Drug related critical incidents

Drug related incidents are a common form of reported medical errors. This paper reviews the critical incidents related to drug errors reported from the main operating theatre suite in a teaching hospital in a developing country from January 1997 to December 2002. Each report was evaluated individually by two reviewers using a structured process. During this period, 44 874 anaesthetics were administered; 768 critical incidents were reported, 165 (21%) of which were related to drug errors. Underdosage, side-effect/drug reaction and syringe swap were the most common. A total of 76% were classified as preventable; 56% due to human error and 19% due to system error. High risk incidents accounted for 10% of all drug errors and most of these were related to the use of neuromuscular blocking drugs. This analysis has been found useful in addressing some issues about priorities

Ecopolis Strategy in the Sustainable Urban Regeneration of Historic City Centers

تمثل مراكز المدن التاريخية الجزء الأقدم من المدينة والتي تعكس أهميتها وتاريخها من خلال الهوية الثقافية الملموسة ذات الملامح الثابتة. تعرضت تلك المراكز إلى الكثير من العوامل التي أثرت على بنيتها ولاسيما البنية الفيزياوية، الأمر الذي تطلب ظهور سياسة لإحياء تلك المناطق الحيوية من المدينة بإسلوب مستدام. إهتمت سياسة الإحياء الحضري المستدام بالأبعاد المتعددة للبيئة الحضرية في المركز التاريخي والمتمثلة بـ (البعد البيئي-الفيزياوي والبعد الإقتصادي، والبعد الإجتماعي والبعد الثقافي والبعد الحوكمي-المؤسساتي)، مع التركيز على البعد البيئي- الفيزياوي وعده البعد الأهم في إحياء المراكز التاريخية. إهتمت العديد من إستراتيجيات الاستدامة الحضرية  بإحياء المركز التاريخي تحت مظلة الإحياء الحضري المستدام غير إنها لم تركز على البينة الفيزياوية كأساس لإحياء بنية المركز التاريخي ككل. في تسعينيات القرن المنصرم ظهرت إستراتيجية الايكوبولس والتي عنت بالبعد البيئي-الفيزياوي للبنية الحضرية والتي يمكن إعتمادها في المركز التاريخي لزيادة الجذب المكاني وبالتالي تحسين نوعية الحياة في مراكز المدن التاريخية. يهدف البحث إلى إستخلاص آليات ومؤشرات إستراتيجية الإيكوبولس في البعد البيئي-الفيزياوي من خلال العناصر الثلاث والمتمثلة بـ: الشكل الحضري والفعالية الحضرية والعناصر المتدفقة أو المنتشرة في بنية  المركز التاريخي، والتي تعمل  على خلق بيئة جاذبة مكانياً تحقق رفاهية الساكنين ومن ثم تطبيق المؤشرات في بيئة منتخبة (مركز الكرخ التاريخي).Historical city centers represent the oldest part of the city that reflect its importance and history through a concrete cultural identity with fixed features. These centers maintain their authenticity by maintaining their continuity. However, historical city centers have been exposed to many factors that have affected their structure, especially the physical structure, which required the emergence of a policy to regenerate these vital areas of the city in a sustainable manner. The Sustainable Urban Regeneration Policy has focused on the multiple dimensions of the urban environment of the historical center represented by - the physical dimension, the economic dimension, the social dimension, the cultural dimension and the institutional dimension-, focusing on the physical dimension considering it the most important in the regeneration of historical city centers. Many urban sustainability strategies have focused on regenerating the historical center under the umbrella of sustainable urban regeneration. However, they have not focused on physical aspect as a basis for regenerating the structure of the historical center as a whole. In the 1990s, the Ecopolis strategy has emerged, concentrating on the environmental -physical dimension of the urban structure, that promotes the spatial attraction, thereby improving the quality of life in historic city centers. The objective of the research is to extract the mechanisms and indicators of the Ecopolis strategy in the environmental-physical dimension through three aspects; the urban form, urban efficiency and the flow of elements in the historical center structure, which create a spatial environment that achieves the well-being of the inhabitants. As well as the application of the indicators on an elected environment (Al-Karkh Historical Center)

Effect of selenium on nutritive value of purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.)

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) one of the auxiliary plants was traditionally consumed in many parts of the world for its nutritional and medicinal benefits. The nutrient components of purslane such as total protein, total carbohydrates and mineral content such as macro elements (Na, K, Ca and Mg) and micro elements (Fe, Cu, Pb and Zn) were estimated at different concentrations of selenium which treated in soil where the plant cultivated. The protein and carbohydrate contents of leaves as well as protein of stems increase with increasing the selenium concentration, while protein and carbohydrate of roots as well as carbohydrate of stems decrease with increasing Se concentration. The mineral content was also affected by Se concentration, Fe, Cu and Zn of leaves decreased with increasing Se concentration, while K, Ca, Mg and Na are directly proportional with Se concentration. In stems, Zn only is inversely proportional with Se concentration. In roots, Fe, Cu, Mg and K are inversely proportional with Se concentration, while Na, Ca and Zn are directly proportional. The findings of this study revealed that carbohydrates, protein and mineral contents of purslane can be affected and controlled by selenium concentration. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.128341

BERRY EXTRACTS IMPROVED INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, ANTIOXIDANT ENZYME AND SUPPRESSED THE GENE EXPRESSION ALTERATIONS IN DIABETIC RATS

Objective: The present work was conducted to evaluate the ameliorative effect of red berry (Morus rubra) and white berry (Morus alba) extracts in diabetic rats.Methods: Inflammatory biomarkers; tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), paraoxanase1 (PON1), gene expression of apoptosis and inflammatory related genes were carried out.Results: Treatment of male rats with streptozotocin (STZ) to induce diabetes increased the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, TGF-β, the apoptosis rates and the alterations of the pro-apoptosis (eotaxin, caspase-1, and caspase-2) and inflammation; nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB1) and allograft inflammatory factor 1 (AIF-1) related genes. While marked reduction in PON1 level was detected in STZ-induced diabetic rats. However, treatment of STZ-exposed rats with red and white berry extracts exhibited noticeable ameliorations in TNF-α, IL-1β, TGF-β levels and PON1 activity as well as low apoptosis rates and decreased the alteration of the pro-apoptosis and inflammatory related genes.Conclusion: Red and white berry extracts exhibited attenuation in antioxidant status, suppressed inflammatory cytokines, apoptosis and the alterations in the apoptosis and inflammatory related genes induced by STZ in male rats

Antiphospholipid antibodies in children and adolescents with epilepsy

Background: Some immunologic mechanisms of epilepsy are cited in literature. The possibility that epilepsy might be associated with the production of autoantibodies has not been sufficiently addressed. Objective: This study investigates the prevalence of some antiphospholipid antibodies in pediatric primary epilepsy in relation to the type of seizures, the duration of the disease and the antiepileptic drugs received. Methods: The study included 37 patients in the pediatric age groups with epilepsy (30 with idiopathic epilepsy and 7 with cryptogenic epilepsy); 10 of them were newly diagnosed in comparison to ten healthy children. The patients were subjected to clinical, laboratory and radiologic evaluation to verify the diagnosis and to exclude thrombotic or autoimmune collagen disorders. Anticardiolipin IgG and IgM and anti-β2-glycoprotein I IgG and IgM antibodies were measured in all subjects using the ELISA technique. Results: Forty percent of the patients were positive for at least one of the antiphospholipid antibodies and 16% displayed more than one antibody in their serum. The mean values of anti CL IgG and anti β2GP I IgM were significantly higher in the patients (mean 11.32 ± 6.3 GPL and 4.43 ± 2.8 U/ml, respectively) as compared to the control group (mean 5.25 ± 1.9 and 1.6 ± 0.6, respectively) (P < 0.001). The concentrations of the tested antibodies were comparable among patients with focal compared to those with generalized seizure, or in patients with idiopathic compared to cryptogenic epilepsy. Patients with newly diagnosed untreated epileptic seizures showed a substantial prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies. They even demonstrated significantly higher mean values of aβ2GP I IgG (10.7 ± 11 GPL) and aβ2GP I IgM (5.8 ± 3.0 U/ml) when compared to the rest of the patients (mean 5.9 ± 3.5 and 3.9 ± 2.6 respectively).There seem to be no effect of the different antiepileptic drugs or the degree of seizure control on the development of antiphospholipid antibodies. Conclusions: The antiphospholipid antibodies seem to be present at a higher rate in pediatric patients with epilepsy. The increased prevalence of those autoantibodies is associated with epilepsy regardless of the type of seizures, the antiepileptic drugs used or the degree of seizure control, suggesting that immune dysregulation may be linked to the pathogenesis of primary epilepsy.Keywords: anti β2 glycoprotein ; anticardiolipin; antiphospholipid; epilepsy; immune systemEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2004; 2(1): 58-6

ANTINEURODEGENERATIVE ACTIVITY OF MICROALGAE DUNALIELLA SALINA IN RATS WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Objective: The present study is aimed to investigate the promising action of Dunaliella salina extract as a natural protector against Alzheimer's disease (AD) and reported to possess a variety of activities, including antioxidant effects due to its ability to create large amount of carotenoids.Methods: D. salina is a type of halophile green microalgae was used in the present study. 50 male rats were used in this study, where aluminum chloride was orally administered to induce AD in a dose of 100 mg/kg, daily for 6 weeks. Al-intoxicated rats treated orally daily with D. salina ethanolic extract for 6 weeks in a dose of 150 mg/kg b.wt., whereas standard anti-Alzheimer drug donepezil tartrate was administered at the dose of 10 mg/kg b.wt./day for 6 consecutive weeks. The anti-Alzheimer properties of D. salina extract were achieved through measuring the calmodulin (CaM) level, paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity, the antiapoptotic marker (Bcl2), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the generation of the DNA adducts (8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine [8-OHdG]/2-deoxy guanosine [2-dG]), and alteration in the expression of amyloid precursor protein, β-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), and β-site APP-cleaving enzyme 2 (BACE2) in AD rats.Results: The current results demonstrated that supplementation of AD rats with D. salina extract-enhanced CaM level, and increased PON1 activity, upregulated Bcl2 and BDNF, decreased the levels of DNA adducts (8-OHdG/2-dG), and suppressed the alterations of the expression levels of APP, BACE1, and BACE2-m RNAs as compared with those in AD rats.Conclusion: It could be concluded that the biological activity of D. salina extract might be regulated by 9-cis b-carotene protecting the brain cells from the oxidative stress in AD rats.Keywords: Dunaliella salina, Calmodulin, Paraoxonase 1, Bcl2, Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, Alzheimer's disease, DNA adduct, Amyloid precursor protein

Analysis of Near-Field Probing Techniques for Immunity Tests

This work experimentally investigates the performance of near-field probes as injection devices for wideband immunity tests. To this end, the coupling effectiveness and resolution of different kinds of magnetic and electric near-field probes are firstly investigated in terms of S-parameters measured with the probes placed on microstrip traces. Different test benches are set up and experimentally characterized in order to investigate the characteristics and determine the frequency response of the transfer function of a typical measurement chain for immunity verification. Finally, time-domain near-field tests employing arbitrary waveform generators are introduced, showing the feasibility of injecting customized wideband noise waveforms at specific pins