-sectional muscle area of major muscle groups associated by heavy resistance training has been well documented. However, there has been no published article of changes in the inferior orbicularis oculi muscle when heavy resistance training is applied. We present a case of inferior orbicularis hypertrophy detected on MRI in a gentleman who practised heavy resistance training using his lower eyelids.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prevalence of container breeding mosquitoes with emphasis on the seasonality and larval habitats of Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti) in Makkah City, adjoining an environmental monitoring and dengue incidence.

METHODSMonthly visits were performed between April 2008 and March 2009 to randomly selected houses. During each visit, mosquito larvae were collected from indoors and outdoors containers by either dipping or pipetting. Mosquitoes were morphologically identified. Data on temperature, relative humidity, rain/precipitations during the survey period was retrieved from governmental sources and analyzed.

RESULTSThe city was warmer in dry season (DS) than wet season (WS). No rain occurred at all during DS and even precipitations did fall, wetting events were much greater during WS. Larval survey revealed the co-breeding of Aedes, Culex and Anopheles in a variety of artificial containers in and around homes. 32 109 larvae representing 1st , 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stages were collected from 22 618 container habitats. Culicines was far the commonest and Aedes genus was as numerous as the Culex population. Ae. aegypti larval abundance exhibited marked temporal variations, overall, being usually more abundant during WS. Ten types of artificial containers were found with developing larvae. 70% of these habitats were located indoors. 71.42% of indoor containers were permanent and 28.58% was semi-permanent during WS. Cement tanks was the only container type permanent during DS. Ae. aegypti larval indices (CI, HI, BI) recorded were greater during WS.

CONCLUSIONSTaken together, these results indicate a high risk of dengue transmission in the holy city.

Aedes ; Animals ; Culicidae ; Dengue ; transmission ; Ecosystem ; Environmental Monitoring ; Larva ; Prevalence ; Saudi Arabia ; epidemiology ; Seasons ; Weather

Aims: This present study focused on purification of fungal β-mannanase produced by Aspergillus niger USM F4 and also physicochemical characterisation of the purified enzyme. Methodology and results: The purified β-mannanase with a molecular mass of ~47.4 kDa was demonstrated on SDSPAGE gel. The enzyme signified a purification degree of 4-fold, with final specific activity of 196.42 U/mg. It reached an optimum catalytic activity at pH 4.0 and 60 °C. The thermal stability of the enzyme was up to 70 °C and maintained the 50% activity after 30 min at 80 °C. Meanwhile, the pH stability was in the range of pH 3.0-9.0 and a 30 min half-life at pH 10.0. All chemical substances manifested an inhibitory effect on purified β-mannanase, with SDS (28.16 ± 0.05% residual activity) as the strongest inhibitor, followed by cupric ion (Cu2+) (49.51 ± 0.09% residual activity). As a whole, the enzyme displayed a substrate specificity in the order of locust bean gum (LBG) > carboxymethylcellulose > soluble starch > xylan from oat spelt > α-cellulose. Its preference for LBG has generated the Km and Vmax values of 0.20 mg/mL and 9.82 U/mL, respectively. Conclusion, significance and impact of study The outcomes of our study offer potential for use at industrial scales, particularly in the oligosaccharides production that involve acid-related activity, wide-ranging temperature and pH stability.
Aspergillus niger ; beta-Mannosidase