Frequency of Glomerular Dysfunction in Children with Beta Thalassaemia Major

Objectives: This study investigated the frequency of glomerular dysfunction in children with beta thalassaemia major (β-TM) by using different markers and correlating them with serum ferritin and iron chelation therapy. Methods: The study, carried out between August 2011 and May 2012, included 100 patients with β-TM, in two groups. Group Ia (n = 62) received chelation therapy (deferoxamine). Group Ib (n = 38) received followup care at the Pediatric Hematology Outpatient Clinic, Minia University Children’s Hospital, Egypt. Group II included 50 apparently healthy controls, age- and sex-matched to Group I. All patients underwent a thorough history-taking, clinical examination and laboratory investigations. Results: Compared to Group II, Groups Ia and Ib had significantly higher levels of cystatin C, serum creatinine and serum ferritin, and a higher albumin/ creatinine ratio in their urine, and a significantly lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and creatinine clearance (P <0.05). Moreover, Group Ιa had a significantly lower eGFR and creatinine clearance than Group Ib. Cystatin C had a highly significant strong negative correlation with eGFR and creatinine clearance and a significantly strong positive correlation with serum ferritin, and a higher sensitivity and specificity than serum creatinine and creatinine clearance for small changes in GFR. Conclusion: β-TM patients had a high frequency of glomerular dysfunction—possibly attributable to chronic anaemia, iron overload or chelation therapy. Periodic renal assessment is mandatory to detect renal complications. Cystatin C is a promising marker to monitor glomerular dysfunction, having a higher sensitivity and specificity than serum creatinine and creatinine clearance for small changes in GFR

Comparative performance of optical amplifiers: Raman and EDFA

The in-line optical signal amplification is often used in optical communication systems to accomplish longer transmission distances and larger capacity. In this proposed paper, the operation of two types of optical amplifiers for 16×10 Gbps wavelength division multiplexing system had been examined by changing transmission distance from 10 to 200 km with a dispersion equals to 16.75 ps/nm/km. The analysis and design of such systems ordinarily includes many signal channels, nonlinear devices, several topologies with many noise sources, is extremely complex and effort-exhaustive. Therefore, theoretical studies with simulation CAD software of systems are become necessity to predict and optimize system performance. The comparison between EDFA and Raman has already explored by many researchers in varying ways in this work and to achieve obove objectives, the OptiSystem software was used to design the proposed fiber optic communications system and to simulate results. Performance for the present system was evaluated for parameters like bit error rate (BER), quality factor (QF), total gain with eye opening factor. It was saw that EDFA provides better results, in the maximal transmission distance 64% better than Raman amplifier, 57.5% for gain and 26.7% for maximum quality factor. As a future study a hybrid amplifier can produce better quality of amplification

The impact of human resource management practices in innovation culture Case Study: Bank of Palestine in Gaza strip

The purpose of this study is to determine the degree of correlation between HRM practices and innovation culture and the degree of the impact of each HRM practice on the innovation culture. Data of this study are obtained from Bank Of Palestine (BoP), triangulation mixed method is used in this study, by using quantitative and qualitative analysis in order to get three points upon the factors being studied through questionnaires distributed to BoPs' employees in different branches in Gaza strip, and interview with the HR manager of BoP and a focus group with BoP's HR team. The results of this study concluded that there is a correlation between HRM practices and innovation culture. The HRM practices, which include staffing process, compensation, employee and labor relations, training and development, safety and health and communication, and participation, should be implemented in a holistic system and not in isolation in order to best stimulate innovation culture. The study recommended the pre-evaluation tests should be changed to better measure employees' creativity, flexibility and ability to take risks which all lead to a better innovation culture

A Study of Adiponectin in Children with Diabetes Mellitus

Objectives: Adiponectin is a hormone produced by adipose tissue. It is secreted exclusively by adipocytes and appears to play a role in the pathophysiology of obesity, diabetes mellitus (DM), and its comorbidities. The aim of this study was to assess adiponectin levels in diabetic children with type 1 DM (T1DM) and type 2 DM (T2DM), and to detect its prognostic role in them. Methods: This study was undertaken from April to July 2011 at Minia University Children’s Hospital, Egypt, and included 314 children aged 2–18 years divided into two patient groups. Group I consisted of 164 pre-diagnosed diabetic patients, further subdivided into Group Ia which included 142 patients with T1DM and Group Ib, 22 patients with T2DM; Group 2 included 150 apparently healthy children as a controls; they were age- and sex-matched to the diseased group. Patients were subjected to a thorough history taking, clinical examination, and laboratory investigations including assessment of HbA1c percentages, fasting C-peptide levels, lipid profiles and fasting serum adiponectin levels. Results: Adiponectin levels did not differ significantly between patients with T1DM and T2DM, but it was significantly higher in diabetic patients than in the controls. In T1DM, adiponectin had positive significant correlations with the duration of the disease and waist circumference, while in T2DM, it had a positive significant correlation with the dose of insulin given and negative significant associations with diastolic blood pressure, cholesterol, and C-peptide levels. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that adiponectin can play a protective role against the metabolic complications of DM

The Frequency of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among Diabetic Children in El Minia Governorate, Egypt

Objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in children and adolescents is becoming an increasingly important public health concern throughout the world. This study aimed to estimate the frequency of T2DM among diabetic young people in El-Minia Governorate, Egypt, and to detect its risk factors. Methods: A total of 210 diabetic patients under 18 years old in Minia Governorate were included in the study and underwent a thorough history-taking, a physical examination and laboratory investigations. Results: T2DM was present in 28 patients (13.3%); it was significantly present in 18 females (64.3%) and 20 (71.4%) of them had a positive family history of DM. T2DM patients had significantly higher BMI and waist circumference centiles for age and sex than those with T1DM. Also, haemoglobin A1c %, serum C-peptide and cholesterol levels were significantly higher in T2DM than T1DM patients. Finally, there were weak significant positive correlations between C-peptide level and both BMI and waist circumference. Conclusion: T2DM is no longer a disease of adults but can also occur in children and adolescents. The results suggested that obesity, female gender and a positive family history of DM are risk factors for T2DM. Also, patients with T2DM had poorer glycaemic control and hypercholesterolemia than those with other types of diabetes

Evaluation of Effectiveness between Two Different Facilities for Drinking Water Having Different Water Sources for Removal of Free-Living Amoeba in Qalyubia Governorate, Egypt

Background: Conventional drinking water treatment plants (CDWTPs) and Ground water (GWTP) are the main 2 types of drinking water treatment using freshwater as a source for drinking water in Egypt. Objective: The Egyptian standards for drinking water denied the presence of any type of living protozoa in drinking water produced for human use. Martials and methods: 48 water bodies were selected from Benha and Kaha districts in Qalyubia Governorate, Egypt. Mean turbidity, pH, conductivity, temperature, ammonia, nitrite, iron, manganese, magnesium and residual chlorine were recorded in each water body from two sites. Centrifuged samples were cultured on non-nutrient agar plates with Escherichia coli. Positive sample isolates were subjected to DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction using genus and speciesspecific primers targeting the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and Mp2CL5 gene. Results: The prevalence of Naegleria species, N. fowleri and Acanthamoeba in the study area were 54.1% and 0% (N. fowleri and Acanthamoeba) of all sample examined. The removal of free-living amoebae from drinking water, it was shown that conventional DWTP (Benha) could get rid of 91% of FLAs present in the raw untreated water, while ground DWTP removed only 55.6% of these organisms. Conclusions: The conventional drinking water treatment system for surface water was better than that of only chlorine disinfection for ground water in removing free-living amoeba (FLAs). In general, the persistence of FLAs in drinking tap water unfortunately exerts public health hazards

Rhythm As Creative System In Houses Architecture Comparative Application Study Between Heritage And Contemporary Houses

Rhythm is considered one of the creative concepts in the recent architectural thought; it has emerged clearly as a mean of creating the highest levels of creativity in architecture, especially in contemporary architectural movements. The importance of rhythm has  emerged, especially, when the architecture , its beginnings concentrated on the principle of the links with poetic structures. Many architectural studies deal with concept of rhythm in architecture with different ways various according to the trend of each study, this show the importance of studying the concept of rhythm in the architectural field in general. This study try to focus on the utilization of rhythm as creative system in architecture of heritage and contemporary house because its important in the generation of new architectural models. The paper discusses the importance of this concept and its utilization in the designs, in order to explore the particular problem which has been represented as (The absence of a specific imagination of methods and strategies for achieving rhythm).Thus the objectives of the paper has been formed by building theoretical framework consisting of five main items of detailed theoretical field which specifies rhythm as a concept ,firstly, then the application of the important heritage and contemporary houses in Mosul Architecture as a model, concluding utilization of rhythm as creative system in Heritage and Contemporary Houses in Mosul Architecture, finally, after discussing the results to submit the conclusions in the end. The conclusion is That suitable rhythm creativity in Mosul architecture is by unit and immerge the Mosul cultural elements as new tool in steps of design process of Heritage and Contemporary Houses in Mosul

Studies of the Precipitation Pattern of Paclitaxel in Intravenous Infusions and Rat Plasma Using Laser Nephelometry

Cremophor EL (CrEL) is commonly used to solubilize paclitaxel (Ptx); a widely established anticancer agent used against many types of cancer. Using laser-based microplate nephelometry, in this work we assessed the precipitation kinetics of Ptx in CrEL-containing formulations upon dilutions with different infusion media or upon introduction into rat plasma. The precipitation profile of Ptx was assessed for a Taxol-like formulation and compared with a preparation with reduced CrEL content. These two formulations were diluted at various ratios in compatible infusion media and with or without rat plasma. The percentages of Ptx precipitated in dilution media and protein-binding in plasma were quantified using HPLC. The findings of turbidity measurements were in good agreement with HPLC. Despite the presence of albumin, it was possible to assess turbidity within infusion solutions and predict Ptx precipitation. Upon addition to plasma, no precipitation in Taxol-like formulation occurred after 2 h. In contrast, precipitation occurred immediately in CrEL-reduced formulation. It is possible that the high percentage of protein-bound Ptx in plasma (98.5–99.2%) has inhibited drug precipitation. Turbidity measurements using laser nephelometry can provide a rapid screening tool when developing intravenous formulations for poorly soluble drugs, such as Ptx and assess its stability upon dilution in animal plasma

Stability study of thymoquinone, carvacrol and thymol using HPLC-UV and LC-ESI-MS

The aim of this study was to investigate the stability of three major antioxidants of Nigella sativa: thymoquinone (TQ), carvacrol (CR) and thymol (THY), under different stress conditions using HPLC and LC-MS/MS. Forced degradation for each compound was performed under different conditions, including oxidation, hydrolysis, photolysis and thermal decomposition. The results showed that both CR and THY were stable under the studied conditions, whereas TQ was not affected by acidic, basic and oxidative forced conditions but the effect of light and heat was significant. The degradation products of TQ were further investigated and characterized by LC-MS/MS. HPLC-UV method has been fully validated in terms of linearity and range, the limit of detection and quantitation, precision, selectivity, accuracy and robustness. The method was successfully applied to quantitative analysis of the principal antioxidants of Nigella sativa TQ, CR and THY in different phytopharmaceuticals

IoT-Based Remote Health Monitoring System Employing Smart Sensors for Asthma Patients during COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID19 and asthma are respiratory diseases that can be life threatening in uncontrolled circumstances and require continuous monitoring. A poverty stricken South Asian country like Bangladesh has been bearing the brunt of the COVID19 pandemic since its beginning. The majority of the country's population resides in rural areas, where proper healthcare is difficult to access. This emphasizes the necessity of telemedicine, implementing the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT), which is still under development in Bangladesh. This paper demonstrates how the current challenges in the healthcare system are resolvable through the design of a remote health and environment monitoring system, specifically for asthma patients who are at an increased risk of COVID19. Since on-time treatment is essential, this system will allow doctors and medical staff to receive patient information in real time and deliver their services immediately to the patient regardless of their location. The proposed system consists of various sensors collecting heart rate, body temperature, ambient temperature, humidity, and air quality data and processing them through the Arduino Microcontroller. It is integrated with a mobile application. All this data is sent to the mobile application via a Bluetooth module and updated every few seconds so that the medical staff can instantly track patients' conditions and emergencies. The developed prototype is portable and easily usable by anyone. The system has been applied to five people of different ages and medical histories over a particular period. Upon analyzing all their data, it became clear which participants were particularly vulnerable to health deterioration and needed constant observation. Through this research, awareness about asthmatic symptoms will improve and help prevent their severity through effective treatment anytime, anywhere.Comment: Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing (2022