Evaluation of community pharmacists' awareness towards Middle East respiratory syndrome: a simulated client method.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus variant in the Arabian Peninsula. There is a lack of information regarding awareness and practices of community pharmacists in Qatar for this contagious disease. To determine the quality of the MERS-related information, recommendations, and counselling practices provided by Qatar's community pharmacists by using Simulated Client Method (SCM). An observational cross-sectional study using a non traditional SCM was conducted in community pharmacies of Qatar from February 2017 to April 2017. A total of 30 community pharmacies were visited twice by two independent simulated clients and data regarding, provision of evidence -based information, recommendations and counselling practices were collected to assess the competency of pharmacists in managing MERS as a primary care problem. Both descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used for data analysis. In present study, majority of pharmacists encountered were male and younger than 45 -year -old with 44 (73.3%) each. The average number of pharmacists who did not ask about the patient's current medical conditions 56 (93.3), medications 58 (97.5%), allergies, and smoking status in both scenarios were not asked by any of the pharmacist. Most of the pharmacists gave an incorrect explanation of MERS 43 (71.7%). The overall quality counselling score for the pharmacists (mean +/- SD; median (IQR)) was {27.5 +/- 4.5; 28.5 (25.3-30.0)}. Quality counselling was significantly related to the type of pharmacy (p=0.0478). Qatar community pharmacist's MERS related information, recommendations, and counselling practices were below expectations and inconsistent, thus urging the need for continuous professional development

Age-associated functional morphology of thyroid and its impact on the expression of vimentin, cytokeratins and VEGF. The role of nigella in refinement

Introduction. Aging causes morphological and functional changes in the thyroid gland. Free radicals play a key role in the pathology of normal aging. Vimentin and cytokeratin are cytoskeletal intermediate filaments that are often used as indirect indices of tissue injury. The aim of the study was to clarify the age-related alterations in the structure and function of the thyroid gland. The relationship between oxidative/antioxidative stress markers and cytoskeletal intermediate filaments (vimentin and cytokeratin) and oxidative/antioxidative stress markers as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) during aging were elucidated. Finally, the role of Nigella sativa (NS) oil in ameliorating age-related alterations of the structure and function of the thyroid gland was studied.Material and methods. Thirty Sprague-Dawley albino rats were divided into five groups: young adult control, young adult NS-treated, late adult control, late adult NS-treated, and senile. The age of young adult, late adult, and senile rats was nearly 7, 18 and 22 months, respectively. NS oil was added to food pellets and was administered at a daily dose of 0.1 g/kg body weight for one month. The thyroid gland was dissected and fixed immediately in 10% formalin saline. The assessment of thyroid structure was based on hematoxylin and eosin, and Masson’s trichrome stainings, and histomorphometric analysis of the deparaffinized sections. Localization and distribution of vimentin and cytokeratin filaments was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Measurements of VEGF gene expression by qPCR and oxidative/antioxidative markers (malondialdehyde and glutathione content, superoxide dismutase activity) in thyroid gland homogenates were performed. Serum concentration of thyroid hormones (T3, T4) and TSH were assessed by radioimmunoassay.Results. Follicles in the late adult control group were dilated and disrupted. Follicular cells showed cytoplasmic vacuolation. Follicles in the thyroids of senile rats were of irregular shape, often with cellular exfoliations. Many follicles were dilated and lined with flattened cells. A notable amelioration of these morphological alterations was observed in late adult NS-treated rats. Decrease in serum T3 and T4 levels and increase in TSH levels were observed in the late adult control and senile groups. A clear shift of the oxidative/antioxidative markers (MDA/ /GSH, SOD) was observed in the late adult control and senile groups in favor of oxidants. Administration of NSto late adult rats resulted in normalization of these parameters. Increased area of collagen fibers, immunoreactivity of vimentin and cytokeratin filaments and VEGF gene expression were observed in the thyroids of late adult and senile rat groups as compared to young animals. The mean number of follicular cells decreased in the late adult control and senile groups. Administration of NS to the late adult rats returned these parameters to the level of the young adult rats. Conclusions. Aging-related alterations in both structure and function of the rat thyroid gland that are associated with increased indices of oxidative stress might be abrogated by administration of antioxidative agents present in Nigella sativa oil

Does Surgical Resection of the Primary Tumor in Patients with Stage IV Breast Cancer Improve Survival?

Several lines of evidence suggest that it is time to re-examine the approach to the patient diagnosed with distant metastases at the initial breast cancer presentation.The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of surgical therapy of the primary tumor and other clinical and staging factors on overall survival of patients with stage IV breast cancer. Patients and methods: This retrospective study included patients with stage IV breast cancer from 2000 to 2008. Patient's characteristics and survival distilled from medical files were evaluated using multivariate analysis.Results: Of 330 patients included in this study, 132 underwent surgery in the form of mastectomy. Local surgery of the primary tumor, lower TN staging, younger age, positive receptor status, lack of Her-2 amplification, bone –only metastasis and one site metastasis were associated with significantly higher survival while grade and pathological type were not. Median overall survival time for no surgery group was 15 months and 27 months for mastectomy group (P = 0.003).Three-year survival rate was higher for patients who did have surgery (34% vs 16%). Conclusion: Removal of the primary tumor in patients with primary distant metastatic breast cancer was associated with significantly higher survival. However, carefully designed prospective randomized trials are needed to confirm these results

Validation of a method to elute viruses from different types of face masks

Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it is crucial to study the efficiency of face masks in retaining viruses for the upcoming years. The first objective of this study was to validate a method to elute viruses from polyester and cotton face masks. We observed that deionized water followed by 3% beef glycine (pH 9.5 or pH 7.2) was significantly more efficient (p < 0.05) in eluting the bacteriophage phiX174 virus from polyester (4.73% ± 0.25% to 28.67% ± 1.89%), polyester/cotton (3% ± 0.33%), and cotton (1.7% ± 0.21%) face masks than 3% beef glycine only (pH 9.5 or pH 7.2) as a single eluent (3.4% ± 0.16% to 21.33% ± 0.94% for polyester, 1.91% ± 0.08% for polyester/cotton, and 1.47% ± 0.12% for cotton face masks). Also, deionized water was significantly less efficient as a single eluent for eluting bacteriophage phiX174 from all the studied face mask types. The polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation method was substantially more efficient (p < 0.05) as a second step concentration method for the viruses in the eluates than the organic flocculation (OF) method. Higher viral loads were eluted from polyester face masks than cotton ones. We also found varying viral loads in the eluate solutions from different commercial polyester face masks, with the highest percentage seen for the N95 face mask. The second objective was to apply the validated method to study the effect of autoclaving on the different face mask materials. Results of the study did not show any significant differences in the viral loads eluted from the studied face masks before and after one and five autoclaving cycles. Moreover, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed no changes in the yarns, elongation, tensile strength, and contact angle measurements of the polyester or cotton materials after one or five autoclaving cycles

Validity of sphenoid ostium in relation to posterior wall of maxillary sinus by computed tomography

Background: Sphenoid sinus is the most inaccessible paranasal sinus, enclosed within the sphenoid bone and intimately related to numerous vital neural and vascular structures. Anatomic variation of the sphenoid sinus is well documented and may complicate surgery in such a place.Objective: To assess the reliability of preoperative computed tomography (CT) in determination of the distance between the posterior wall of maxillary sinus (PWMS) and the sphenoid sinus ostium (SSO) in the coronal plane.Patients and methods: This was a prospective study of the distance between the SSO and the PWMS in the coronal plane, which was measured both radiologically in preoperative CT and intraoperatively during endoscopic sinus surgery for patients in need for middle meatal antrostomy and sphenoid sinusotomy at the same side. Distances obtained by both techniques have been tested for the degree of correlation. Number of the included patients was 25.Results: Forty four nasal sides were included in the study. The mean distance between the sphenoid sinus ostium and posterior wall of maxillary sinus in the coronal plane was 6.6 ± 1.8 mm when measured by preoperative CT and 6.9 ± 1.9 mm when measured directly during surgery. No significant difference was found between the mean distances measured by both techniques (p = 0.246) with good agreement between them (r = 0.864).Conclusion: Preoperative CT may be a reliable tool to preoperatively determine the difference in depth between the PWMS and the SSO

Protective Role of Nanocurcumin in Cyclophosphamide-induced Cardiac Toxicity in Adult Male Albino Rat: A Histological, Immunohistochemical, Biochemical Study

Background: Cyclophosphamide (CYP) is a cardiotoxic agent with antineoplastic and immunosuppressive properties. Objectives: To detect the histological, immunohistochemical, biochemical cardiac toxicity of CYP and determine the protective effectiveness of nanocurcumin on the cardiac muscle of albino rats. Material and methods: The current work used forty Wistar rats allocated into four groups; normal control (I), sham control (II), CYP-treated (III) and concomitant protective CYP + nanocurcumin (IV). Results: CYP-treated group (III) showed fragmented, disrupted cardiac myocytes with cellular infiltrates and interstitial edema. Blood vessels were dilated congested. Cardiac myocytes showed pyknosis, vacuolations and some showed karyolysis. Much improvement was observed in group IV. The area percentage of fibrous tissue, TNF-α and iNOS immunoreactivity in CYP-treated group III showed statistically significant increase in contrast to that of the control group. Use of nanocurcumin in groups IV ameliorate these changes. Biochemically, there were significant increase in means of CK-MB, cTn-1, MDA, levels and decrease of GPx activity in group III (CYP -treated group) compared to the control group. Uses of nanocurcumin has been observed to improve these changes. Conclusion: Cyclophosphamide (CYP) had deleterious effects on the histological structure of the heart, cardiac enzymes, collagen fibers deposition and myofibroblast proliferation in albino rats. Administration of nanocurcumin with CYP injection could largely ameliorate these changes

Strategies of Daily Living Rehabilitative Activities for Post Stroke Patients at Minia University Hospital

Back ground: Stroke is a leading cause of disability. Rehabilitation aims to hasten and maximize recovery from stroke by treating the disabilities caused by the stroke. Therefore, the aim of this study determine the post stroke patients' knowledge and practices in relation to disease and activities of daily living before the implementation of stroke rehabilitation and examine the effect of stroke rehabilitation on stroke patients' knowledge and practices in relation to disease and activities of daily living strategies. To fulfill the aim of these study three research hypotheses were formulated; Quasi-experimental research design was utilized to fulfill the aim of this study. The study sample included 60 male and female adult patients with stroke they were allocated randomly into two groups, study and control (30 patients each) the sitting Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department at Minia University Hospital. Four tools were utilized for data collection; socio-demographic and medical data sheet, pre/post knowledge questionnaire interview schedule, Barthel index scale, Ashworth scale and Construction patient teaching booklet about stroke and activities of daily living performance. Before, immediate post test, after two month. Results of the study documented a significant improvement in knowledge and practices post strategies in study group in addition to reaching of an optimum level of independence for daily activities living and improvement degree of spasticity in study group more than control group, . In conclusion, education of stroke patient is necessary to achieve an optimum level of functioning. Replication of this study on larger probability sample is highly recommended. Key words: Activities of Daily Living Strategies - Stroke- Patient's out come

Phylogeny and functional diversity of halophilic microbial communities from a thalasso environment

The El-Rawda solar saltern, located in North Sinai, Egypt, is formed through the process of water evaporation from the Bradawil lagoon. This evaporation leads to the precipitation of gypsum, halite minerals, and salt flats, which subsequently cover the southern and eastern areas of the lagoon. This study employed the shotgun metagenomic approach, the illumine platform, and bioinformatic tools to investigate the taxonomic composition and functional diversity of halophilic microbial communities in solar saltern. The metagenomic reads obtained from the brine sample exhibited a greater count compared to those from the sediment sample. Notably, the brine sample was primarily characterized by an abundance of archaea, while the sediment sample displayed a dominant abundance of bacteria. Both samples exhibited a relatively low abundance of eukaryotes, while viruses were only found in the brine sample. Furthermore, the comparative analysis of functional pathways showed many important processes related to central metabolism and protein processing in brine and sediment samples. In brief, this research makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of very halophilic ecosystems in Egypt, providing insights into their microbial biodiversity and functional processes

Menopause Anxiety and Depression; How Food Can Help?

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression are reported as two major frequent and chief complaints among peri-menopausal women in several societies. AIM: The objective of the study was to study the effect of using two dietary supplements to beat depression and anxiety associated with menopause. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sixty-six volunteers’ menopausal women participated on the study for 8 weeks, 35 subjects consumed daily cookies prepared mainly from soya flour and flaxseed, and 31 females consumed daily a blend composed mainly of raw unroasted peanut and raw sesame. Follow-up was performed with menopause rating scale, anxiety score, depression score, and biochemical parameters. RESULTS: Soya cookies were rich in plant-based protein and total phenols while blend was a good source of unsaturated fatty acid. Blend consumers showed significant percentage reduction in beck anxiety score and beck depression score after intervention, more than cookies consumers group. The anthropometrics parameters were statistical significant changed on both groups, more on the group who consumed the soya cookies. Soya cookies demonstrated an anti-inflammatory effect, while blend had an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects as was shown on the serum assay of interleukin-6 and malondialdehyde as an inflammatory marker and an antioxidant marker, respectively. CONCLUSION: From the results, it can be concluded that the supplementation of products enriched with unsaturated fatty acid was more beneficial to slow down the psychological menopause symptoms than natural estrogen rich product consumption

Adaptive Fuzzy Supplementary Controller for SSR Damping in a Series-Compensated DFIG-Based Wind Farm

Although using a series compensation technique in a long transmission line effectively increases the transmittable power; it may cause a sub-synchronous resonance (SSR) phenomenon. Gate-controlled series capacitor (GCSC) is an effective method for SSR damping by controlling the turn-off angle. In the previous studies, a constant supplementary damping controller (SDC) was used for controlling the turn-off angle, which can mitigate the SSR phenomenon. However, these methods can not capture the maximum transmittable power at different operating points. In this paper, a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is proposed to compute the gain of SDC based on the wind speed and the error between the measured and reference line currents for transferring as much power as possible and damping the SSR phenomenon simultaneously. Using the MATLAB/SIMULINK program, the proposed method is tested at different operating points to validate its effectiveness and robustness. Compared to the traditional method (constant SDC), the maximum transmittable power, as well as SSR damping, is achieved in all studied cases by the proposed method (variable SDC)