A standard for teaching technical competencies of physical education in Egypt according to ISTE (NETS-T) standards

Technology application and internet services are prominent developments in the field of global educational systems. These developments have imposed a change in the role and responsibilities of faculty members and the need to possess technical competencies. Faculty members must apply modern learning theories and organize their learning and evaluation plans based on interactive electronic resources. This study first aimed to suggest a standard of technical teaching competencies for faculty members in physical education under the standards of the International Society for Technology in Education for Teachers (NETS-T). Second, our purpose was to identify the degree to which faculty possess these competencies. The main study involved 812 participants. The exploratory study survey sample consisted of 200 faculty members. The data collection tool consisted of a questionnaire in the form of an opinion poll that included 90 items representing the proposed educational technology competencies within 20 fields representing 5 standards defined by the International Society for Technology in Education for Teachers (ISTE) (NETS-T), 2008. The data collection tool (questionnaire) was evaluated by experts. The exploratory and basic study were carried out using an electronic copy of the questionnaire prepared on Google Forms, and the participation link was sent via emails

Preparation, Characterization, and Analytical Application of Ramipril Membrane-Based Ion-Selective Electrode

The fabrication and electrochemical evaluation of two PVC membrane-based Ion-Selective electrodes responsive for ramipril drug have been proposed. The sensitive membranes were prepared using ramipril-phosphomolibdate and ramipril-tetraphenylborate ion-pair complexes as electroactive sensing materials in plasticized PVC support. The electrodes based on these materials provide near-Nernestian response (sensitivity of 53 ± 0.5–54 ± 0.5 mV/concentration decade) covering the concentration range of 1.0 × 10−2–1.0 × 10−5 mol L−1 with a detection limit of 3.0 × 10−6–4.0 × 10−6 mol L−1. The suggested electrodes have been successfully used in the determination of ramipril drug in some pharmaceutical formulations using direct potentiometry with average recovery of >96% and mean standard deviation of <3% (n = 5)

Influence of Trichoderma reesei or Saccharomyces cerevisiae on performance, ruminal fermentation, carcass characteristics and blood biochemistry of lambs fed Atriplex nummularia and Acacia saligna mixture

The mixtureof A.nummularia and A.saligna (1:1 DM)was autoclaved(TuttnauerUSACo.Ltd.,NY,USA)at121 °C and1.5psi for 15mintodestroyanymicrobes.Thecontentwasallowedto cool andlaterinoculatedwiththesporesof T.reesei at arateof 40 mLofthesporesuspensioncontaining107 spores permL/kg DM ofautoclaved A.nummularia and A.saligna mixture. Thein- oculatedsubstrateswerethenincubatedatambienttemperature for 10days.Bytheendoftheincubationperiod,theforageswere fullycoveredwiththefungus.Theywerethenovendriedat70 °C in aforcedairdryingoven(CascadeTEK’s ModelTFO-10,OR,USA) for 24hsoastostopfungalgrowthandpreventfurtherdena- turationofproteins.The aim of this study was to evaluate whole substitution of Egyptian berseem hay (Trifolium alexandrinum) with a mixture of Atriplex nummularia and Acacia saligna (1:1 DM) in the diet of Barki lambs for 70 days. Thirty six lambs (27.0±0.89 kg initial BW) were divided into four treatment groups of nine lambs each and fed: (1) the Control group with no substitution (70% concentrate mixture and 30% berseem hay, DM basis), (2) A. nummularia and A. saligna mixture without fungal treatment (treatment group AU), or (3) Trichoderma reesei treated A. nummularia and A. saligna mixture (treatment group AF), or (4) A. nummularia and A. saligna mixture supplemented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae at 0.5 g/kg DM of feed (treatment group AS) replaced 100% of berseem hay in the diet. Live-weight change, rumen fermentation parameters, blood chemistry, carcass characteristics and intestinal histology were investigated. Significant (P0.05). Lambs fed AF and AU diets had lower (P<0.05) feed conversion efficiency than lambs fed the AS and Control diets. Lambs fed AF and AS had increased (P<0.05) volatile fatty acid production compared to Controls. Blood albumin and urea concentrations increased (P<0.05) with lambs in AS treatment compared to lambs in the other treatments, while lambs fed AF had lower (P<0.05) cholesterol and glucose concentrations compared to the Controls. The AS lambs had the highest (P<0.05) dressing percentage. Decreased intramuscular fat weights were obtained with lambs fed halophytes compared to Control lambs. Histology of the ileum, sub mucosa and Peyer's patches were normal in all lambs. In conclusion, untreated halophyte mixtures of A. nummularia and A. saligna (at 1:1 DM) can be substituted for berseem hay without negative effects on performance while treatment with S. cerevisiae may improve performance and, like T. reesei, change certain biochemical responses

Evidence-Based Medicine; Climbing a Mountain for a Better Decision-Making

Evidence-Based Medicine is a relatively new term used in medical sittings and Health Information Technology (HIT). It is a form of medicine that integrates practitioners’ expertise with the best available practical evidences to improve better patient care. Evidence-Based Medicine has increasingly been used and incorporated into daily medical practices to overcome the shortcomings in the conventional standard care. The purpose of this literature review is to highlight the importance of Evidence-Based Medicine and how it can act as a crucial tool in decision-making to empower the quality of medical services for better patient outcomes

A critical stylistic analysis of the ideological positioning in Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “If"

This paper deals with the ideological positioning of the English poet, Rudyard Kipling in a selected poem, entitled “If”, as regards to the theme of the heroic attributes of ―Wisdom, Strength, and Courtesy. The researcher adopts a branch of stylistics, called Critical Stylistics, as proposed by Jeffries (2010) in order to uncover the ideologies of the poet regarding the topic concerned and how linguistic choices are used to display his ideas. The model is comprised of ten tools of analysis which, upon being applied to the selected poem, have shown how the poet exploits language resources in order to pass his ideology and influence his readers. In this paper, the ten tools are presented as applied to the whole poem. The objective of the study is to examine how Kipling’s poem astonishingly excels in giving advice and how it is easier to give advice than being guided by it. The model of stylistics used in this analysis also includes in it these tools that have predominantly been applied to small-scale qualitative analyses. Findings from the analysis reveal the ways in which sets of beliefs and advice may be structured in the language of wisdom and compassion, and, more specifically, the ways in which Kipling’s ideological attitudes and assumptions are embedded in the structure of his poems. Moreover, how this poem articulates the significance of burying the gap between the generations. The old should instruct and the young in turn should listen and learn from the experiences of the old. Such ideological assumptions about listening to the previous generation experiences and have the liberty to abide by or reject their ways of thinking

Passive smoking in the etiology of non-syndromic orofacial clefts:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Studies have found a consistent positive association between maternal smoking and nonsyndromic orofacial clefts (NSOFC). However, no comprehensive assessment of the association between NSOFC and passive smoking has been undertaken. This systematic review and meta-analysis explores the relationship between maternal passive smoking and NSOFC, and compares the associations between passive and active smoking. Methods and Findings Search strategy, inclusion / exclusion criteria, and data extraction from studies reporting maternal passive smoking and NSOFC was implemented without language restrictions. Risks of bias in the identified studies were assessed and this information was used in sensitivity analyses to explain heterogeneity. Meta-analysis and meta-regression of the extracted data were performed. Egger's test was used to test for small study effects. Fourteen eligible articles were identified. Maternal passive smoking exposure was associated with a twofold increase in risk of NSOFC (odds ratio: 2.11, 95% confidence interval: 1.54-2.89); this was apparent for both cleft lip with and without palate (OR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.27-3.3) and cleft palate (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.23-3.62). There was substantial heterogeneity between studies. In the studies that provided data enabling crude and adjusted odd ratios to be compared, adjustment for potential confounders attenuated the magnitude of association to about a 1.5-fold increase in risk. Conclusion Overall, maternal passive smoking exposure results in a 1.5 fold increase in risk of NSOFC, similar to the magnitude of risk reported for active smoking, but there is marked heterogeneity between studies. This heterogeneity is not explained by differences in the distribution of cleft types, adjustment for covariates, broad geographic region, or study bias/quality. This thorough meta-analysis provides further evidence to minimize exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in policy making fora and in health promotion initiatives.</p

The value of pericardial window in preventing pericardial effusion after cardiac surgery

Background: Pericardial window (PW) is a technique that allows the passage of fluid from the pericardial to the pleural cavity to reduce the postoperative pericardial effusion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the pericardial window in decreasing pericardial effusions after cardiac surgery. Methods: The study included 400 adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery from 2017 to 2020. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups; the pericardial window (PW) group included 200 patients who underwent posterior pericardiotomy, and the control group included 200 patients who did not undergo this procedure. Results: Preoperative data were comparable between both groups. More patients in the PW group had chest tube drainage more than 500 cc/ 24 hours (40 (20%) vs. 5 (2.5%), respectively; p=0.005). The drainage of 500 cc/24 hours or more in the mediastinal tube was lower in the PW group (10 (5%) vs. 40 (20%) patients in the PW and control groups, respectively; p&lt;0.001). Early pericardial collection occurred in 6 patients in the PW group (3%) vs. 46 (23%) in the control group (p&lt;0.001), and no patient had late effusion in the PW group vs. 26 (13%) in the control group (p&lt; 0.001). Six patients in the PW group (3%) had postoperative atrial fibrillation and 12 patients (6%) in the control group (p= 0.23). Pulmonary complications were nonsignificantly higher in the PW group (Lung collapse: 40 (20%) vs. 26 (13%); p=0.08 and pleural effusion: 34 (17%) vs. 26 (13%); p= 0.3, in the PW vs. control groups, respectively). Conclusion: Posterior pericardiotomy is a simple technique that could reduce postoperative pericardial effusion, atrial fibrillation, and the pericardial tamponade. The technique did not increase the postoperative complications compared to the standard method

Cystic lesions in multislice computed tomography of the chest: A diagnostic approach

AbstractPurposeTo evaluate the role of Multislice Computed Tomography (MSCT) in the detection, diagnosis and differentiation of possible causes of chest cystic lesions using different capabilities of MSCT.Patients and methodsThe study involved 43 patients. Clinical examination, history taking, relevant laboratory data, pulmonary function test if needed, together with different techniques of MSCT according to the assessed case were done to reach the possible diagnosis, and then pathology assessment was needed in 11 cases.ResultsMSCT showed that 30 (70%) of cases were lung cysts, 5 (12%) of cases were mediastinal, 4 (9%) of cases were pleural and 4 (9%) of cases were chest wall. 25 (42%) of cases were with single cyst and 18 (58%) of cases were with multiple cysts. 23 (47%) of cases were with air containing cysts and 20 (53%) of cases were with fluid containing cysts. We discussed the differentiating MSCT features of various cystic lesions and the approach used to reach final diagnosis.ConclusionCystic lesions of the thorax have a wide range of differential diagnosis, and to reach the cause a multidisciplinary approach should be done. The role of MSCT imaging is essential in diagnosis and evaluation of different chest cystic lesions

Effect of Ultrasound and Low-Level Laser on Myofacial Trigger Points Versus Traditional Acupoints in Cervicalgia Patients

Background:&nbsp; Myofacial trigger point: is an area in tissue of hyper irritability that is very tender when palpated, refers pain and creates a twitch response when it is palpated. Trigger points must have palpable taut band exquisite tender spot in that taut band. Patient recognition of the pain as “familiar”, Purpose of study:&nbsp; This study aimed to investigate the effect of phonophoresis and low-level laser therapy on both myofacial trigger points and on classical acupoints in neck pain patients. Methods: 60 participants from both genders who had neck pain. They varied in age from 20 to 40 years old. They were divided into four equal groups at random: (A, B, C, D).&nbsp; The four groups will receive therapy on myofacial trigger points of the neck. The first group, Experimental (A), consisted of 15 volunteers from both genders who had neck pain and will receive LLLT myofacial trigger points of the neck for one month, they attended three sessions every week. The second group, Experimental (B), consisted of 15 volunteers from both genders who had neck pain were treated with phonophoresis of hydrocortisone 1% in conjunction with diclofenac 1%. They were engaged in three sessions per week for one month. The third group, Experimental (C), consisted of 15 volunteers from both genders, men and women, who had neck pain were treated with Phonophoresis of hydrocortisone 1% in addition to diclofenac 5%. For one month, they attended three sessions every week. The fourth group, Experimental (D), consisted of 15 volunteers from both genders, men and women, who had neck pain were treated with both LLLT and phonophoresis They attended three sessions every week, for one month

Prophylactic use of carvedilol to prevent ventricular dysfunction in patients with cancer treated with doxorubicin

Objective: Deterioration in ventricular function is often observed in patients treated with anthracyclines for cancer. There is a paucity of evidence on interventions that might provide cardio-protection. We investigated whether prophylactic use of carvedilol can prevent doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and whether any observed effect is dose related. Methods: A prospective, randomized, double-blind study in patients treated with doxorubicin, comparing placebo (n = 38) with different doses of carvedilol [6.25 mg/day (n = 41), 12.5 mg/day (n = 38) or 25 mg/day (n = 37)]. The primary endpoint was the measured change in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from baseline to 6 months. Results: LVEF decreased from 62 ± 5% at baseline to 58 ± 7% at 6-months (p = 0.002) in patients assigned to placebo but no statistically significant changes were observed in any of the 3 carvedilol groups. At 6 months, only one of 116 patients (1%) assigned to carvedilol had an LVEF &#60; 50% compared to four of the 38 assigned to placebo (11%), (p = 0.013). No significant differences were noted between carvedilol and placebo in terms of the development of diastolic dysfunction, clinically overt heart failure or death. Conclusions: Carvedilol might prevent deterioration in LVEF in cancer patients treated with doxorubicin. This effect may not be dose related within the studied range