Differential effects of phototherapy, adalimumab and betamethasone/calcipotriol on effector and regulatory T cells in psoriasis

I.S.K. thanks the Egyptian Government for financial support through the Egyptian Cultural Bureau Office. This work was partially supported by a National Health Service endowment grant RG12745 to A.D.O. and I.S.K. We thank Linda Lawson,the biologics nurse, all the staff members at the dermatology department and the participants.Peer reviewedPostprin

Annealing Effects on Structural and Optical Properties of Ge10Sb30Se60 Thin Film

The optical constants of as-prepared and thermally annealed Ge10Sb30Se60thin films were determined. Effect of heat treatment on the structure and optical properties of Ge10Sb30Se60 thin films in the range between the glass transition and crystallization temperature have been investigated. The glass transition and crystallization temperature of the synthesized sample was measured by non- isothermal DSC measurements. The microstructure and optical properties of these films were characterized by UV-VIS spectrum, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The optical band gap for as-prepared and annealed films have been calculated using Taucs low from the optical transmission and reflection spectra. The results indicate that the optical band gap Eopt increases when the annealing temperature (Ta) is lower than the glass transition temperature (Tg), while decreases with further increase of Ta. The XRD studies show that the as-prepared film is amorphous in nature, but the crystalline improved with increasing the annealing temperature. Furthermore the particle size and crystalline increases while the dislocation and strains decreases with increasing the annealing temperature. Thermal annealing was found to be accompanied by structural effects, which in turn, lead to change in the optical constants. The obtained results were explained in terms of the Mott and Davis model for amorphous materials and amorphous to crystalline structure transformations

Prevalence of unmet contraceptive need among Egyptian women: a community-based study

Introduction. An estimated 17% of married women in the devel- oping world still have an unmet need for contraception. This study aimed to measure the prevalence and reasons for unmet contraceptive need among married women in the childbearing period in an underprivileged district in Eastern Cairo. Methods. A cluster survey of 2340 women in the Marg district of Eastern Cairo was performed. Socio-demographic data and data on both past and present contraceptive use were obtained by interview questionnaire. Results. The prevalence of unmet need was 7.4%; 53.4% for limiting and 46.6% for spacing. Experience of side effects from contraceptive use, and fear of side effects, was highly prevalent among women with unmet need. In addition, a large proportion of women with unmet need perceived themselves not to be at risk for conceiving. Conclusions. A substantial proportion of women in Cairo have unmet contraceptive need. Efficient counseling of women about contraception may help reduce this high prevalence

Sarcoidosis in a Toddler: A Rare Presentation

Sarcoidosis is rare multi-system granulomatous inflammatory disorder. It is reported to present by two distinct presentations in childhood. Sarcoidosis presents in the second decade of life by pulmonary infiltration, lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly, and rarely before the age of 4 years by typical triad of uveitis, rash and arthritis. We report a child 1 year and 9 months with sarcoidosis who presented by one month fever, hepatosplenomegaly, uveitis, pulmonary infiltration and elevated levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme. Chest computerized tomography revealed multiple enlarged mediastinal and multiple hilar lymphadenopathy. A right inguinal lymph node biopsy showed non-caseating granuloma. Other etiologies were investigated for and ruled out. Hence, sarcoidosis can present in children before 4 years with uveitis, hepatosplenomegaly, pulmonary infiltrates, mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy, in the absence of rash and arthritis. Sarcoidosis in children is rare and clinical spectrum can vary considerably. Diagnosis of sarcoidosis should be suspected in any child with uveitis

Trigger for group A streptococcal M1T1 invasive disease

The globally disseminated Streptococcus pyogenes M1T1 clone causes a number of highly invasive human diseases. The transition from local to systemic infection occurs by an unknown mechanism; however invasive M1T1 clinical isolates are known to express significantly less cysteine protease SpeB than M1T1 isolates from local infections. Here, we show that in comparison to the M1T1 strain 5448, the isogenic mutant ΔspeB accumulated 75‐fold more human plasmin activity on the bacterial surface following incubation in human plasma. Human plasminogen was an absolute requirement for M1T1 strain 5448 virulence following subcutaneous (s.c.) infection of humanized plasminogen transgenic mice. S. pyogenes M1T1 isolates from the blood of infected humanized plasminogen transgenic mice expressed reduced levels of SpeB in comparison with the parental 5448 used as inoculum. We propose that the human plasminogen system plays a critical role in group A streptococcal M1T1 systemic disease initiation. SpeB is required for S. pyogenes M1T1 survival at the site of local infection, however, SpeB also disrupts the interaction of S. pyogenes M1T1 with the human plasminogen activation system. Loss of SpeB activity in a subpopulation of S. pyogenes M1T1 at the site of infection results in accumulation of surface plasmin activity thus triggering systemic spread.—Cole, J. N., McArthur, J. D., McKay, F. C., Sanderson‐Smith, M. L., Cork, A. J., Ranson, M., Rohde, M., Itzek, A., Sun, H., Ginsburg, D., Kotb, M., Nizet, V., Chhatwal, G. S., Walker, M. J. Trigger for group A streptococcal M1T1 invasive disease. FASEB J. 20, E1139–E1145 (2006)Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154248/1/fsb2fj065804fje.pd

Intermediate-Distance String Effects in Wilson Loops via Boundary Action

The density profile of the QCD flux tube is investigated within the framework of the L¨ uscher-Weisz (LW) string action with two boundary terms. The transverse action profile and potential between static quarks are considered using Wilson’s loop overlap formalism at zero temperature in SU(2) Yang-Mills theory. We find the predictions of the LWstring matching the lattice data for the width of the energy-density and Q ¯Q potential up to a small color-source separation of R = 0.32 fm

Antibodies against a Surface Protein of Streptococcus pyogenes Promote a Pathological Inflammatory Response

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) caused by Streptococcus pyogenes is a clinical condition with a high mortality rate despite modern intensive care. A key feature of STSS is excessive plasma leakage leading to hypovolemic hypotension, disturbed microcirculation and multiorgan failure. Previous work has identified a virulence mechanism in STSS where M1 protein of S. pyogenes forms complexes with fibrinogen that activate neutrophils to release heparin-binding protein (HBP), an inducer of vascular leakage. Here, we report a marked inter-individual difference in the response to M1 protein–induced HBP release, a difference found to be related to IgG antibodies directed against the central region of the M1 protein. To elicit massive HBP release, such antibodies need to be part of the M1 protein–fibrinogen complexes. The data add a novel aspect to bacterial pathogenesis where antibodies contribute to the severity of disease by promoting a pathologic inflammatory response