Medical system based on thermal optical system and neural network

Military personnel in the training or operational phases always need constant medical examination, but the presence of efficient medical care is difficult to implement in real-time for such cases. A wireless system for thermal tracking of soldiers was proposed, as well as tracking their vital signs in real time. Thermal cameras are used with an optical system designed to increase the accuracy of the thermal images captured as the change in the electro-cardiogram, heart rate, and temperature measurements are measured using a specially designed circuit. The results from both the thermal system and the biometric system are combined and sent to a computer for analysis using a model prepared with neural network technology. The proposed system was tested, and a database was created for 127 males and 110 females during training and rest times. The neural network model achieved a response time of 85 seconds until the release of the final analysis, and the accuracy of the proposed tracking system is 96%. The main contribution of this paper is the design of an integrated portable system for rapid, in-field, real-time military medical diagnostics

Serum YKL-40 and assessment of severity of bronchial asthma in Egyptian children

Background: Serum and lung tissue levels of a chitinase-like protein YKL-40 have recently been found to be increased in patients with bronchial asthma. Furthermore, serum YKL-40 levels correlated positively with thickening of the lung sub-epithelial basement membrane, frequency of rescue inhaler use, and deterioration in pulmonary function in European asthmatic subjects. Objectives: to assess the role of YKL-40 measurement in evaluating asthma severity, compared to clinical assessment and the related pulmonary function tests. Methods: We quantified serum YKL-40 levels in two groups of Egyptian asthmatics: One group with mild to moderate asthma, and one with severe asthma. Serum YKL-40 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits (Quidel). Clinical scoring of asthma severity by Pediatric Asthma Score (PAS) and pulmonary functions were performed. Results: The serum levels of YKL-40 were significantly elevated in severely asthmatic Egyptian children compared with the other group (151ng/ml- 72ng/ml; p < 05). YKL-40 levels were correlated positively to PAS (r=0.34, p < 0.05), and inversely to FEV1 (r= -0.32, p < 0.5). Best cut off value of YKL-40 for asthma prognosis was 90 ng/ml, sensitivity 86.5%, specificity 81%, and diagnostic accuracy of 85%. Conclusions: YKL-40 is found in increased quantities in the sera of severe asthmatics, and correlated significantly to PAS and pulmonary function deterioration. YKL-40 is considered a promising biomarker for asthma severity and pulmonary remodeling warranting further study as a potential novel pathway to disease management. Keywords: YKL-40, Asthma, severity, Egyptian, Children, biomarkerEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2011;9(2):93-9

Study of Treg FOXP3 in childhood bronchial asthma in relation to corticosteroid therapy

Background: T cells are considered the main cells responsible for production of suppressive cytokines, and play a key role in balancing the immune responses to maintain the peripheral tolerance against allergens. Objective: The present study investigates T regulatory (Treg) forkheadwinged helix protein 3 FOXP3 expression in childhood asthma and its relation to corticosteroid therapy. Methods: In this case control study, Treg FOXP3 was measured in blood of 60 children using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. Two asthmatic groups were included, one on corticosteroid therapy (20 patients) and the other not on corticosteroid treatment (20 patients). They were compared to 20 healthy children as controls. Results: FOXP3 concentration was significantly elevated in asthmatic patients (90 ± 77.4) compared to healthy children (12.844 ± 10.6) (p= 0.000). FOXP3 was significantly more elevated in asthmatics on corticosteroids (161.158 ± 63.9) than steroid naive asthmatics (36.038 ± 23.4) (p=0.000). Levels of Treg FOXP3 in asthmatics with inhaled corticosteroids (mean 151.16 ± 53.79) were almost similar to FOXP3 in asthmatics with systemic corticosteroids (161.49±72.5) (p>0.05). FOXP3 levels did not differ with smoking, asthma severity or disease control and did not correlate with age, FEV1, blood lymphocytes percentage or eosinophils percentage. Conclusion: Asthmatics have increased expression of FOXP3, and corticosteroid therapy –whether oral or inhaled - enhances FOXP3 expression.Keywords: FOXP3, Treg, Corticosteroids, Bronchial asthma, Transcription factors, CytokinesEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2012;10(1):39-43

Avaliação da sorção de lindano sobre carvão ativado derivado de palha de arroz e biomassa fúngica de Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Rice straw was used for preparation of activated carbon using chemical activation by impregnation with concentrated H3 PO4 followed by pyrolysis at 500 º C for 2h. Physicochemical properties were investigated by several procedures; elemental analysis, scan electron microscope and porosity characteristics. Batch experimental mode was applied for adsorption and biosorption studies. A matrix effect analysis is applied to correlate the lindane adsorption or biosorption capacity to the agitation time, initial levels of lindane and carbon dose or biosorbent concentration. The Scanning Electron Microscope images equipped with Energy-dispersive X-ray reflect the enhancement of thermo-chemical activation by H3 PO4 in increasing the porosity of AC. Sorption behavior of Lindane by Activated Carbon (AC) and Phanerochaete chrysosporium, respectively have been studied to compare the obtained results in order to consider cost effective method for agriculture wastewater treatment. The adsorption capacity and distribution coefficients were determined for the adsorption system as a function of sorbate concentration. Under the studied concentrations, the adsorption of lindane by AC and its biosorption by Phanerochaete chrysosporium match to Langmuir as well as Freundlich isotherms. Afterword, adsorption and biosorption behavior was assessed by calculation of constants for each isothermal model. Finally, Biosorption of Lindane by Phanerochaete chrysosporium showed higher and faster removal compared with AC derived from rice straw.Utilizou-se palha de arroz para a preparação de carvão ativado por ativação química por impregnação com H3PO4 concentrado seguido de pirólise a 500 ºC por 2h. As propriedades físico-químicas foram investigadas por vários procedimentos; Análise elementar, microscopia eletrônica de varredura e características de porosidade. O modo experimental em lote foi aplicado para estudos de adsorção e biossorção. Uma análise de efeito de matriz é aplicada para correlacionar a capacidade de adsorção ou de biossorção de lindano com o tempo de agitação, os níveis iniciais de lindano e dose de carbono ou concentração de biossorvente. As imagens do microscópio eletrônico de varredura, equipadas com raios X de dispersão de energia, refletem o aumento da ativação termoquímica por H3PO4 no aumento da porosidade de AC. O comportamento de sorção do Lindano por Carvão Ativado (AC) e Phanerochaete chrysosporium, respectivamente, tem sido estudado para comparar os resultados obtidos, a fim de considerar o método de custo efetivo para o tratamento de águas residuais da agricultura. A capacidade de adsorção e os coeficientes de distribuição foram determinados para o sistema de adsorção em função da concentração de sorbato. Sob as concentrações estudadas, a adsorção de lindano por AC e sua biossorção por Phanerochaete chrysosporium combinam-se a Langmuir assim como isotermas de Freundlich. O comportamento de adsorção e biossorção foi avaliado por cálculo de constantes para cada modelo isotérmico. Finalmente, a Biossorção de Lindano por Phanerochaete chrysosporium mostrou maior e mais rápida remoção comparada com AC derivada de palha de arroz

The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Early Arrhythmias Following Pediatric Open Heart Surgery in Egyptian Children

AIM: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of early postoperative arrhythmias after cardiac operation in the pediatric population, and to analyse possible risk factors.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study included 30 postoperative patients, with age range four up to 144 months. They were selected from those admitted to the Cardiology Unit in the Pediatric department of Ain Shams University hospitals, after undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery for correction of congenital cardiac defects. All patients had preoperative sinus rhythm and normal preoperative electrolytes levels. All patients’ records about age, weight, type of surgery, intraoperative arrhythmias, cardiopulmonary bypass time, ischemic time and use of inotropic drugs were taken before they were admitted to the specialised pediatric post-surgery intensive care unit (ICU).RESULTS: Arrhythmia was documented in 15 out of 30 patients (50%). Statistically significant difference between the arrhythmic and non-arrhythmic group were recorded in relation to the age of operation (23 vs 33 months), weight (12 vs. 17 kg), ischemic time (74.5 vs. 54 min), cardiopulmonary bypass time (125.5 vs. 93.5min), inotrope use (1.6 vs. 1.16) and postoperative ICU stay (5.8 vs. 2.7 days), P<0.05.CONCLUSION: Early postoperative arrhythmias following surgery for congenital heart disease are relatively frequent in children (50%).Younger age, lower body weight, longer ischemic time and bypass time, and more inotrope use are all risk factors for postoperative arrhythmias and lead to increase the hospital stay

Fisheries and biodiversity along Mediterranean Sea: Italian and Egyptian coast overview

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Effects of Foliar Nutrition on Onion Seed Storage under Modified Atmosphere Packages

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Effects of Foliar Nutrition on Onion Seed Storage under Controlled Atmosphere

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temperature changes and marine fish species epinephelus coioides and sparus aurata role of oxidative stress biomarkers in toxicological food studies

The increase of seawater temperature as a result of global climate variation elucidates a major challenge for marine organisms survival in addition to consumers safety. Spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) and Seabream (Sparus aurata) were collected in water with different temperature variations at Suez Canal and Alexandria (Suez and Abu Qir bay) in Egypt with the aim to assess expression levels of heat shock proteins such as HSP47, HSP70 and HSP90 genes in addition to antioxidants value through enzymes activity: Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST) and Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx). Research results revealed that expression of the HSP47, HSP70a and HSP90 genes increased in marine fishes tissues collected from Suez Canal, with higher water temperature (23:28ºC), compared with those collected from Alexandria (19:24°C) whereas the content of GPx and GST decreased. Our results show alteration of the marker examined suggesting that the increase of heat shock protein genes expression levels of fish collected from Suez Canal might be exposed mainly to thermal oxidative stress response more than those collect from Alexandria. The increase of heat shock protein-related genes expression could be considered as a factor in prohibiting the heat shock transcription factor that may lead to stimulation of heat-inducible genes in addition to heat acclimation. Thus, warming of water is also likely to alter the composition and abundance of food resources, e.g. fish muscles, available to higher trophic level consumers