The Making and Unmaking of Urban Citizenship in the Maspero Triangle

Cairo is undergoing a moment of sharpened exclusion and inclusion, with the city’s residents of informal settlements disproportionately experiencing displacement and abrupt interruptions to their social fabric to make way for investment opportunities. In pursuit of achieving the status of a global city, the Egyptian state has effectively widened its practice of structural violence, in order to accumulate capital through dispossession. In the process of doing so, the state has problematized the contested status of urban citizenship, disenfranchising the urban dwellers of Cairo from their right to the city. Following the temporal shifts in the negotiation for urban citizenship, the story of displacement in the Maspero triangle is invoked in order to analyze the policies and practices that delineate the scope and essence of political rights for the urban citizens of Cairo. This research aims to contribute to an understanding of the subjectivities that are produced through a perpetually shifting spatiotemporal order

Multigrade education

The main aim of this review is to provide an overall picture of multigrade education; what it is about, its various forms, when it has emerged, where and why it is applied, and where and why it works best. I will try to explore how far the kind of education should fit the social context, whether we should stick to formal public education even if it is not working in some areas, and how far muligrade schooling can be an alternative developmental strategy to fill in the gaps of the public education system. This was a term paper I submitted in my first semester as an AUC graduate student pursuing my MA in International and Comparative Education; majoring in International Education Policy and Planning . Eventually, this paper became the backbone of my thesis and the starting point for a more solid literature review to which teacher preparation issues were later added in addition to the field work and the methodological tools involved in the research study itself, together with the findings, the data analysis and the proposed recommendations

Factors affecting treatment compliance of patients with multimorbidity

Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republic of MoldovaIntroduction. Multimorbidity is a global health challenge, and it’s commonly defined as the coexistence of 2 or more chronic diseases in the same individual. Roughly 50 million people in Europe suffer from multimorbidity across all ages and backgrounds. The management of multimorbid patient is complex and it is influenced by different factors. The compliance to treatment seems to affect the outcomes of multimorbid patients, but the data in this regard are controversial. The purpose of this research was to investigate the factors that affect compliance in multimorbidity, in order to improve the management of these patients and boost health outcomes. Material and methods. A search strategy was developed, and PubMed database was searched for literature from January 2016 to December 2020, as well as search of reference lists for systemic reviews and meta-analyses and Cochrane guidelines. Information about publication date, subject category, author, country origin, title, abstract, and keywords were extracted, and the full texts were obtained for co-citation analysis. In total, 74 relevant studies and articles were used. Results. Compliance is a multidimensional phenomenon, and it refers to the extent to which a patient’s behavior aligns with agreed recommendations from healthcare providers. Multimorbidity is associated with multiple significant implications: whether physical, psychological, socioeconomic, and treatment challenges that ensue. Non-compliance to prescribed treatment in multimorbid patients is determined by patient’s beliefs about treatment, their knowledge about illness, socioeconomic status, level of treatment burden, and barriers such as costs or inadequate healthcare access. Five sets of compliance determinants are recognized: patient-related (includes beliefs, self-efficacy, and knowledge about illness); socioeconomic status (poor socioeconomic status, unemployment, lack of effective social support, unstable living conditions, and treatment burdens such as medication costs); therapy-related (most notable is complexity of medical regimen, duration of treatment, side effects, and medical support availability to deal with them); health system-related (represent issues due to poor communication); condition related (represent the illness-related demands faced by the patient including number of conditions, severity of symptoms, level of disability, rate of progression and severity of disease, as well as the availability of effective treatments). Based on revived research, in order to increase the compliance in patients with multimorbidity, were applied different strategies: improvement of the coordination of medical services, promotion of integrated patient-centered care to optimize therapeutic regimens, increase treatment knowledge, and engagement of the patient in treatment decisions. Conclusions. Multimorbidity is associated with poorer medication adherence, and generates multiple challenges related to the complex healthcare needs, multiple consultations, fragmented healthcare services, polypharmacy, increased treatment burden and costs. The relevant factors affecting compliance in multimorbidity were patient-related, socioeconomic-related, therapy-related, health system-related, and condition-related. In order to increase the compliance, we can use patient centered care, empowerment of the patient and better coordination of care

Role of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in differentiation between graves' disease and painless thyroiditis

Background: To assess the role of diffusion-weighted MR imaging in differentiation between Graves' disease and painless thyroiditis. Material/Methods: A prospective study was conducted among 37 consecutive patients with untreated thyrotoxicosis (25 female and 12 male; mean age of 44 years) and 15 age- and sex-matched controls. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of the thyroid gland was performed in patients and controls. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of the thyroid gland was calculated and correlated with Tc-99m uptake and thyroid function tests of the patients. Results: There was a significant difference in the ADC value of the thyroid gland between patients and the control group (P=0.001). The mean ADC value of the thyroid gland in Graves' disease was 2.03±0.28×10-3 mm2/sec, and in patients with painless thyroiditis 1.46±0.22×10-3 mm2/sec, respectively. There was a significant difference in the ADC values between Graves' disease and painless thyroiditis (P=0.001). When the ADC value of 1.45×10-3 mm2/sec was used as a threshold value for differentiating Graves' disease from painless thyroiditis, the best result was obtained with area under the curve of 0.934, accuracy of 83.8%, sensitivity of 95.8%, and specificity of 61.5%. The mean ADC value of the thyroid gland in patients positively correlated with serum TRAb and Tc-99m uptake (r=0.57, P=0.001 and r=0.74, P=0.001, respectively). Conclusions: We concluded that ADC values of the thyroid gland can be used to differentiate Graves' disease from painless thyroiditis in patients with untreated thyrotoxicosis

ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF TRICHODERMA SPECIES FROM SOILS FOR USING AGAINST SOME SOILBORNE FUNGAL PATHOGENS

Hydrolytic enzyme producing Trichoderma species have long been recognized as an agent for controlling plant diseases caused by various phytopathogenic fungi. A study was done to characterize four isolates of Trichoderma isolated from the rhizosphere of different crop plants to characterize and identify certain biocontrol related enzymes (β1,3-glucanase and chitinase). Morphological and molecular characterize action of antagonistic ability of Trichoderma species were studied. On the basis of morphological and culture characteristics, the Trichoderma isolates were identified as T. harizanum (1 isolate), T. viride (3 isolates). These isolates were tested against plant pathogens (Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium   and Fusarium oxysporum). The best isolate producing chitinase (overproduction) was T. harizanum from (160 to 0.64) mg/ml. On the other hand the best isolate gave over production β-1; 3-glucanase over production was T. viride from (2250 to 2.20 mg/ml

Perinatal Eexposure to Cadmium Affects Neurobehavioural Development and Anxiety -Like Behaviour in Rat Offspring

Abstract: Cadmium is a known industrial and environmental pollutant. The present study was conducted to assess the potential influence of maternal cadmium (Cd) exposure on postnatal development and neuromotor maturation in offspring rats. Moreover, locomotors activity and anxiety -like behavior was also monitored post weaning. Cadmium chloride in doses of 0 , 5, 50 mg / L was administered orally in drinking water to pregnant rats from the 7 th day of pregnancy till weaning of these pups at 30 days of age . All the females were allowed to deliver and wean their offspring. The pups were evaluated for physical development and neuromotor maturation (Reflexes). Also, open-field activity and anxiety-like behavior in elevated plus maze (EPM) were determined at weaning age of young rats. The results revealed that, birth weight of pups exposed to high doses of Cd was decreased relative to controls. A delay in some developmental landmarks (incisor eruption, vagina opening, testes descent) due to maternal cadmium exposure was also noticed pups. Moreover, a delay in neuromotor development (neonatal reflexes) and poor motor coordination was recorded in Cdcl 2 exposed neonates. Cadmium -exposed offspring showed hyperactivity in open field test presented by increased horizontal locomotion

Assessment of lacrimal glands in thyroid eye disease with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging

Purpose: To assess the lacrimal glands in patients with thyroid eye disease with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Material and methods: This study was carried out on 44 consecutive patients (17 males, 27 females, with mean age 36 years) with thyroid eye disease and 20 age- and sex-matched volunteers. They underwent diffusion-weighted MR imaging of the orbit. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the lacrimal glands were calculated and correlated with the clinical activity score (CAS). Results: The mean ADC of lacrimal glands in thyroid eye disease (1.73 × 10-3 mm2/s) was significantly higher (p = 0.001) than that of volunteers (1.52 × 10-3 mm2/s). The cutoff ADC value of lacrimal gland used for differentiation of thyroid eye disease from volunteers was 1.62 × 10–3 mm2/s with an area under the curve value of 0.95 and an accuracy of 96%. There was significant difference (p = 0.03) in the ADC of the lacrimal glands in patients with active (n = 24) and inactive (n = 20) disease. The cutoff ADC value of the lacrimal gland used to suspect active disease was 1.76 × 10-3 mm2/s with an area under the curve value of 0.80 and an accuracy of 82%. There was positive correlation between the ADC value of the lacrimal glands and CAS (r = 0.73, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The ADC of the lacrimal glands is a non-invasive imaging parameter that can be used for diagnosis of thyroid eye disease and to predict the active form of the disease

Chemical Profiling of Significant Antioxidant and Phytotoxic Microwave-Extracted Essential Oil from Araucaria heterophylla Resin

Due to the various hazards of using synthetic chemical compounds in pharmaceutics, agriculture, and industry, scientists and researchers do their best to explore and assess new green natural compounds from natural resources with potent activity. The essential oil (EO) from the resin collected from Araucaria heterophylla Salisb. was extracted by the microwave technique and chemically characterized via GC-MS analysis. Furthermore, the extract EO was assessed for its antioxidant and phytotoxic activities. The EO has 33 compounds, mainly terpenes (98.23%), and the major compounds were α-pinene (62.57%), β-pinene (6.60%), germacrene D (5.88%), and β-caryophyllene (3.56%). The extracted EO showed substantial antioxidant activity, where it showed IC50 values of 142.42 and 118.03 mg L−1 for DPPH and ABTS, respectively. On the other hand, the EO revealed considerable phytotoxicity against the weed Chenopodium murale, where the EO showed IC50 values of 304.0, 230.1, and 147.1 mg L−1, for seed germination, seedling shoot growth, and seedling root growth, respectively. Moreover, the EO showed the same pattern of allelopathic inhibition against the weed Sonchus oleraceus, where it showed IC50 values of 295.7, 224.5, and 106.1 mg L−1, for seed germination, seedling shoot growth, and seedling root growth, respectively. The present study showed that the extraction technique affects the constituents of the EO, particularly the quantitative composition. The EO of A. heterophylla resin also revealed considerable antioxidant and phytotoxic activity against weeds. Therefore, it can be considered a promising natural resource that could be integrated into the weed management approach. However, further study is recommended for deep characterization of their authentic compounds and evaluation of their mode of action(s) on a wide spectrum of weeds

Clinical, biochemical and inflammatory predictors of mortality in patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

Background: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a serious complication of liver cirrhosis. It contributes to high morbidity and mortality in this population. In-hospital mortality of SBP ranges between 20% and 40%, suggesting that further refinements are essential in managing SBP. Early recognition of high-risk patients would enable us to reduce the short-term mortality.Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate the value of clinical, biochemical and inflammatory markers in the prediction of 1-month and 3-month cumulative mortality in patients with SBP.Patients and methods: Two hundred patients with a confirmed diagnosis of SBP were enrolled. They were admitted and received the proper treatment at the National Liver Institute Hospital-Menoufia University, Egypt. Patients were prospectively followed up for mortality over a period of three months. Predictors of mortality were assessed and analyzed.Results: Mortality rates were 20% and 41% at 1 month and 3 month respectively. Our findings showed that low blood pressure, abdominal pain, fever, higher Child-Pugh score, MELD score, serum bilirubin, INR, serum creatinine, C-reactive protein to albumin (CRP/Albumin) ratio, neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), massive splenomegaly and large ascites have been demonstrated as risk factors associated with short-term mortality.Conclusion: SBP carries a high risk of mortality among cirrhotic patients. Clinical parameters (low blood pressure, abdominal pain, fever, massive splenomegaly and large ascites), prognostic scores (Child-Pugh and MELD) and inflammatory markers (CRP, CRP/albumin ratio, and NLR) seem to be accurate and reliable tools that could independently predict short-term mortality in patients with SBP