Growth, physiological processes and yield of tomatoes grown in different root zone volumes using sand culture

The effects of different root zone volumes (2000, 4000 and 6000 cm3) an growth, water relations, stomatal responses, photosynthetic rate, mineral nutrition and yield of tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) grown in sand culture were investigated. The plants were sampled for growth analysis fortnightly for a 56-day period. Leaf growth, stem and root dry weights were significanlty reduced with root zane volumes of 2000 and 4000 cm3. Total fruit fresh weight was reduced when plants were grown with decreasing root z.one volumes. Root zone volumes, however, did not produce a significant effect an percentage of fruit dry matter and total soluble solids. The reduction in plant growth and development was associated with reduction in water potential, photosynthetic rate and mineral nutrient uptake when plants were grown in root zone volumes of 4000 cm3 or less

Sleep Quality and Its Health Correlates Among Egyptian Secondary School Students

The objective of the recent study was to determine the prevalence of poor sleep quality and to assess its psychological and general health correlates among secondary school students in the city of Assiut, Egypt. A cross sectional study was conducted among 829 secondary school students (selected by multistage stratified random sampling) aged 15–19 years in Assiut. Students filled in a self-administered questionnaire that included demographic data, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale, general perception of health, and the short form of Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. The prevalence of poor sleep quality (PSQI \u3e5) was 72.5%. The mean PSQI score was 7.35 ± 2.94 standard deviation. Poor sleep quality was higher among females, urban residents and public school students. Correlates of poor sleep by multivariate analysis were age, urban residence, public education, mild to moderate and severe to very severe anxiety symptoms, severe to very severe depressive symptoms, excessive daytime sleepiness, and feeling fully active sometimes and not active at any time. Poor sleep quality was alarmingly highly prevalent among secondary school students, with significant health consequences. Increasing the awareness of the community especially adolescents, parents, and school teachers about healthy sleep is an essential priority

Students’ perceptions and experiences about the combined inductive-deductive approach in intermediate grammar class

This research study investigates students’ perceptions and experiences about using the combined inductive-deductive approach in teaching English grammar in intermediate grammar class. The study employed a mixed methods design to answer the research questions. We used a questionnaire including four aspects according to ARCS Model to answer the first research question through examining the perceptions of 65 university students majoring English. Then five of 65 students were selected to be interviewed to explore their experiences on the combined inductive-deductive approach to answer the second research question. The results of the questionnaire and the interviews reveal that most students prefer the combined approach to teaching English grammar although they have positive perceptions towards the inductive or the deductive approach. The combined approach can provide students with better understanding of grammar and keep them involved and interactive in the learning process. Therefore, this current study suggests that further research should be conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the combined approach in the process of teaching grammar and teachers’ perceptions towards such approach

Maternal outcome of prenatally diagnosed lethal fetal anomalies: a year review

Objectives: To determine maternal morbidities in relation to prenatal diagnosis of lethal fetal anomalies and termination of pregnancy (TOP). Materials: Twenty five patients with prenatal diagnosis of lethal fetal anomalies in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan, Malaysia. Methods: This was a retrospective review in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan, Malaysia in the year of 2011. All patients diagnosed prenatally to carry lethal fetal anomalies was reviewed. Data regarding maternal morbidities and outcome was collected from patients’ case note in the hospital record office. Analysis was done by using SPSS version 17.0. Results: Twenty five pregnant patients were diagnosed with lethal fetal anomalies via ultrasound with or without genetic study. The patients’ mean age was 29.9±6.3 years old. The mean gestational age at diagnosis of lethal fetal anomalies and at TOP or delivery were 26.5±7.4 and 28.7±7.8 weeks respectively. The lethal fetal anomalies included fetuses with multiple structural abnormalities (40%), anencephaly or severe encephalocele (32%), non-immune hydrops fetalis (16%) and syndromic fetuses (12%) i.e. Pentalogy of Cantrell and Edward’s syndrome. Seven (28%) patients had early counseling and TOP at the gestation of <22 weeks. Beyond 22 weeks gestation, 8 (32%) patients had TOP and 10 (40%) patients had spontaneous delivery. Twenty (80%) patients delivered or aborted vaginally, 3 (12%) patients with assisted breech delivery, and 2 (8%) patients with abdominal delivery. The abdominal deliveries were for transverse lie in labour and emergency hysterotomy for failed induction complicated by hysterectomy due to intraoperative finding of ruptured uterus. Overall, the associated adverse events included abnormal lie during delivery (16%), symptomatic polyhydramnios requiring amnioreduction (16%), post-partum haemorrhage (12%), retained placenta (12%), blood transfusion (8%), uterine rupture (4%) and endometritis (4%). Mean duration of hospital stay was 6.6±3.7 days. Conclusions: Prenatal diagnosis and TOP at an early gestation may reduce maternal morbidities and improve the outcom

The impact of intrapartum pethidine on the neonatal outcome: a perspective review

Objective: To study the effect of intrapartum pethidine administration on the fetal heart rate pattern and neonatal outcome. Method: This is a prospective observational study done on forty low risk uncomplicated pregnancy at term in the first stage of labour. The study was done in the labour suite in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan Kuantan, Malaysia. Intramuscular Pethidine 1mg/kg was given as intrapartum analgesia to all consented patient with normal baseline fetal heart rate and clear liquor. Intrapartum fetal heart rate pattern and neonatal outcome were reviewed and analysed by SSPS 17.0. Results: Total of 40 patients recruited in this study with mean age of 27.9 ± 6.03 years and mean gestational age of 39.0 ± 0.81 weeks. The mean duration from pethidine administration to delivery is 285.5 ± 178.9 minutes (4 hours and 45 minutes). Out of 40 patients, 2 (5%) cases had suspicious CTG 1 hour post pethidine administration, first one with absence of acceleration and the second with early deceleration which lasted for 45 minutes and one hour respectively. All neonates delivered with good Apgar Score, 8 at 1 minute and 9 at 5 minute. A total of 9 (22.5%) cases were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Seven (17.5%) cases were admitted for observation because of delivery less than 4 hours after pethidine administration, following the neonatal protocol at our centre. Two (5%) cases were admitted for G6PD. Neither required ventilation nor antidotes. All of them were discharged to mother after 24 hours apart from those admitted because of G6PD. Conclusion: Intrapartum pethidine is still an analgesic option which is simple, cheap and easily available without major effect to the fetal heart rate pattern and the neonatal outcome

Bladder scan vs urethral cathetarization for measurement of immediate post partum bladder volume

Introduction: Bladder scan is a well known non invasive and cost effective tool for the measurement of post void residual urine(PVR) however with some limitation. Literature on the efficacy of bladder scan on big uterus is limited and not promising. Study Objective: To determine the validity of bladder scan BV13000 in detection of bladder volume in immediate postpartum women. Methodology: A prospective cross sectional study conducted in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Pahang from 1st September to 30 November 2010, A total of 193 women who had undergone Caesarean section were recruited on postpartum day 1. Prior to removal of Foley’s catheter, their bladder volumes were first estimated by bladder scan BV13000. Immediately the bladder was then catheterized for the true bladder volume followed by 2D ultrasound bladder scanning to ensure that it was completely emptied. The data was analyzed using SPSS software version 18(SPSS Inc. Chigaco, Illinois). P value of less than 0.05 is considered as statistically significant. Resul : There were a total of 193 women recruited with the mean age of 28.84 years (SD 5.516) with mean BMI of 29.69( SD 5.69) kg/m2 and fundal height of 16cm (SD 2.382 ). The mean for time interval between bladder scan and catheterization was 3 min(range between 1-8 min). There is a linear relationship between the bladder scan-estimated and catheter bladder volumes (r2=082). The patient’s body weight also is significantly (p=0.01) correlated with the bladder scan-estimated volume with r2 of-0.25. The size of the uterus however does not correlate with the bladder-scan volume Conclusion : Bladder scan is comparable to urethral catheterization in the measurement of postpartum bladder volume

Maternal outcome of prenatally diagnosed lethal fetal anomalies: a year review

This was a retrospective review in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan, Malaysia In the year of 2011. All patients diagnosed prenatally to carry lethal fetal anomalies was Reviewed. The outcome of the pregnancy including type of labour, mode of induction and delivery, and associated morbidities during antenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum period was analyse

Effect of intrapartum pethidine on the neonatal outcome: is it duration related?

Objectives: To study the effect of pethidine on the intrapartum fetal heart rate (FHR) pattern and to assess the neonatal outcome with regards to the interval between pethidine administration to delivery of the fetus. Materials: 73 healthy women intrapartum from labour suite hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan, Malaysia Methods: This is a prospective observational study done on 73 healthy consented women with singleton pregnancy at term . All fetus were normal, vertex presentation with reactive FHR tracing before pethidine administration. FHR recording were performed for 40 minutes prior to and one hour post pethidine. Cervical dilatation of all patients ≤ 4 cm at time of pethidine administration. Intramuscular pethidine 1mg/kg was given as an intrapartum analgesia. The study sample was divided into two groups, first group delivered within 4 hours and second group delivered more than 4 hours after the pethidine administration. The data were analysed by SSPS 17.0. Results: the mean age of the recruited patients is 28.15 ± 6.15 years and mean gestational age of 39.14 ± 1.094 weeks. The mean duration from pethidine administration to delivery is 296.48 ± 173.65 minutes (4 hours and 56 minutes). Four (5.5%) cases had suspicious CTG 1 hour post pethidine, 1 with absence of acceleration for 45 minutes and 3 cases with early deceleration lasted for 60 to 90 minutes. Out of 73 patients, 38 babies delivered within 4 hours and 35 delivered after 4 hours of pethidine. All neonates delivered with good Apgar Score (AS), 8 at 1 minute and 9 at 5 minute except 1 with AS of 5 at 1 min and 7 at 5 min which delivered more than 4 hours after pethidine. Sixteen (21.9%) cases were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Eleven (68.75%) cases were admitted due to neonatal sedation from the delivery group less than 4 hours after pethidine. Five (31.25%) cases from the delivery group more than 4 hours, 4 cases with a diagnosis of transient tachypnea of newborn and 1 secondary to meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). All discharge to mother after 24 hours, non required ventilation apart from the one with MAS which required ventilation for one day and longer admission. Despite of the higher number of those require admission in the less than 4 hours group, it was not statistically significant with P value of 7.44. Conclusions: Pethidine can be used as an intrapartum analgesia which is safe, easily available without major effect on fetal heart rate pattern and neonatal outcome even if given in advance stage of labour

Targeted screening for primary immunodeficiency disorders in the neonatal period and early infancy

Background: Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID) comprise a group of more than 300 diseases that affect development and /or function of the immune system.Objectives: The aim of this study was diagnosis of PID among a suspected group of neonates and infants within the first six months of life as well as identifying the warning signs of PID characteristic to this period.Method: Fifty neonates presenting with warning signs of PID were enrolled in the study.Results: The study revealed that twenty six patients (52%) were diagnosed with Primary Immunodeficiency, T cell/combined immunodeficiency were noted as the most common PID class (88.5%) with fourteen T-B-SCID patients (70%) and six T-B+ SCID patients (30%), phagocytic disorders were estimated to be 7.7% while 3.8% were unclassified immunodeficiency. The mean age of presentation for PID group was 1.42±1.38 months with a diagnostic lag of 3.08±1.78 months. Consanguinity was positive in 76.9% of the PID group. Lower respiratory tract infections ,persistent fungal infections and lymphopenia were the most significant warning signs for diagnosing PID with a p value of (0.01). Combined, lower respiratory tract infections, fungal infections and lymphopenia were 12.3 times more likely to be associated with PID.Conclusion: Focused screening in high risk neonates proved to be a valuable tool for diagnosis of PID disorders.Keywords: Primary immunodeficiency disorders, neonatal period, early infancy

Impact of probiotic intake on the glycemic control, lipid profile and inflammatory markers among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background and aims: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease with many dramatic complications. It has also been suggested that altered intestinal microbiota leads to increased intestinal permeability and mucosal immune response, contributing to the development of diabetes. We aimed to investigate the effect of introduction of probiotic products on glycemic control and inflammatory markers among patients with T2DM. Methods: the present work was carried on 150 patients with T2DM. The studied patients were subjected to full history taking, clinical examination and laboratory investigations including fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2 hours post prandial blood glucose (2hpp), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), HDL-C, LDL-C, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF α). They were divided into 3 groups each of 50 patients, they were all instructed to eat well balanced diet. The first group was instructed to eat the well balanced diet only, the second group received 2 cups of yogurt daily in addition to diet and the third group received one teaspoonful yeast daily in addition to diet. The effect of the intervention was evaluated after 16 weeks. Results: Patients receiving yogurt and the patients receiving yeast showed significant reduction of FBG,HbA1c, IL6, TNF α, CRP and significant elevation of HDL-C compared to patients on diet only. The 3 groups showed significant reduction in 2hpp blood glucose and LDL-C. Conclusion: Probiotic intake in patients with T2DM has beneficial effect on glycemic control, lipid profile and inflammatory markers after 16 weeks