The Imperative for Arabic Language Proficiency among Foreign Workers in Gulf Countries and Strategies for Enhancement l Ahammiyyatu Itqan al-Lughah al-‘Arabiyyah baina al-‘Ummal al-Ajnabi fi Duwali al-Khalij wa Istiratijiyyatu Ta’ziziha

In both Eastern and Western societies, proficiency in the local language and an understanding of cultural nuances were traditionally considered essential prerequisites for employment. However, a marked deviation from this norm was evident in the Gulf states, where communication with foreign workers became sporadic and, in many cases, was limited to specific roles or enforced through punitive measures. This linguistic neglect perpetuated the erosion of Arab heritage, contributing to the gradual loss of identity. This research aimed to thoroughly analyze the importance of foreign workers in the Gulf countries mastering Arabic. It investigated the impact of neglecting this linguistic aspect and proposed viable solutions to encourage learning, thus contributing to the preservation and enhancement of cultural values, identity, and society in the Gulf region. Using a literature study methodology, the research drew on a variety of sources, including previous research, newspapers, expert studies, and reports. The findings of this research underscored the need for collaborative efforts among countries in the region, drawing inspiration from experiences in the East and West. An important solution identified was activating the principle of shared responsibility, which included the establishment of training centers for expatriates to acquire essential Arabic vocabulary. The implications of this research extended to the establishment of stronger communication links within the country, the creation of international bridges, and the opening of employment opportunities for Arabic language and literature experts

Validated Spectrofluorimetric Determination of Gemifloxacin in Pharmaceutical Preparations and Spiked Human Plasma

 A simple, sensitive and rapid spectrofluorimetric method was developed and validated for the determination of Gemifloxacin mesylate (GFX), in bulk powder, pharmaceutical preparations and biological fluids. The proposed method was based on complexation of GFX with AlCl3 as complexing agent then measuring the fluorescence of the resulted complex after enhancement with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) in borate buffer (pH 8) at emission wavelength of 401 nm after excitation at 264 nm. Different experimental parameters affecting the fluorescence intensity were carefully studied and optimized to obtain the maximum fluorescence intensity. The developed method was validated according to International Conference on Harmonisation guidelines in terms of specificity, linearity, lower limit of quantification (LOQ) 0.54 ng.ml-1, lower limit of detection (LOD) 0.18 ng.ml-1, accuracy and precision. The proposed method was found to be rectilinear over the concentration range of 1-20 ng.ml-1with recovery percentage of 99.85±0.84. The proposed method was applied successfully for the determination of GFX in pharmaceutical preparations and spiked human plasma with recovery percentage of 99.97±0.79 and 99.96±1.73 respectively. The results were statistically analyzed and compared with a reference method and no significance difference was found between both methods

Review: Current trends in coral transplantation – an approach to preserve biodiversity

Ammar MSA,El-Gammal F, Nassar M, Belal A, Farag W, El-Mesiry G, El-Haddad K, Orabi A, Abdelreheem A, Shaaban A. 2013. Review: Current trends in coral transplantation – an approach to preserve biodiversity. Biodiversitas 14: 43-53. The increasing rates of coral mortality associated with the rise in stress factors and the lack of adequate recovery worldwide have urged recent calls for actions by the scientific, conservation, and reef management communities. This work reviews the current trends in coral transplantation. Transplantation of coral colonies or fragments, whether from aqua-, mariculture or harvesting from a healthy colony, has been the most frequently recommended action for increasing coral abundance on damaged or degraded reefs and for conserving listed or “at-risk” species. Phytoplanktons are important for providing transplanted corals with complex organic compounds through photosynthesis. Artificial surfaces like concrete blocks, wrecks or other purpose-designed structures can be introduced for larval settlement. New surfaces can also be created through electrolysis. Molecular biological tools can be used to select sites for rehabilitation by asexual recruits. Surface chemistry and possible inputs of toxic leachate from artificial substrates are considered as important factors affecting natural recruitment. Transplants should be carefully maintained , revisited and reattached at least weekly in the first month and at least fortnightly in the next three months. Studies on survivorship and the reproductive ability of transplanted coral fragments are important for coral reef restoration. A coral nursery may be considered as a pool for local species that supplies reef-managers with unlimited coral colonies for sustainable management. Transplanting corals for making artificial reefs can be useful for increasing biodiversity, providing tourist diving, fishing and surfing; creating new artisanal and commercial fishing opportunities, colonizing structures by fishes and invertebrates), saving large corals during the construction of a Liquified Natural Gas Plant

The nucleolar related protein Dyskerin pseudouridine 1 synthase 1 (DKC1) predicts poor prognosis in breast cancer

BackgroundHypertrophy of the nucleolus is a distinctive cytological feature of malignant cells and corresponds to aggressive behaviour. This study aimed to identify the key gene associated with nucleolar prominence (NP) in breast cancer (BC) and determine its prognostic significance.MethodsFrom The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, digital whole slide images identified cancers having NP served as label and an information theory algorithm was applied to find which mRNA gene best explained NP. Dyskerin Pseudouridine Synthase 1 (DKC1) was identified. DKC1 expression was assessed using mRNA data of Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC, n = 1980) and TCGA (n = 855). DKC1 protein expression was assessed using immunohistochemistry in Nottingham BC cohort (n = 943).ResultsNuclear and nucleolar expressions of DKC1 protein were significantly associated with higher tumour grade (p [less than] 0.0001), high nucleolar score (p [less than] 0.001) and poor Nottingham Prognostic Index (p [less than] 0.0001). High DKC1 expression was associated with shorter BC-specific survival (BCSS). In multivariate analysis, DKC1 mRNA and protein expressions were independent risk factors for BCSS (p [less than] 0.01).ConclusionDKC1 expression is strongly correlated with NP and its overexpression in BC is associated with unfavourable clinicopathological characteristics and poor outcome. This has been a detailed example in the correlation of phenotype with genotype

HER2/neu expression status of post BCG recurrent non-muscle-invasive bladder urothelial carcinomas in relation to their primary ones

Background: Transurethral resection (TUR) followed by adjuvant therapy is still the treatment of choice of Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma (NMIBUC). However, recurrence is one of the most troublesome features of these lesions. Early second resection and adjuvant BCG therapy has been shown to improve the outcome. Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of C-erbB-2 (HER2/neu) expression status in Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma cases, before and after intravesical Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG immunotherapy). Materials and methods: HER2/neu expression was studied in 120 (Ta-T1) Non-Muscle-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma cases. The expression was evaluated and compared to the expression after Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy. Results: HER2/neu expression in low and high grade of the Non- Muscle-Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma was (38%) and (83%) respectively. The difference of the expression rates by tumor grade was statistically significant. In recurring lesions post BCG therapy, C-erbB-2 expression was markedly decreased (31.6%) when compared to its expression before therapy (65%). Conclusions: The HER2/neu expression increased as the tumor grade rose. The reduction in expression following BCG treatment in Non-Invasive transitional cell carcinoma cases could reflect a reduction of the potential malignancy of the tumor

Phytoplankton abundance in relation to the quality of the coastal water – Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia

Phytoplankton abundance in relation to some physicochemical characters of the costal water of Arabian Gulf (Saudi Arabia) was studied for one year. The sampling program included 15 locations in Dammam, Saihat, Al-Qatif, Al-Awamia and Safwa. Water samples were analyzed monthly for these parameters; temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, carbon dioxide, total chloride, reactive orthophosphate and total phosphorus and alkalinity, also phytoplankton communities were identified and Chlorophyll a was estimated. The results showed that, the high phytoplankton density attaining the maximum (190.3 × 104/m3) during May and June, and the minimum (10.4 × 104/m3) during November and December. Forty Five species belonging to 5 phytoplankton groups were recorded. Bacillariophyceae was the first dominant group forming 48% of the total phytoplankton communities (23 species). The dominant species of Bacillariophyceae were Pleurosigma strigosum, Pleurosigma elongatum, Lyrella clavata, Rhizosolenia shrubsolei, Cylindrotheca closterium, Nitzschia panduriform, Nitzschia longissimia, Amphora sp and Stephanopyxis. Dinophyceae was the second dominant group and formed 31% of the total phytoplankton communities (10 species); the dominant species were Ceratium fusus, Heterosigma sp, Ceratium furca, Prorocentrum triestium, Protoperidinium sp, Gyrodinium spirale, Noctiluca scintillans and Scrippsiella trochoidea. Cyanophyceae formed 13% (5 species) where Nostoc sp, Oscillatoria and Merismopedia sp were the dominant species. Chlorophyceae had 8% (6 species); Scendesmus sp., Chlorella sp., Chlamydomonas sp., Dunaliella salina and Nannochloropsis sp were the dominant species. The Euglinophyceae was rare only one species (Euglina sp). The relationship was positive between the phytoplankton, chlorophyll a and carbon dioxide while negative amongst dissolved oxygen and total nitrogen. This research indicated that the relation between water quality and phytoplankton organisms at the coast of Arabian Gulf (Saudi Arabia) was extremely overlapping and interdependent; any changes in the one component may significantly affect those of the other components

Hypercoagulability in different respiratory diseases

Background: The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is equally high in medical patients admitted to the hospital and those treated in the surgery wards. Patients who are immobilized due to heart failure, severe respiratory disease, cerebrovascular stroke and cancer are at a high risk of venous thrombosis. Aim of the work: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of different respiratory insults on blood coagulation for early detection and prevention of thrombosis to open the way for thromboprophylaxis in such cases. Patients and methods: The study included 25 apparently normal healthy control subjects and 141 patients with different respiratory disorders. All patients were subjected to full medical history taking, full clinical examination, and radiological evaluation. Computed tomography (CT) pulmonary angiography was done for all cases and lower limb duplex ultrasonography for all patients, at day 1 and day 5 of admission. The following coagulation markers were evaluated for all patients at day 1, 2,3,4, and 5 of admission including: Soluble fibrin complex, D dimer, thrombin antithrombin complex, antithrombin, protein C, protein S, and fibrinogen. Results: It was found that, the mean values of soluble fibrin complex, D dimer and thrombin antithrombin complex were higher in patients with positive duplex ultrasonograghy and positive CT angiography than patients with negative duplex ultrasonograghy and CT angiography and the difference was statistically highly significant. The higher mean values for soluble fibrin complex was on the third day of admission, while the higher mean values for D dimer, thrombin antithrombin complex and fibrinogen were on the fifth day. Whereas, there are no detectable variations in levels of antithrombin, protein C and protein S on all 5 days there were highly statistically significant differences in soluble fibrin complex, D dimer and fibrinogen levels between all disease groups and the control subjects. The mean values of soluble fibrin complex, D dimer, thrombin antithrombin complex and fibrinogen were higher in severe COPD patients than in moderate COPD patients and the difference was statistically significant while there was no statistically significant difference in coagulation marker levels between moderate and severe asthmatic patients and also, between bronchogenic carcinoma and mesothelioma patients. Conclusions: Estimation of soluble fibrin complex, D dimer, thrombin antithrombin complex and fibrinogen may be useful for early identification of the prethrombotic state which may help to prevent the onset of thrombotic disorders and thereby improve the outcome of various respiratory diseases. Common respiratory disorders especially, COPD exacerbation, pneumonia, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer are considered to be hypercoagulable states which carry high risks for the development of venous thromboembolism

Cerebral border zone infarction: an etiological study

Abstract Background Border zone infarcts (BZI) are ischemic lesions at the junction between two main arterial territories which may be either cortical or internal BZI. Methods This study was conducted on 76 cerebral BZI patients and 20 healthy control subjects. Patients were divided to group I included 26 internal BZI, group II included 19 cortical BZI and group III included 21 mixed internal/cortical BZI patients. Included subjects were submitted to neurological examination, laboratory investigations, ECG, echocardiogram, brain CT and/or MRI and extra and intracranial blood vessels imaging by duplex and CT angiography. Results Hypertension was significantly higher among groups I and III compared to group II while atrial fibrillation (AF) was significantly higher in groups II and III than group I (p < 0.05). Sonographic duplex assessment of extra and intracranial blood vessels revealed significant increase in mean flow velocities of CCA, ICC and MCA on both side in groups I and III compared to group II (p < 0.05). CT angiography revealed non-significant differences between BZI patients and control as well as in between the three BZI patient’s groups regarding the existence of vertebral artery hypoplasia and/or circle of Willis anomalies. Conclusions Vascular stenosis is the main etiological factor in internal BZI while AF is the predominant etiological factor of cortical BZI. Congenital vascular anomalies play roles in the localization of BZI but cannot predispose to it except when comorbid with hemodynamic disturbances

Unplanned versus planned extubation in respiratory intensive care unit, predictors of outcome

Introduction: The incidence of post-intensive care unit admission complications is high; some of these complications are inevitable and often leads to medical emergencies. Among these complications is the extubation failure whether resulted from planned extubation which is prepared and performed by the medical team or unplanned extubation (UE). Unplanned extubation (UE) is a real event in all ICUS worldwide and is considered as one of the major complications in mechanically ventilated patients. However, its impact on mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation (MV) as well as predictors of UE and need for reintubation had not been adequately defined. Objective: To define the profile of the patients at risk of unplanned extubation and establish predictive criteria for extubation outcome. Patients and methods: This study was carried out in the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit of Chest Department, Zagazig University Hospitals during the period from March 2010 to January 2011. Sixty-seven invasively mechanically ventilated patients who were admitted to the RICU were enrolled in the study. They were (47) males and (20) females with mean age (51.56 ± 6.28) years. Patients were admitted to the RICU because of one of the following diagnostic categories; acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) (41 patients), Pneumonia (6 patients), Bronchial asthma (2 patients), Pulmonary edema (5 patients), Bronchiectasis (6 patients), Systemic lupus erythematosus (1patient), interstitial lung disease (ILD) (1 patient), Infected cystic lung (1 patient), Overlap syndrome (4 patients). Patients were classified into two groups according to the way of extubation: Group I: Unplanned extubation group (they were 27 patients who underwent UE either self inflicted (13 patients) or accidental extubation (14 patients) and Group II: Planned extubation group (they were 40 patients who fulfilled weaning criteria and tolerated 2-h spontaneous breathing trial through T-tube without signs of distress and followed by extubation after 24 h). On admission to ICU the following were carried out and recorded for all patients: Full medical history from the patient (if possible) or his relatives, history of previous intubation and/or ventilatory support and Presence of co morbidities, Full clinical examination, Plain chest and heart X-ray, Arterial blood gases, Routine laboratory investigations, Mechanical ventilation, Assessment of APACHE III score (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation score), Assessment of Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and Assessment of sequential Organ failure score (SOFA). During ICU stay, assessment of the following parameters was done daily including: GCS, Evidence of agitation, Use of sedatives, Degree of sedation using Ramsay Sedation Scoring System, Presence of any physical restrains (Wrist restraints), Amount of endotracheal secretion, Assessment of the strength of the cough reflex by cough strength scale, Nine equivalents of nursing manpower use score (NEMS) to assess nursing workload and Arterial blood gases. If unplanned extubation occurred during anytime before weaning, the following were reported: Time of UE, Ventilation parameters at the time of UE (ventilatory mode, FIO2tidal volume, rate, amount of pressure support and PEEP), Presence of agitation, use of physical restraints, Use of sedation, Last Ramsay score, Last cough strength scale, Last endotracheal secretion scale, GCS at time of extubation, SOFA score at time of extubation, Last NEMS score, Last ABG. If patient passed to weaning and tolerated SBT for 2 h the following tests were performed before extubation in addition to assessment of the same parameters reported among patients in the UE group including Assessment of swallowing by swallowing score, Minute ventilation recovery time, Dead space addition test (DSA), Cuff leak test. The Outcome of the studied patients as regards extubation was categorized into either extubation success or failure. Also the Outcome of the studied cases as regards mortality was classified into either survival or death. Results: The results of this study revealed that the frequency of planned extubation represents 59.7% while unplanned extubation represents 40.3% of the studied subjects. There is no significant difference between planned and unplanned extubation as regards the cause of admission to ICU, (P > 0.05) with predominance of COPD exacerbation which represents 61.19% of the studied population. On starting MV there is an increased risk of unplanned extubation in a significant way with the presence of agitation (74.07%) and decreased the percentage of use of sedation (37.04%), use of physical restraints (77.78%) and lower Ramsay score value (1.33 ± .48), (P value  0.05). Successful extubation is significantly higher in the planned extubation group (75%) in comparison to the unplanned extubation group (18.52%) while extubation failure is significantly higher among the unplanned extubation group (81.48%) in comparison to (25%) in the planned extubation group, (P value  0 .05). The frequency of both ways of unplanned extubation in the studied subjects revealed that self inflicted extubation represents 48.15% while accidental extubation represents 51.85%. There is a significant increase in the duration of MV in self inflicted than in accidental extubation (6.07 ± 2.76 VS 3.35 ± 1.13 days), (P value  0.05). Most of successful extubations among the planned extubation group have a mild amount of E/T secretions (86.67%) and without use of sedation (100%) with a significant difference where extubation failure is significantly higher in moderate and large amounts of E/T secretions, (60%), (P value  0.05). Increased minute ventilation recovery time (12.6 ± 4.7) minutes, and a lower value of swallowing score (13.8 ± 2.62) carry the risk of failed extubation in a significant way, (P value <0.05). Conclusions: An increase in severity of illness on ICU admission, agitation, less use of sedation with lower Ramsay score during MV intensify the risk of unplanned extubation, which usually occurs during the night shift, even with the use of physical restraints. Unplanned extubation is associated with an increased incidence of failed extubation (especially with accidental extubation) and mortality. Factors affecting airway competence; magnitude of cough on command and abundant amount of E/T secretions are significant predictors of extubation failure in planned and unplanned extubation. Prolonged minute ventilation recovery time, failed DSA test and lower swallowing score are associated with an increased risk of failed planned extubation

ESAT-6-ELISpot and interferon γ in the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis

Background: Appropriate diagnostic methods for tuberculous pleural effusion are vital. The IFN-γ tests using specific Mycobacterium Tuberculos is antigens in samples from the site of infection may be promising in diagnosis of tuberculosis. Objective we examined the ability of ELISpot test using circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and compartmentalized pleural fluid mononuclear cells (PFMC) for diagnosis of active TB infection in patients with tuberculous pleural effusion. Methods PBMC and PFMC-based ELISpot test for IFN-γ test using specific M. tuberculosis antigen: Early Secretory Antigen Target-6 protein (ESAT-6) was used for diagnosis of active TB infection. Thirty-five patients with clinically suspected tuberculous pleural effusion were enrolled over a 12-month period. Results 11 patients out of 35 were positive by culture and PCR (31.4%). Incubation of PBMC with ESAT-6 for 8 h showed sensitivity and specificity of 82% and 92%, respectively, for the PBMC–ELISpot as compared to PFMC–ELISpot that was 54% and 96% respectively. With 24 h incubation of ESAT-6 there was around 2.5 fold increase in the median number of spot forming cells (SFCs) in PFMC from 30 to 74, whereas there was minimal increase of median number of SFCs in PBMC from 55 to 60. Conclusion ESAT-6 – ELISpot using PBMC and PFMC is useful as a tool for diagnosis of TB effusion. PFMC needs longer period of incubation for processing of ESAT-6 than PBMC. Moreover, IFN-γ in pleural effusion (PE) is another useful way for diagnosis of TB pleurisy which is sensitive, simple and cheap