Effect of Self-Care Guideline on Quality of Life among Pregnant Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Context: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a complex chronic autoimmune condition representing a source of disability. It can create a burden of the low Quality of life in pregnant women and cause deleterious effects on maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes. Aim: The study aimed at evaluating the effect of self-care guidelines on the Quality of life among pregnant women with SLE.Methods: A quasi-experimental study design (time series, one group only, and pre-post intervention assessments) was used. Purposive sampling was used to recruit fifty pregnant women diagnosed with SLE. The study was conducted at three sites: Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic at Ain Shams University Hospital, Rheumatology Antenatal Outpatient Clinic, and Labor Unit at Ain Shams Maternity Hospital. Seven data collection tools were utilized in this study, and Arabic self-care guidelines were distributed as supporting educational material for pregnant women with SLE. Results: Findings of the present study showed a highly significant improvement in SLE activity index, follow-up lab investigations, Quality of life, and health assessment by evaluating daily living activities after using self-care guidelines.Conclusion: The current study results supported the research hypothesis that pregnant women with SLE exposed to self-care guidelines will have a better quality of life than their pre-intervention level, which reflected upon improving pregnancy outcomes. Based on the study results, the following recommendations are forwarded; application of the study intervention with the distribution of the clear Arabic self-care guidelines on a large scale in other sittings caring for pregnant women with SLE

Influence of Quasiperiodic Gravitational Modulation on Convective Instability of Liquid-Liquid Polymerization Front

The influence of quasiperiodic gravitational modulation on convective instability of polymerization front with liquid monomer and liquid polymer is studied. The model includes the heat equation, the concentration equation, and the Navier-Stokes equations under the Boussinesq approximation. The linear stability analysis of the problem is carried out and the interface problem is derived. Using numerical simulations, the convective instability threshold is determined and the boundary of the convective instability is obtained for different amplitudes and frequencies ratio

Activité antibactérienne de l'huile essentielle d'origan et du carvacrol sur des souches d'Escherichia coli d'origine aviaire

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics and the search for new alternatives to antibiotics are of great importance in human and animal health. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial pharmacodynamic properties of the essential oil of oregano as well as those of its major component, carvacrol, on strains of avian Escherichia coli resistant to antibiotics of current use in poultry (Colistin and Enrofloxacin). These properties were evaluated using standard agar diffusion and macro-dilution techniques for determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). The results obtained showed a potent activity of the two tested products in comparison with the two antibiotics used in this study, giving the largest inhibition diameters which ranged respectively from 8 to 40 mm and from 14 to 30 mm for oregano essential oil (HE) and carvacrol. This was confirmed by the determination of the MIC which was 0.0031 % for oregano HE and 0.0625 % for its active ingredient. These results lead us to conclude that the use of oregano oil could be a good alternative to the evolving bacterial resistance. However, it would be interesting to confirm these results on living organisms in order to evaluate in vivo effectiveness of oregano essential oil and its active ingredients. Keywords: Essential oil of oregano, carvacrol, Escherichia coli, antibio-resistance, antibacterial activity, MIC, poultry.La résistance bactérienne aux antibiotiques et la recherche de nouvelles alternatives à ces derniers revêtent une grande importance en santé humaine et animale. L’objectif principal de cette étude a été d’évaluer les propriétés anti-bactériennes de l’huile essentielle de l’origan, ainsi que celle de son composant majoritaire le carvacrol, sur des souches d’Escherichia coli d’origine aviaire résistantes aux antibiotiques d’utilisation courante en aviculture (Colistin et Enrofloxacin). Ces propriétés ont été évaluées en utilisant des techniques usuelles de diffusion sur gélose et de macro-dilution pour la détermination de la concentration minimale inhibitrice. Les résultats obtenus ont permis de mettre en évidence une puissante activité anti-bactérienne des deux produits testés en comparaison avec les deux antibiotiques utilisés dans cette étude, en donnant les plus grands diamètres d’inhibition qui ont respectivement varié de 8 à 40 mm et de 14 à 30 mm quand pour l’huile essentielle (HE) d’origan et du carvacrol. Ceci a été confirmé par la détermination de la Concentration Minimale Inhibitrice (CMI) qui a été de 0,0031 % pour l’HE d’origan et de 0,0625 % pour son principe actif, le carvacrol. Ces résultats permettent de conclure que l’utilisation de l’huile d’origan ou de son constituant majoritaire le carvacrol, pourrait être une alternative efficace pour pallier aux résistances bactériennes sans cesse en évolution. Cependant, il serait intéressant de concrétiser ces résultats sur le vivant afin d’évaluer l’efficacité in-vivo de cette huile et de ses principes actifs. Mots-clés: Huile essentielle d’origan, carvacrol, Escherichia coli, antibio-résistance, activité anti-bactérienne, CMI, poulet

Toxoplasmosis in Pregnancy: Diagnosis, Risk Factors, and Management

Toxoplasma gondiiis an opportunistic parasitic protozoan infection. Toxoplasmosis is the most common food-borne infection throughout the world. In pregnancy, fetal complications range from abortion, physically-disabled children to fetal demise. This review examined risk factors diagnosis and treatment of Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy pregnant.Pregnant women contract the infection through contaminated food, unpasteurized milk and proximity with infected animals most commonly cats. Recent evident have demonstrated the benefit of screening and treatment for toxoplasmosis duringperiod of pregnancyby decreasing vertical transmission of the Toxoplasma gondiiparasite to the growing fetus. There are several ways for pregnant women to protect themselves from contracting the disease during pregnancy. In this review, we discussed diagnosis, prevention, and management of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy

Antibacterial activity of essential oil of oregano and carvacrol on avian Escherichia Coli strains

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics and the search for new alternatives to antibiotics are of great importance in human and animal health. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial pharmacodynamic properties of the essential oil of oregano as well as those of its major component, carvacrol, on strains of avian Escherichia coli resistant to antibiotics of current use in poultry (Colistin and Enrofloxacin). These properties were evaluated using standard agar diffusion and macro-dilution techniques for determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). The results obtained showed a potent activity of the two tested products in comparison with the two antibiotics used in this study, giving the largest inhibition diameters which ranged respectively from 8 to 40 mm and from 14 to 30 mm for oregano essential oil (HE) and carvacrol. This was confirmed by the determination of the MIC which was 0.0031 % for oregano HE and 0.0625 % for its active ingredient. These results lead us to conclude that the use of oregano oil could be a good alternative to the evolving bacterial resistance. However, it would be interesting to confirm these results on living organisms in order to evaluate in vivo effectiveness of oregano essential oil and its active ingredients

The economic and health impact of mycotoxins between now and tomorrow

Par la production des Mycotoxines, les champignons toxinogènes constituent un grand danger pour la santé animal et la santé humain. Ces mycotoxines sont des contaminants naturels des aliments pour animaux. Ils ont un impact significatif sur la santé et la production animal. L’exposition aigue ou chronique de l’animal à ces substances toxiques engendre de très grandes pertes économiques. Plusieurs études récentes ont établi un lien entre l’exposition à divers mycotoxines et des effets néfastes sur la santé animale ainsi que de réelles pertes économiques. La première catégorie est relative au rejet des aliments ou matières première contaminé avec des niveaux élevés en mycotoxines. La deuxième catégorie concerne les effets néfastes sur la santé des animaux avec de faibles performances et un manque à gagner pour l’éleveur.  Notre travail consiste en une synthèse bibliographique avec un aperçu sur les principales mycotoxines (Aflatoxines, Trichotecenes, Zeralenone, Fumonisine et l’ochratoxines) et leurs effets sur la santé animale ainsi que sur la règlementation nationale et internationale relative à ces mycotoxines. Mots clés: Mycotoxine, Aflatoxines, Trichotecenes, Zéaralenone , Fumonisine, Ochratoxine santé animaleMycotoxins are secondary toxic metabolites produced by fungi. These mycotoxins are natural contaminants in animal feed. They have a significant impact on animal health and production. Acute or chronic exposure of animals to these toxic substances results in very great economic loss. Several recent studies have linked exposure to various mycotoxins to adverse effects on animal health as well as real economic losses. The first category relate to the rejection of food or raw materials contaminated with high levels of mycotoxins. The second category concerns the harmful effects on the health of animals with poor performance. Our work consists of a literature review on the main mycotoxins occurring in animal feeds (Aflatoxins, Trichotecenes, Zeralenone, Fumonisin and ochratoxins) and their effects on animal health as well as reviewing the national and international regulation of these myctoxins. Keywords: Mycotoxin, Aflatoxins, Trichotecenes, Zearalenone, Fumonisin, Ochratoxin animal healt

Characterization of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Subtypes in Moroccan Children

We present the incidence and the immunologic characteristics of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) subsets in Moroccan children. We studied 279 unselected patients below the age of 18 years with newly diagnosed ALL. Cases were classified according to immunophenotype: 216 (77.42%) precursor B-cell phenotype (pB-cell), mature B-cell in 4 (1.43%), and T-cell in 59 (21.15%) cases. The subclassification using the CD10 antibody revealed 197 cases pB-ALL CD10+ (91.2%) and 9 cases T-ALL CD10+ (19.2%). The age distribution showed a peak in incidence between 3 and 5 years among the pB-cell ALLs subtype. There was a significantly higher frequency of males in the T-ALL subset (M/F ratio: 2.93 : 1) and more females in the T-ALL CD10+ subset when compared with the T-ALL CD10– subset. All tested pB-cell-lineage ALLs expressed CD19, CD79a, and surface CD22, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) was detectable in 89.9% of cases, and cells in 74.1% of cases express CD34. All tested T-lineage ALL cells have surface CD7 and cytoplasmic CD3 (cCD3) antigens, CD5 was found in 98.2% cases, and 70.5% express TdT. CD1a, surface CD3 (sCD3), and CD4 are detected in more than 80% of cases; this frequency is higher than the 45% generally observed. Myeloid antigens occur more frequently and were expressed in 124 (57.4%) of pB-cell-ALL cases and 20 (33.9%) of T-cell ALL cases. Our results show that the distribution of ALLs in Moroccan children is similar with the general distribution pattern in developed countries except for the high frequency of T-ALL phenotype. The phenotypic profiles of our patients are close to those reported in literature for B-lineage ALLs; for the T-cell ALL subgroup, the blast cells express more CD1a, surface CD3, and CD4 while expressing less TdT. The high frequency of CD1a expression resulted in an excess of the common thymocyte subtype

Intrapartum Fetal and Maternal Complications in Low - Risk Pregnancy: Experience of a Tertiary Hospital in Low - Income Countries

AIM: To determine the frequencies of intrapartum fetal and maternal complications in women without the identified prenatal risk factorMETHODS: We conducted a prospective cross-sectional investigation from January to June 2017 at Khartoum North Maternity Hospital in women categorised pregnancies as low risk (no prenatal risk factors). We evaluated adverse intrapartum fetal and maternal outcomes.RESULTS: Among 600 pregnancies, of these, 12.5% (n = 75) developed fetal or / and maternal complications. The Frequency of primary cesarean delivery, forceps, and ventose among low-risk pregnancies in this study were 16%, 3%, and 2% respectively. Other adverse pregnancy outcomes were PPH (5%), Blood transfusion (4.5%), admission to ICU (1.8%), while perineal tear, cesarean hysterectomy, and re-laparotomy have equal weight (0.3%). Among all births, the most common adverse fetal outcomes were birth asphyxia (3.8%), low birth weight (2%), admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (1.8%), and fresh stillborn babies (1.3%).CONCLUSION: Of all low-risk pregnancies, 12.5% were reported to have serious obstetrics and neonatal complications. This information is essential for evaluating resources in delivery centres and hospitals and to provide equipment and further training of medical personnel to provide optimal quality care and patient safety

High VISTA expression is linked to a potent epithelial-mesenchymal transition and is positively correlated with PD1 in breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common type of tumor in women worldwide. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, particularly anti-PDL1, have shown promise as a therapeutic approach for managing this disease. However, this type of immunotherapy still fails to work for some patients, leading researchers to explore alternative immune checkpoint targets. The Ig suppressor of T cell activation domain V (VISTA) has emerged as a novel immune checkpoint that delivers inhibitory signals to T cells and has demonstrated encouraging results in various cancers. Our study investigated the association of VISTA expression with clinicopathological parameters in breast cancer patients, its involvement in the Epithelial-Mesenchymal-Transition (EMT) process, and its correlation with PD1 expression. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that VISTA was associated with lobular and metaplastic histological type, tumor size, lymph node status, ER and PR negative status, and the TNBC molecular subtype. Furthermore, VISTA expression was strongly associated with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Immunohistochemistry analysis corroborated the transcriptomic results, indicating that VISTA was expressed in most immune cells (94%) and was significantly expressed in breast cancer tumor cells compared to matched adjacent tissues. Our study also showed for the first time that VISTA overexpression in breast cancer cells could be associated with the EMT process. Additionally, we identified a positive correlation between VISTA and PD-1 expression. Together, these results highlight the immunosuppressive effect of VISTA in breast cancer patients and suggest that bi-specific targeting of VISTA and PD-1 in combination therapy could be beneficial for these patients

The Nrf2-Antioxidant Response Element Signaling Pathway Controls Fibrosis and Autoimmunity in Scleroderma

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease with fibrosis of the skin and internal organs and vascular alterations. Dysregulations in the oxidant/antioxidant balance are known to be a major factor in the pathogenesis of the disease. Indeed, reactive oxygen species (ROS) trigger neoepitopes leading to a breach of immune tolerance and autoimmune responses, activate fibroblasts to proliferate and to produce excess of type I collagen. ROS also alter endothelial cells leading to vascular dysfunction. Glutathione (GSH) is the most potent antioxidant system in eukaryotic cells. Numerous studies have reported a defect in GSH in SSc animal models and humans, but the origin of this defect remains unknown. The transcription factor NRF2 is a key player in the antioxidant defense, as it can induce the transcription of antioxidant and cytoprotective genes, including GSH, through its interaction with the antioxidant response elements. In this work, we investigated whether NRF2 could be implicated in the pathogenesis of SSc, and if this pathway could represent a new therapeutic target in this orphan disease with no curative medicine. Skin biopsies from 11 patients and 10 controls were harvested, and skin fibroblasts were extracted. Experimental SSc was induced both in BALB/c and in nrf2−/− mice by daily intradermal injections of hypochloric acid. In addition, diseased BALB/c mice were treated with an nrf2 agonist, dimethyl fumarate, or placebo. A drop in nrf2 and target genes mRNA levels was observed in skin fibroblasts of SSc patients compared to controls. Moreover, the nrf2 pathway is also downregulated in skins and lungs of SSc mice. In addition, we observed that nrf2−/− mice have a more severe form of SSc with increased fibrosis and inflammation compared to wild-type SSc mice. Diseased mice treated with the nrf2 agonist dimethyl fumarate (DMF) exhibited reduced fibrosis and immune activation compared to untreated mice. The ex vivo treatment of skin fibroblasts from SSc mice with DMF restores GSH intracellular content, decreases ROS production and cell proliferation. These results suggest that the nrf2 pathway is highly dysregulated in human and SSc mice with deleterious consequences on fibrosis and inflammation and that Nrf2 modulation represents a therapeutic target in SSc