Photometric and Spectroscopic Analysis of the SX Phe Star BL Cam

In the present paper, we report the photometric and spectroscopic observations obtained by the 1.88 m telescope at the Kottamia astronomical observatory of the pulsating star BL Cam. Fourier analysis of the light curves reveals that the fundamental mode has two harmonics. The O-C method is used to establish the period changes. So far, the analysis has been very successful in mapping the pulsation amplitude of the star across the instability strip. By using the formalism of Eddington and Plakidis (1929), we found significant results and strong indications of the evolutionary period change. A total of 55 new maximum light timings are reported. New values of (1/P) dP/dt are estimated using the O-C diagram based on all newly obtained times of maximum light combined with those taken from the literature, assuming the periods are decreasing and changing smoothly. To compute the effective temperature and surface gravity of the star, we performed model atmosphere analysis on its spectra. The physical parameters of the star are calculated and compared with the evolutionary models

Chemical Investigation of Some Capparis Species Growing in Egypt and their Antioxidant Activity

Capparis cartilaginea and C. deserti growing in Egypt were investigated for their glucosiolates and rutin content. From Capparis cartilaginea four isothiocynates were isolated and identified using GC and EI/MS techniques. These compounds were butyl isothiocyanate (1), 6-methylsulphonylhexyl isothiocyanate (2), 7-methylsulphonylheptyl isothiocyanate (3) and 5-benzylsulphonyl-4-pentenyl isothiocyanate (4). In addition to compounds (1) and (2), two other compounds were isolated and identified from Capparis deserti. These compounds are 3-methylthiopropyl isothiocyanate (5) and [11-(2-butenylthio)6-undecenyl isothiocyanate] (6). Compounds (1), (2), (5) and (6) are reported in this study for the first time from Capparis deserti. The main flavonoid component in the studied species was isolated and identified as rutin by comparing the data with those reported. Also, quantitative evaluation of rutin in the two species was carried out by TLC-densitometric analysis. The antioxidant activity was done using diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method. The butanol fraction from C. cartilaginea and C. deserti showed the highest antioxidant properties

Relation between Lymphopenia and Internal Organ Involvement in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease, characterized by autoantibody production and immunocomplex formation, leading to widespread inflammatory damage involving multi-organ systems. Lymphopenia is a common laboratory involvement seen in patients with SLE and the mechanism of it is still unclear. Objectives: The aim of the current study was to investigate the relation between lymphopenia and clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Patients and Methods: It was a cross sectional study; with a total of 60 patients with SLE recruited from the Rheumatology and Rehabilitation outpatient clinic at Sohag University Hospital. Demographic data, personal history, detailed history of general health condition and chronic or current diseases were reported. All the participants were subjected to detection of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, liver function tests, renal function tests, complete blood count (CBC), renal biopsy, protein/creatinine ratio and/or 24hr protein in urine, urine analysis, ANA profile, and Complement 3 and 4. Results: Two thirds of the study population had normal lymphocytic count, and one third had lymphopenia. Lymphopenia group showed significantly more hypochromic anemia with significant lower hemoglobin level and lower MCV. The mean creatinine level was significantly higher among lymphopenic cases. Lymphopenic cases had higher proteinuria. Conclusions: It could be concluded that lymphopenia in patients with SLE may be used as indicator of renal involvement in these patients

Selection of immature bovine oocytes using Brilliant Cresyl Blue enhances nuclear maturity after vitrification

Beside cooling/warming rates and composition of vitrification solution, developmental stage of immature oocytes may also affect their vitrification outcome. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the selection effect of developmentally competent immature bovine oocytes by Brilliant Cresyl Blue (BCB) on maturity of oocytes after vitrification. Oocytes were obtained from slaughterhouse ovaries. Only oocytes with 4-5 layers of cumulus cells and homogenous cytoplasm were used. After exposure to BCB stain, immature oocytes were divided into colored (BCB+) and colorless (BCB-) cytoplasm groups. Immature oocytes were equilibrated in VS1 (7.5 Ethylene Glycol (EG)+7.5% DMSO) for 10-12 min and then exposed to VS2 (15% EG+ 15% DMSO+0.5M sucrose) for 1 min. Thereafter, oocytes were loaded on Cryotop and directly plunged into liquid nitrogen. After warming, oocytes were examined for presence of polar body and nuclear maturity. Higher number of oocytes in BCB+group extruded first polar body in comparison with other vitrified groups but not significantly (p>0.05). Compared to the BCB- oocytes, there was significantly lower percentage of degeneration for BCB+oocytes (p<0.05). Within vitrified groups, reaching to the MII stage was significantly higher in BCB+group (51.5%) compared with BCB and vitrified-control groups (27.9 and 40.3%, respectively). These results indicated that selection of potent immature bovine oocytes using brilliant cresyl blue improved the nuclear maturity of immature oocytes after vitrification. In addition, this selection can be a valuable tool to improve the vitrification outcome

Spirulina Supplementation with High-Intensity Interval Training Decreases Adipokines Levels and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Men with Obesity

Adiposity, a state characterized by excessive accumulation of body fat, is closely linked to metabolic complications and the secretion of specific adipokines. This study explores the potential of exercise and Spirulina supplementation to mitigate these complications and modulate adipokine release associated with obesity. The primary objective of this investigation was to examine the impact of a 12-week regimen of high-intensity training combined with Spirulina supplementation on adipokine concentrations and lipid profiles in male individuals with obesity (N = 44). The participants were randomly distributed into four groups, each consisting of 11 participants: a control group (CG), a supplement group (SG), a training group (TG), and a training plus supplement group (TSG). The intervention comprised a 12-week treatment involving Spirulina supplementation (6 g capsule daily), a 12-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocol with three sessions per week, or a combined approach. Following the interventions, metabolic parameters, anthropometric measurements, cardiorespiratory indices, and circulating adipokines [CRP, Sema3C, TNF-α, IL-6, MCP1, IL-8] were assessed within 48 h of the before and final training session. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences across all measures among the groups (p < 0.05). Notably, post hoc analyses indicated substantial disparities between the CG and the three interventional groups regarding body weight (p < 0.05). The combined training and supplementation approach led to noteworthy reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TGL) levels (all p < 0.0001), coupled with an elevation in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (p = 0.0001). Furthermore, adipokine levels significantly declined in the three intervention groups relative to the CG (p < 0.05). The findings from this 12-week study demonstrate that Spirulina supplementation in conjunction with high-intensity interval training reduced adipokine levels, improved body weight and BMI, and enhanced lipid profiles. This investigation underscores the potential of Spirulina supplementation and high-intensity interval training as a synergistic strategy to ameliorate obesity-related complications and enhance overall cardiometabolic well-being in obese males

Hydro power and turbine systems reviews

Hydropower energy is one of the most suitable and efficient source of renewable energy which depends on more than century of experience for this issue. The power capacity and facility are two criteria required for the classification of hydropower plant. The first one consists of five technologies: dammed reservoir, run of river, pumped storage, in stream technology and new technology gravitational vortex. The other one is classified according to power scale is Large, Small, Mini, Micro and Pico Hydropower. Nowadays most of rural areas in developed and developing countries use the hydropower plant for producing electricity, it is cheap and effective. This paper gives a review of hydropower technologies and turbines; it is focusing on the categories and performance of hydro power systems and the most suitable turbines which can be used

Universal Extra Dimensions and Kaluza Klein Bound States

We study the bound states of the Kaluza-Klein (KK) excitations of quarks in certain models of Universal Extra Dimensions. Such bound states may be detected at future lepton colliders in the cross section for the pair production of KK-quarks near threshold. For typical values of model parameters, we find that "KK-quarkonia" have widths in the 10 - 100 MeV range, and production cross sections of order a few picobarns for the lightest resonances. Two body decays of the constituent KK-quarks lead to distinctive experimental signatures. We point out that such KK resonances may be discovered before any of the higher KK modes.Comment: 21 pages LaTeX, 9 eps figure

National mapping of schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis and anaemia in Yemen: Towards better national control and elimination

Background Schistosomiasis (SCH) and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) are known to be endemic in Yemen. However, the distribution of both diseases had not previously been assessed by a well-structured national mapping study covering all governorates. The main aim of this study was, therefore, to map the prevalence of SCH and STH in Yemen in order to better inform implementation of effective national control and elimination interventions. The assessment of the distribution of anaemia was also included as a well-known consequence of infection with both SCH and STH. Secondarily, the study aimed to provide a broad indication of the impact of large-scale treatment on the distribution of infection. Methodology and principal findings To achive these aims, 80,432 children (10–14 years old) from 2,664 schools in 332 of Yemen’s 333 districts were included, in 2014, into this national cross-sectional survey. Countrywide, 63.3% (210/332) and 75.6% (251/332) of districts were found to be endemic for SCH and STH respectively. More districts were affected by intestinal than urogenital SCH (54.2% and 31.6% respectively). SCH infection was mostly mild and moderate, with no districts reporting high infection. One quarter (24.4%) of Yemeni districts had high or moderate levels of Ascaris lumbricoides infection. Infection with Trichuris trichiura was the second most common STH (44.9% of districts infected) after A. lumbricoides (68.1%). Hookworm was the least prevalent STH (9.0%). Anaemia was prevalent in 96.4% of districts; it represented a severe public health problem (prevalence ≥ 40%) in 26.5% of districts, and a mild to moderate problem in two thirds of the districts (33.7% and 36.1% respectively). Conclusion This study provided the first comprehensive mapping of SCH, STH, and anaemia across the country. This formed the basis for evaluating and continuing the national control and elimination programme for these neglected tropical diseases in Yemen

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background: There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods: Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results: Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion: For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially