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

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the frontal region in patients with metabolic syndrome : correlation with anthropometric measurement

Purpose: to demonstrate 1H-MR spectroscopy of the frontal region in patients with metabolic syndrome and to correlate the metabolic ratios with anthropometric measurement. Material and methods: A prospective study was conducted upon 20 patients with metabolic syndrome (10 male, 10 female; mean age 52 years) and 20 age- and sex-matched volunteers. Patients were mild-moderate (n = 14) and marked and morbid obesity (n = 6). Patients and volunteers underwent 1H-MR spectroscopy of the frontal region. The Ch/Cr and NAA/Cr ratio were calculated and correlated with anthropometric measurement. Results: The Cho/Cr and NAA/Cr of patients with Mets (1.03 ± 0.08 and 1.62 ± 0.08) were significantly different (p = 0.001) to those of volunteers (0.78 ± 0 and 1.71 ± 0.61, respectively). The Cho/Cr and NAA/Cr cutoffs used to differentiate patients from volunteers were 0.89 and 1.77 with areas under the curve of 0.992 and 0.867 and accuracy of 97% and 93%, respectively. There was a significant difference in Cho/Cr and NAA/Cr between patients with marked-morbid obesity and moderate-mild obesity (p = 0.001 respectively). Conclusions: We concluded that NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios of the frontal region can differentiate patients with metabolic syndrome from volunteers and are well correlated with the anthropometric measurement

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

Ankle reconstruction in type II fibular hemimelia

Ankle reconstruction prior to limb lengthening for was performed in 13 patients with fibular hemimelia with complete radiological absence of the fibula (type II). There were different degrees of absence of metatarsal rays. The hindfoot deformity was a heel valgus in 12 patients and equinovarus in 1 patient. The patients’ ages ranged from 9 to 26 months. Excision of the fibular anlage was performed with lateral subtalar and ankle soft tissue releases to restore the ankle and subtalar joint relationships. In all cases, the fibular anlage ended distally in a cartilaginous lateral malleolar remnant that was fused to the talus in two patients. This fibular remnant was advanced distally and fixed to the tibia with 2 Kirschner wires to recreate an ankle mortise. The period of follow-up ranged from 12 to 38 months. All patients had a stable ankle without tendency to valgus deformity or subluxation. The ankle range of movement was a mean of 27.3° plantarflexion (25–30) and 18° dorsiflexion (15–20). Reconstruction of the ankle in type II fibular hemimelia using advancement of the cartilaginous lateral malleolar remnant has produced encouraging results in the short-term but longer follow-up is needed

Study of diagnostic value of D-Dimer Serum level as a marker in neonatal sepsis

Background: Neonatal septicemia is widely recognized around the world. A prominent cause of infant mortality and morbidity. Folinolysis in sepsis causes a rise in the D-dimer marker, which is generated when cross-linked fibrin breaks down.Objective: The goal of this work was to evaluate the clinical significance of D-Dimer level for diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.Patients and Methods: Our study was done on 90 neonates divided into two groups: 45 septic neonates as cases and 45 healthy controls. A complete medical history, clinical examination, and diagnostic tests were performed for all newborns (CBC, CRP, blood culture, D-dimer).Results: Most of blood cultures were negative (42.2%) and the other positive cultures showed that klebsiella was the most common organism (22.2%), E-coli was 15.5%, Pseudomonas was 8.89%, Staph. Aureus was 6.67% and the less common was GBS (4.4%). CRP and D-dimer levels were significantly elevated in neonatal sepsis cases compared to controls. D-dimer at a cutoff point higher than 2 had 97.8% accuracy for detection of neonatal sepsis with 100.0% sensitivity and 95.6% specificity. D-dimer levels were significantly higher in infant sepsis patients who died compared to those who survived (5.5 ± 1.3 versus 3.2 ± 1.4) respectively indicating that D-dimer increased with increased severity of cases who had bad prognosis.Conclusion: D-dimer had 97.8% accuracy for detection of neonatal sepsis with 100.0% sensitivity and 95.6% specificity. So it may be used as a marker in neonatal sepsis

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

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

Assessment of the impact of intrauterine growth restriction on gastrointestinal tract tolerance to nutrition in very low birth weight neonates at Zagazig University Hospital

Introduction: Very low birth weight (VLBW) is a term used to describe babies who are born weighing less than1.5 kilograms. The main cause of a baby having VLBW is being born too early and this is called preterm or premature birth. Premature means a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Another cause of very low birth weight is when a baby does not grow well during pregnancy and this is called intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), it may happen because of problems with the placenta, the mother's health, or birth defects.Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of intrauterine growth restriction on gastrointestinal tract tolerance to nutrition in very low birth weight neonates. Patients and Methods: This study was applied on 48 very low birth weight neonates who were divided into two equal groups (AGA and SGA groups). They were admitted to NICU in Zagazig University Children Hospital, during the period from March 2020 to September 2020.Results: Incidence rate of feeding intolerance was nearly equal in SGA and AGA very low birth weight neonates, but incidence of feeding intolerance signs were different between them. Conclusion: Intra-uterine growth restricted Very low birth weight newborns were susceptible to intrauterine deprivation of nutrients to gastrointestinal tract due to placental insufficiency resulting in prematurity and immaturity of gastrointestinal tract function resulting in poor tolerability of GIT to enteral feeding. Trophic feeding, which was early initiation of enteral feeding along with parenteral nutrition seemed to improve feeding tolerance, decrease duration of parenteral nutrition, insure more mature intestinal motility patterns and increase growth rate

The dietary administration of miswak leaf powder promotes performance, antioxidant, immune activity, and resistance against infectious diseases on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The feeding experiment's main purpose was to estimate the influence of fortification of tilapia diets with miswak leaf powder (MLP) on performance, digestive enzyme activity, chemical body composition, antioxidant status, immune response, and resistance against bacterial and fungal infections. O. niloticus fingerlings (15.22 ± 0.06 g) were fed four formulated diets fortified with MLP at 0, 2.5, 5, and 10 g kg−1 diet for 56 days. The fish were injected with Aeromonas hydrophila for 14 days at the end of the feeding trial, and then the mortality percentage was recorded daily in all treated groups. The obtained results showed that dietary administration of MLP at 2.5 g kg−1 recorded significantly higher values in all growth, feed utilization, and feed efficiency parameters. The digestive enzyme activity was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in fish fed a low level of MLP (2.5 or 5 g kg−1) when compared with the control group. Furthermore, the higher concentration of MLP (10 g kg−1) significantly reduced the mortality rate induced by Aeromonas hydrophila infection, increased crude protein percentage in fish body and represented highly in vitro antibacterial and antifungal efficiency. Based on the findings of the challenge tests against A. hydrophilia, higher survival was found in infected fish, explaining that MLP at high level of 10 g kg can be used to resist the outbreak of the A. hydophilia disease in tilapia. In conclusion, our obtained data showed that applied MLP in tilapia diets could promote performance, feed efficiency, antioxidant status, immune activity, and enhanced resistance of O. niloticus against infections