Advances in Treatment of Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C infection (HCV) is a major cause of chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis worldwide. Interferon-based regimen has been the sole therapy to eradicate HCV infection for decades. However, this interferon and ribavirin combination is associated with several serious adverse events and the sustained virologic response rate was suboptimal. The recent discovery of oral direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) heralded a revolution in the treatment of chronic HCV. This breakthrough in HCV resulted in high rates of HCV eradication with sustained virologic response rates ranging between 90 and 100% across different genotypes. New therapies were administered orally for 12 or 24 months and this resulted in better compliance and few adverse events. DAAs are categorized into four major groups namely: NS5B nucleotide inhibitors, NS5B nonnucleoside inhibitors, NS5A replication complex inhibitors, and NS3/4A protease inhibitors (PI). Several interferon-free regimens have been approved and adequately assessed and several new regimens with high potencies, less cross-resistance, and better safety profile are in the process of approval. Thus, the era of HCV eradication and cure has begun

Gender Awareness of Women’s Role among Male University Students

The study aimed at identifying gender awareness of women’s role among male students. The sample consisted of (200) student from the college of art at Baghdad University and Al Qadisiyah University. The sample was selected randomly and equally from the two universities. In order to achieve this aim, a questioner of 20 items was used. The results of the study refers that male Students have Gender Awareness of Women’s role in society. The results revealed no significant differences due to university, place of residence, and marital statu

Identity Crises and Religionism Attitudes

Das Scheitern der Gesellschaft, Lösungen für ihre Krisen zu finden, führt zu Krisen im Leben der Adoleszentenin einer Phase wo es für sie besonders wichtig ist, an etwas glauben zu können. Wenn einePerson erlebt, dass sie unter Ambiguität und Widersprüchen leidet und unfähig ist, ein klares Selbstbildzu bilden, kompensiert sie dies durch die Einbeziehung anderer kollektiver Identitäten, gekennzeichnetdurch gewaltsame Ideologien, die ihr Sicherheit bieten können. Innerhalb solcher ethnischer, konfessionellerund religiöser Extremgruppen finden die Jugendlichen nicht ihre Identität, sondern Interpretationenihrer Krise und ein Versprechen für eine bessere Zukunft.Es wurden Fragebögen zur intoleranten Einstellungen und Identitätskrise einer ausgewählten Gruppevon männlichen und weiblichen irakischen Jugendlichen vorgegeben. Statistische Indikatoren für eineIdentitätskrise zeigen, dass die Jugendlichen ihre Identitätskrisen als Ergebnis von zwei wichtigen Faktorensehen, nämlich den widersprüchliche Rollen und der Annahme einer negativen Identität (Anpassungan eine negative Identität).Society's failure to find solutions to crises leads to struggles in adolescents’ lives, as they need somethingto have faith in. When an individual finds he/she suffers from ambiguity, contradiction and inabilityto form a clear self-concept, he/she rushes to compensate by involving in other collective identitiescharacterized by violent ideologies that offer certainty to them. Within such ethnic, sectarian andreligious extreme groups the teenagers do not find their identities, but find interpretations to theircrises and promises for a better future. Therefore, identity is not only a personal and individual gift,but also a collective concept rooted in individual's homely, ethnic, sectarian and religious belonging.Both the intolerant attitudes questionnaire and scale identity crisis have been applied to a sample ofmale and female teenagers. Statistical indicators of adolescents' identity crisis show that the adolescents'identity crisis is the product of two important factors which are clear and evident in socializingsystem, namely the Contradictory of roles, and Adopting a negative identity (Adaptation to a negativeidentity).The research results show that there is a positive and significant relationship between identity crisisand intolerant attitudes among adolescents. This can be explained in the psychological debilitationcaused by the failure to set clear parameters for the relevant scattering self-images and the confusionof psychological and social role in adolescents

The Relationship between Trauma due to Winter Storm Alexa, PTSD, Mental Health of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip

Aim: This study investigated the relationship between trauma due to winter storm Alexa, PTSD and other mental health problems of Palestinian in Gaza Strip. Method: The sample consisted of 105 males (50%) and 105 females (50%) selected from three of the most affected areas by flooding in 2014 due to Alexa storm in Gaza Strip. Participants age range was 20-65 years, with a mean age 40.88 (SD = 9.8), with a mean age of years. Mental health status was assessed by a sociodemographic scale, the Trauma Due to Flood Scale, PTSD scale, and General Health Questionnaire (28 items). Results: Mean traumatic events experienced were 7.8. There were no statistically significant differences between males and females in reporting traumatic events. Mean post-traumatic stress disorder was 18.65, re-experiences symptoms was 6.4, avoidance symptoms was 5.7 and mean arousal symptoms was 5.73. The study showed that 34.8% reported full criteria of PTSD. There were no statistically significant differences in PTSD total scores and subscales and sex of participants. Mean GHQ-28 was 12.12, somatization mean was 3.21, anxiety was 3.31, social dysfunction was 3.34, and depression was 2.27, 91% of the participants were rated as psychiatric morbidity cases and need further investigation. Males significantly scored more in social dysfunction than females. Traumatic events were significantly correlated with PTSD and general mental health and all subscales. Conclusion and implications: This study has important implications for need of establishing and implementing psychosocial intervention programs for in the Gaza Strip not only for those victims of political violence but also for people exposed to other types of traumatic events such as natural disasters

Co-Production of Cellulase and Xylanase Enzymes By Thermophilic Bacillus subtilis 276NS

Co-production of thermostable extracellular cellulase and xylanase was investigated using bacterial soil isolate. To evaluate the effect of culture conditions on the c-oproduction of both enzymes by Bacillus subtilis 276NS (GenBank accession number JF801740), a Plackett-Burman fractional factorial design was applied. Among the tested variables, yeast extract, sucrose and incubation time were the most significant variables increased cellulase and xylanase productions. Both of xylan and CMC (Carboxymethyl Cellulose) induced the xylanse enzyme production. A near-optimum medium formulation was obtained which increased the cellulase and xylanase enzymes 5.7- and 1.08 –fold higher than the yield obtained with the basal medium, respectively. Thereafter, the response surface methodology was adopted to acquire the best process conditions among the selected variables (xylan, CMC and Yeast Extract (YE)) required for improving xylanase yield. The optimal combinations of the major medium constituents for xylanase production evaluated using non-linear optimization algorithm of EXCEL-solver, was as follows (g/L): D-sucrose, 10; xylan, 10.367, CMC, 10.535; (NH4)2SO4, 1.0; YE, 1.71; Tween-80, 0.4 and FeSO4, 0.25 mg/L, at pH 8.0, temperature 35◦C and incubation time 24h under shaking. The predicted optimum thermostable xylanase activity was 360 U/ml, which was around 4-times the activity with the basal medium