Effect of Moderate-Intensity Exercise on Plasma C-Reactive Protein and Aortic Endothelial Function in Type 2 Diabetic Mice

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of moderate-intensity exercise on plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) as markers of low-grade inflammation and endothelial function in diabetic (db/db) mice. Control and db/db mice were divided into sedentary and exercised groups. Aortic endothelial function was evaluated after two- and six-week exercises using a wire myograph. Plasma CRP levels were measured at baseline, and after two and six weeks of exercise. Baseline plasma CRP levels were significantly higher in db/db mice compared to control (P < .05). After two weeks of exercise, aortic endothelial function was significantly improved without affecting body weight or plasma CRP levels. Six weeks of exercise not only improved endothelial function, but also significantly reduced body weight and plasma CRP levels in db/db mice. Thus short-term exercise has beneficial effect on endothelial function without reducing low-grade inflammation while more prolonged exercise periods are required to reduce inflammatory markers

Education: A Step into the Future

Programs and initiatives funded by the government have demonstrated an inability to deal with the growing demand for education. Due to a sheer lack of financial resources, primary schools have fallen back both on supplying basic necessities, such as books and stationary, and on delivering a quality of education on par with other countries in the region. Despite its shortcomings, the government remains the single largest financial contributor to primary school education in Egypt. The contribution of the private sector to the funding of the education system has, over the past five years, stagnated to a meager 6.9% of total expenditure. The benefits of involving non-governmental institutions, such as charitable funds and international monetary agencies, as well as the corporate world, into the funding of education, has not been adequately explored by the government

Bioactivities and potential beneficial properties of propolis ethanolic extract, caffeic acid phenethyl ester, and Arabic coffee beans extract

In recent years, the biological activities of natural products have received much attention because of the increasing interest in human health (Bernardini et al., 2018; Er, 2021; Gyawali and Ibrahim, 2014; Kokoska et al., 2019; Okińczyc et al., 2020). One of the most important natural products that are commonly used for their antimicrobial properties is propolis. It is produced by honeybees from resins and plant exudates. Plants protect themselves from pathogenic microbes primarily by producing secondary metabolites termed phytochemicals, many of which have been isolated and used in medicine for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties (Berretta et al., 2020). Phytochemical compounds that are promising as antimicrobial agents in humans include all components of propolis (Tiku, 2018). These antimicrobial properties can be recognized by honeybees, which selectively collect these plant products and process them to make propolis (Berretta et al., 2020)

Rural Fishermen Benefit From the Activities of Cooperative Societies in Aswan Governorate, Egypt

The research aimed to identify the degree of benefit and satisfaction of rural fishermen with the activities and services provided by cooperative societies for rural fishermen in Aswan Governorate. The research carried out on a random sample of rural fishermen which consisting of 302 respondents. Data were collected by personal interview questionnaire. Percentages, frequency distribution, graph and weighted average were used to show and describe the research data. Excel was used to prepare the graphs. Spearman’s correlation coefficient for ranks was used to determine the relationship between the search variables by SPSS. Results were showed that: The most beneficial activities were: lending to fishermen and their families, establishing and managing fish farms, establishing centers for collecting fish, which are arranged in descending order with a weighted average respectively (2.85, 2.82, 2.71). The degree of satisfaction of the respondents was high with one of the services provided by cooperative societies were: issuing official papers, with a weighted average of 2.69. The degree of benefit of the respondents was positively related to years of work in fishing, age, and the number of years of education. The degree of respondents' satisfaction was positively correlated with age, years of education, level of ambition, years of work in fishing at the significant level 0.01, 0.05. The most important suggestions for activating the role of fishermen's cooperative societies were: the necessity of insuring fishermen and their boats (99.7%), providing protection for fishermen's families (99.3%), and helping to solve problems (98%)

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

Assessing disparities in medical students’ knowledge and attitude about monkeypox: a cross-sectional study of 27 countries across three continents

Background and aimsThe recent monkeypox (Mpox) outbreak confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO) underscores the importance of evaluating the knowledge and attitude of medical students toward emerging diseases, given their potential roles as healthcare professionals and sources of public information during outbreaks. This study aimed to assess medical students’ knowledge and attitude about Mpox and to identify factors affecting their level of knowledge and attitude in low-income and high-income countries.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on 11,919 medical students from 27 countries. A newly-developed validated questionnaire was used to collect data on knowledge (14 items), attitude (12 items), and baseline criteria. The relationship between a range of factors with knowledge and attitude was studied using univariate and multivariate analyses.Results46% of the study participants were males; 10.7% were in their sixth year; 54.6% knew about smallpox; 84% received the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine; and 12.5% had training on Mpox. 55.3% had good knowledge of Mpox and 51.7% had a positive attitude towards it. Medical students in their third, fifth, or sixth year high- income countries who obtained information on Mpox from friends, research articles, social media and scientific websites were positive predictors for good knowledge. Conversely, being male or coming from high-income countries showed a negative relation with good knowledge about Mpox. Additionally, a positive attitude was directly influenced by residing in urban areas, being in the fifth year of medical education, having knowledge about smallpox and a history of receiving the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. Receiving information about Mpox from social media or scientific websites and possessing good knowledge about Mpox were also predictors of a positive attitude. On the other hand, being male, employed, or receiving a training program about Mpox were inversely predicting positive attitude about Mpox.ConclusionThere were differences in knowledge and attitude towards Mpox between medical students in low and high-income countries, emphasizing the need for incorporating epidemiology of re-emerging diseases like Mpox into the medical curriculum to improve disease prevention and control