Pulmonary function tests in Egyptian schoolchildren in rural and urban areas

Background: Previous studies have shown a negative association between urban environments and pulmonary function. Objectives: This longitudinal study examined the effect of an urban environment on pulmonary function tests of children by comparing children from an urban and a rural area in Egypt. The effect of other factors on pulmonary function, including obesity, breastfeeding and parental atopy, was also examined. Methods: Children aged 7−12 years from rural Shibin El-Kom and urban Cairo were enrolled in the study. Forced expiratory volume in the frst second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory rate and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) were measured 5 times over a period of 2 years, at 6-monthly intervals. Factorial repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate the differences in the rate of change in FEV1 predicted%, FVC predicted% and PEFR between the children in Cairo and Shibin El-Kom. Generalized linear mixed models were used to analyse factors associated with pulmonary function test results. Results: Generalized linear regression showed that living in Cairo decreased log(FVC), log(FEV1) and log(PEFR). Significant differences were found in the changes occurring between the 2 locations in the last 3 visits; children in Cairo showed a smaller increase in pulmonary function. Conclusions: Differences in pulmonary function in the 2 locations increased significantly with time, indicating a negative effect on lung function of living in urban Cairo. The findings could be used to help in the development of policies in Egypt and other developing countries to improve respiratory health, including promoting breastfeeding and reducing outdoor air pollution

Validation of the comprehensive feeding practice questionnaire among school aged children in Jordan: A factor analysis study

BACKGROUND: Obesity has become a significant worldwide contributor to morbidity with an alarming increase in the incidence of childhood obesity. Few studies have evaluated parental feeding practices and their impact on child obesity in the Middle East. The Comprehensive Feeding Practice questionnaire (CFPQ; Musher-Eizenman & Holub, 2007) has been validated in different age groups and in different countries, however no previous studies have validated the questionnaire in the Middle East. METHOD: In this study, 970 children aged 6–12 completed the Arabic translated version of the CFPQ. The height and weight of the children were also measured. Confirmatory factor and exploratory factor analysis were used to evaluate different factor models. An ordinal logistic regression was conducted to evaluate the association between maternal feeding practices and child weight status. RESULTS: Confirmatory analysis of the CFPQ determined that the original 12 factor structure of the questionnaire was not suitable for this sample. The analysis suggested that the most suitable structure was an 11 factors model (CMIN/DF = 2.18, GFI = 0.92, CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.92 and RMSEA = 0.03) that included Modelling, Monitoring, Child control, Food as a reward, Emotional regulation, Involvement, Restriction for health, Restriction for weight control, Environment, Teach and encourage and Pressure. Of the children tested, 12.6% were obese and 25.1% were overweight. The ordinal regression showed Restriction to health and weight, Emotional regulation and maternal BMI were negatively associated with healthy weight status, while Modelling, Monitoring, Child Control, Environment, Involvement, and Teach and encourage were positively associated with healthy weight status. CONCLUSION: The Arabic translated version of the CFPQ was validated among the study sample, and the best fit for the model was found to utilize 11 factors. This study indicated that child weight status was associated with maternal feeding practices. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12966-017-0478-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Penilaian Guru Sekolah Rendah Terhadap Peranan Guru Besar Sekolah Sebagai Pemimpin Teknologi Maklumat Dan Komunikasi (ICT)(Teachers Perception Towards Head Teachers’ Role As An ICT Leader In Primary Schools)

Kajian ini dijalankan bertujuan untuk mengetahui tentang peranan guru besar sebagai pemimpin ICT di sekolah rendah. Sampel kajian adalah seramai 238 orang guru yang mengajar di sekolah rendah dan soal selidik telah digunakan sebagai instrumen utama kajian. Analisis statistik deskriptif telah digunakan untuk mengenalpasti peranan guru besar dalam menyediakan infrastruktur ICT yang lengkap di sekolah; peranan guru besar dalam menggalakkan guru-guru menggunakan ICT di sekolah; peranan guru besar dalam mengimplementasikan penggunaan ICT dalam kalangan guru berdasarkan aspek pengurusan sekolah; peranan guru besar dalam mengimplementasikan penggunaan ICT dalam kalangan guru berdasarkan aspek pengajaran dan pembelajaran di sekolah. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa peranan guru besar dalam pelaksanaan ICT di sekolah rendah adalah pada tahap yang sederhana iaitu nilai skor min 3.59. Hasil kajian juga menunjukkan bahawa terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan berdasarkan aspek jantina, umur, dan pengalaman mengajar guru dalam penilaian peranan guru besar sebagai pemimpin ICT di sekolah. Bagaimanapun, tidak terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan berdasarkan aspek kelulusan akademik guru dalam penilaian peranan guru besar melaksanakan ICT di sekolah. Sebagai penutup bicara, penyelidik mengemukakan beberapa cadangan untuk mempelbagaikan lagi peranan guru besar sebagai pemimpin dan pemangkin ICT di sekolah

Photografted methacrylate-based monolithic columns coated with cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) for chiral separation in CEC

A chiral capillary monolithic column for enantiomer separation in capillary electrochromatography was prepared by coating cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) on porous glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate monolith in capillary format grafted with chains of [2(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride. The surface modification of the monolith by the photografting of [2(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride monomer as well as the coating conditions of cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) onto the grafted monolithic scaffold were optimized to obtain a stable and reproducible chiral stationary phase for capillary electrochromatography. The effect of organic modifier (acetonitrile) in aqueous mobile phase for the enantiomer separation by capillary electrochromatography was also investigated. Several pairs of enantiomers including acidic, neutral, and basic analytes were tested and most of them were partially or completely resolved under aqueous mobile phases. The prepared monolithic chiral stationary phases exhibited a good stability, repeatability, and column-to-column reproducibility, with relative standard deviations below 11% in the studied electrochromatographic parameters.Fil: Echevarria, Romina Noel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas; ArgentinaFil: Carrasco Correa, Enrique Javier. Universidad de Valencia; EspañaFil: Keunchkarian, Sonia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas; ArgentinaFil: Reta, Mario Roberto. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Herrero Martinez, José Manuel. Universidad de Valencia; Españ

Stem cells differentiation and probing their therapeutic applications in hematological disorders: a critical review

Numerous lines of evidence support that bone marrow is a rich source of stem cells that can be used for research purposes and to treat some complex blood diseases and cancers. Stem cells are a potential source for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement after injury or disease, and mother cells that possess the capacity to become any type of cell in the body. They are cells without specific structure and characterized by their ability to self-renew or multiply while maintaining the potential to develop into other types of cells. Stem cells can normally become cells of the blood, heart, bones, skin, muscles or brain. Although, there are different sources of stem cells, all types of stem cells have the same capacity to develop into multiple types of cells. Stem cells are generally described as unspecialized cells with unlimited proliferation capacity that can divide (through mitosis) to produce more stem cells. Several types of adult stem cells have been characterized and can be cultured in vitro, including neural stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, cardiac stem cells and epithelial stem cells. They are valuable as research tools and might, in the future, be used to treat a wide range of diseases such as hematological hereditary diseases, Parkinson's disease, diabetes mellitus, heart disease and many other diseases. Currently, two types of stem cells have been identified based on their origins, namely embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Collectively, although many kinds of literature have been studying stem cell application in terms of clinical practice, stem cell-based therapy is still in its infancy stage