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Dear editor, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and syphilis share certain epidemiological characteristics . In the post highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era, [...]

Purpose. The objectives of this study were 1) to assess understanding of medication directions of drug therapy in a group of hospitalized elderly who were not receiving assistance with medication administration; and 2) to determine whether depression, cognitive impairment, age, and other characteristics are associated with patient understanding of medication directions. Methods. The sample consisted of 117 hospitalized elderly patients aged 70 years and older who were taking two or more medications prior to hospitalization and reported medication self-administration. Data collection included demographic characteristics, mood, cognition, and pre-admission medication use and knowledge. Results. Thirteen (11%) patients did not understand directions for two or more pre-admission medications. Being 80 years or older was associated with not understanding medication directions (OR = 6.2, p = .017). There was a trend for depressive symptoms to be associated with not understanding medication directions, however, this was not significant (OR = 3.9, p = .058). Conclusions. Although all individuals should be assessed for comprehension of their medication regimens, those over 80 years of age with depressive symptoms deserve increased attention. Alternative strategies may need to be developed to improve medication knowledge in the older, depressed hospitalized patient.

Bacteria capable of retting jute are present in pond water, in the soil of jute fields, and on the surface of jute plants. They probably enter stems over the whole surface through stomata, as well as through cut ends and leaf scars, after immersion for retting. Under laboratory conditions the shortest period of retting, three days, was achieved withBacillus polymyxaat a temperature of 40°. Retting in a tank was appreciably hastened by using the same water for successive batches of jute. Prolonged immersion involves the risk of over-retting, probably because of the action of cellulolytic bacteria. For natural retting, still the most appropriate process in East Pakistan, large clean ponds are thought to provide the most suitable conditions.

Microorganisms present in the stored seeds of rice belonging to three varieties (Pegu, Nazirshari and Berui) were investigated. Species belonging to 4 genera of fungi were isolated and identified from this source in addition to the colonies of bacteria. Flour samples (Atta and Besan) yielded species of fungi belonging to 9 genera in addition to the bacterial colonies. The number of fungal and bacterial colonies occurring per g of the samples are given. The isolates of bacteria were not identified. There is no report of such a study from East Pakistan.

A fungus known asCytosphaera mangiferaeDied, was isolated for the first time from the diseased tissues of standing trees ofAquilaria agallochaRoxb. Irregular patches of diseased wood, a result of natural infection, are found in the trunks of standingA. agallochatrees, which are of great economic importance. A fragrant perfume locally known as ‘attar’ is obtained from the diseased wood by steam distillation. Incomplete or partially diseased wood is employed in the preparation of a joss-stick locally known as ‘agarbatee,’ which gives out fragrant fumes on burning. The fungus colonised wood blocks of A agallocha when these were inoculated artificially. There is a possibility of commercial exploitation for the production of diseased wood by artificial infection.

Objective: To report a rare case of venous aneurysm.Design: Case report.Setting: Departments of General Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery, The Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath, a district general hospital.Patient, intervention and results: A 63-year-old woman underwent revision of a right total hip replacement in 1994, using a cemented prosthesis. She continued to have pain in the region of the hip and a pulsatile swelling was noted in the right iliac fossa. A pseudoaneurysm of the external iliac artery was suspected but investigations showed a venous aneurysm of the external iliac vein. Thus far, this aneurysm has been observed without complication. In 1996 the prosthesis was revised because of loosening of the femoral component and the pain resolved.Conclusion: Vascular injury is a rare complication of total hip replacement and thermal arterial injury can occur. Iliac venous aneurysms are recognized but are extremely rare so we conclude that this lesion was caused by thermal injury.

Summary and conclusions The results show that for some time, fire sites remain largely free of many of the micro-organisms that normally inhabit the soil and are then gradually colonized by species characteristic of burnt sites. Colonization was most pronounced at the margins due presumably to the invasion of the nutrient-rich soil of the fire site by mycellia from surrounding unburnt ground. The micro-organisms isolated from the centre of the burns during the early stages of succession, probably arise from spores brought in the wind and washed down by rain water.

Enzyme immobilization is a recovery technique that has been studied in several years, using support as a media to help enzyme dissolutions to the reaction substrate. Immobilization method used in this study was adsorption method, using specific lipase from Aspergillus oryzae. Lipase was partially purified from the culture supernatant of Aspergillus oryzae. Enzyme was immobilized by adsorbed on silica gel. Studies on free and immobilized lipase systems for determination of optimum pH, optimum temperature, thermal stability and reusability were carried out. The results showed that free lipase had optimum pH 8,2 and optimum temperature 35 °C while the immobilized lipase had optimum 8,2 and optimum temperature 45 °C. The thermal stability of the immobilized lipase, relative to that of the free lipase, was markedly increased. The immobilized lipase can be reused for at least six times.