Lead exposure and periodontitis in US adults

Lead is known to have significant effects on bone metabolism and the immune system. This study tested the hypothesis that lead exposure affects periodontitis in adults. Material and Methods:  This study used the data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988–94). It analyzed data from 2500 men and 2399 women, 20–56 yr old, who received complete periodontal examination. Periodontitis was defined as the presence of > 20% of mesial sites with ≥ 4 mm of attachment loss. Lead exposure was grouped into three categories:  7 μg/dL. Covariates were cotinine levels, poverty ratio, race/ethnicity, education, bone mineral density, diabetes, calcium intake, dental visit, and menopause (for women). All analyses were performed separately for men and women and considering the effect design. Univariate, bivariate, and stratified analysis was followed by multivariable analysis by estimating prevalence ratios through poisson regression. Results:  After adjustment for confounders, the prevalence ratios, comparing those with a lead blood level of > 7 μg/dL to those with a lead blood level of < 3 μg/dL was 1.70 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02, 2.85) for men and 3.80 (95% CI: 1.66, 8.73) for women. Conclusion:  The lead blood level was positively and statistically associated with periodontitis for both men and women. Considering the public health importance of periodontitis and lead exposure, further studies are necessary to confirm this association.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65253/1/j.1600-0765.2006.00913.x.pd

Employing Aesthetic Possibilities of Compu Dobby loom’s weavings into fashionable women designs

It’s known that hand weaving is one of the oldest crafts have been made by human according to their need of wearing clothes. As time goes by, the man developed his tools and materials to reach the desired fabrics of different designs that meet his needs, where he was able to develop the loom, which was represented in many styles such as ground loom, and vertical loom to more advanced looms in our days. Subsequently, hand looms have evolved to become more handy and easier to control. Hand looms become computerized as a part of contemporary technological development. The current research tackles one of these looms, which known as the computerized dobby loom, this loom is multi-potential that the researchers imported it specifically to be applicable in the practical experiment in this research. It is a hand loom with 24 shafts, with a dobby device connected to a computer. The weaving work is produced by using a specified weaving design program called “Weave Pointv7”, and executed manually by using the two pedals attached to the loom. Then we reach the main point of this discussion, which is designing creative contemporary ladies’ clothes from the produced fabrics.   Keywords: Dobby loom’s weavings, Wearable Art, Plastic Utilities, Weave pointv7, Hand woven.   1. Introduction: Problem statement: The issue of the paper can be concluded to: -          Attempting to find technical and formative solutions to design hand woven fabric on the computerized 24 shafts dobby loom, which has never been used in Egypt or the Arab world before, and being imported specifically by the researchers to conduct a research experiment. -          Trying to combine the handmade fabrics and fashion designing in one single artwork to create unique modern designs for the ladies.   Research objectives: -          Innovate contemporary ladies fashion using the hand fabric woven on the computerized 24 shafts dobby loom. -          Achieving new technical and artistic entries through using the computerized dobby loom. Research importance: -          The importance of the research: -          Enable the Contemporary artists to use the dobby loom in the handmade fabric designs. -          Open a new field to the Wearable Art in Egypt and introduce it to the art men and the fashion designers as one of the modern arts in the contemporary arts field and business. Research hypotheses: Research supposed that: Using the multi designing abilities of the computerized dobby loom creates new horizons for the technical and artistic formation to apply it in designing modern and creative women clothes.   Research limitations: -          The practical experiment is applied on ladies from the age of 18:35 years old. -          Using the computerized 24 shafts dobby loom. -          Using design program “Weave Pointv7”. Research methodology: The current research follows the experimental and analytical descriptive method

Health problems and expenditure in an area with food crisis: Mekit woreda, North Wollo Zone

Background: Famine and forced migrations are common emergencies affecting large populations in developing countries. However, the effects of food crisis on the health care during these periods are not fully documented. Objective: To assess the health problems, health-coping strategies and health care demand of non-displaced communities in food-crisis areas. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in North Wollo Zone, Mekit Wereda between May 1998 and July 1998. Households were selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Health-related problems were assessed for three-month recall period. Results: In the three-month recall period, 748 (29.4%) of the 2,547 household members wee reported ill, out of which only 112 (16.3%) sought modern medical care. The annual per capita income for the surveyed population was estimated to be US$43.70. The source of income to cover the health expenditure for 72 (48.6%) of the households was from sale of animals and animal products, 32 (21.6%) from sale of grains and the rest from loans, savings, sale of household utensils, sale of fire-wood, and working in food-or cash-for-work programs. About half of the 531 studied households had no single animal, and 85.5%were dependent on food aid at the time of the study. A relatively high number of the households (24.6%) were found to consume famine food Lathyrus sativus (legume), which results neuro-toxicity when consumed for a long period as main diet. Conclusion: The finding shows that the health-coping mechanisms are extremely exhausted during food-crisis to the extent that families cannot seek any kind of medical care. We recommend that health aid should be part of food aid during food crisis. (Ethiopian Journal of Health Development, 2001, 15(1): 1-10

Investigating diasporic identities in the Arab-American autobiographies of Leila Ahmed and Edward Said: a Socio-cognitive approach

This study investigates diasporic identity in Arab– American autobiographies. It particularly tackles the question of diasporic identity representation and its impact on the projection of individual self-perception in accordance with the different social contexts and ideological leaning; it aims at explaining how different social contexts, that the authors encounter and experience, affect their own identity. The study employs insights from autoethnography and socio-cognitive inquiries to examine two Arab- American memoirs; Leila Ahmed’s (1999) “A Border Passage” and Edward Said’s (1999) “Out of Place”. The research adopts the “Interpretive Autoethnography” approach, postulated by Denzin (2014), to engage with the question of self-perception and identity representation through an analysis of the self- writings of the authors. The study also adopts van Dijk’s (2016) Socio-cognitive discourse studies framework to analyze the authors’ language to reflect their self-perception, and by extension, identity. Received: 06 November 2022 Accepted: 15 March 2023Published: 01 May 2023</p

Hythane (H2 and CH4) production from unsaturated polyester resin wastewater contaminated by 1,4-dioxane and heavy metals via up-flow anaerobic self-separation gases reactor

International audienceA long-term evaluation of hythane generation from unsaturated polyester resin wastewater contaminated by 1,4-dioxane and heavy metals was investigated in a continuous up-flow anaerobic self- separation gases (UASG) reactor inoculated with mixed culture. The reactor was operated at constant hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 96 h and different organic loading rates (OLRs) of 0.31 ± 0.04, 0.71 ± 0.08 and 1.07 ± 0.06 gCOD/L/d. Available data showed that volumetric hythane production rate was substantially increased from 0.093 ± 0.021 to 0.245 ± 0.016 L/L/d at increasing OLR from 0.31 ± 0.04 to 0.71 ± 0.08 gCOD/L/d. However, at OLR exceeding 1.07 ± 0.06 gCOD/L/d, it was dropped to 0.114 ± 0.016 L/L/d. The reactor achieved 1,4-dioxane removal efficiencies of 51.8 ± 2.8, 35.9 ± 1.6 and 26.3 ± 1.6% at initial 1,4-dioxane concentrations of 1.14 ± 0.28, 1.97 ± 0.41 and 4.21 ± 0.30 mg/L, respectively. Moreover, the effect and potential removal of the contaminated by heavy metals (i.e., Cu2+, Mn2+, Cr3+, Fe3+ and Ni2+) were highlighted. Kinetic modelling and microbial community dynamics were studied, according to each OLR, to carefully describe the UASG performance. The economic analysis showed a stable operation for the anaerobic digestion of unsaturated polyester resin wastewater using UASG, and the maximum net profit was achieved at OLR of 0.71 ± 0.08 gCOD/L/d. © 2017 Elsevier Lt