Modified dome shaped proximal tibial osteotomy for treatment of infantile tibia vara

Background: Tibial deformity in childhood is not always one plane deformity, but often combines torsional and angular malalignment.Methods: In this prospective study, dome shaped osteotomy was performed in 36 tibiae in 24 patients. The osteotomy was held with K-wires and a plaster cast. The mean age at surgery was 5.5 years and the mean follow-up time was 30 months, range (24-42) months.Results: All osteotomies united and no compartment syndrome occurred. Postoperatively, one leg (2.7%) had temporary weakness of external hallucis longus muscle. Thirty five of thirty six legs had good clinical and radiological correction of alignment. Recurrent deformity was seen in one leg. ‎ Conclusions: Dome shaped osteotomy of the tibia is a simple, safe and effective method for correction of uni-planar varus deformity. For bi-planar deformities in childhood with infantile tibia vara we may need to step cut the lateral cortex to allow good bone contact to help in union with minimum morbidity.

Drinking water quality evaluation of hand pumping wells using water quality index and standard algal toxicity testing in Mansoura and Talkha cities, Egypt

تم اختيار ستة مضخات منزلية حبشية موزعة على قرى مختلفة من مدينتي المنصورة (Mans-I, Mans-II, Mans-III) وطلخا (Talk-I, Talk-II, Talk-III)،مصر ، لتقييم جودة المياه خلال عام 2017. تم جمع عينات المياه خلال منتصف الفصول الأربعة وهي الشتاء والربيع والصيف والخريف. تم استخدام أدوات التقييم القياسية لتقييم جودة المياه اشتملت علىدالة جودة المياه (WQI) ، واختبار الطحالب القياسي للسمية.أوضحت نتائجWQI اختلافات موقعية وموسمية ملحوظة مع جودة مياه  ممتازه (WQI =90) وجيدة (WQI, 70 -89) مسجلة فقط لعينات المياه التي تم جمعها من مضخة Mans-I الموجودة في منطقة قليلة السكان وعلى بعد 50 مترًا فقط من الفرع الشرقي (دمياط) من نهر النيل. أظهرت قيمWQI للمضخات الأخرى الموجودة في المناطق المكتظة بالسكان وعلى بعد كيلومترات من فرع النيل جودة  مياه متوسطة (WQI, 50-69) أو سيئة (WQI, 25-49) حسب موسم أخذ العينات والموقع. جميع عينات المياه التي تم جمعها من مضخة Mans-I كانت غير سامة دون أي آثار مثبطة على نمو طحلب الاختبار القياسيPseudokirchneriella subcapitata. أظهرت عينات المياه المحمعة من جميع المضخات الأخرى تأثيرات سامة واضحة على نمو طحالب الاختبار مع قيم السمية(EC50) متفاوتة تتراوح بين15.8 %و 83 %.. الخلاصة ، كانت جميع عينات المياه التي تم جمعها من مضخة Mans-I آمنة للصحة بينماالعينات التي تم جمعها من مضخات أخرى يمكن أن تشكل مخاطر كبيرة على صحة الإنسان إذا استخدمت للشرب.Six house-hold Abyssinian pumps distributed in different villages of Mansoura (Mans-I, Mans-II and Mans-III) and Talkha (Talk-I, Talk-II and Talk-III) cities, Egypt, have been selected for regular seasonal water quality assessment during 2017. Water samples have been collected within the mid-periods of four seasons Standard assessment tools were employed for the integrated water quality assessment including Water Quality Index (WQI) and ISO standard algal toxicity test. WQI displayed remarkable local and seasonal variations with excellent (≥ 90) and good (70 - 89) only recorded for water samples collected from Mans-I pump located in sparsely populated area and far 50 meters only from the eastern (Damietta) branch of Nile River. WQI of other pumps located in densely populated areas and far kilometers from the Nile branch indicated either medium (50-69) or bad (25-49) quality depending on sampling season and sampling site location. All water samples collected from the pump Mans-I were non toxic without any inhibitory effects on the growth of the standard test alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. Water samples from all other pumps, however, showed obvious toxic effects on test algae growth with varying EC50 values ranged between15.8% and 83%, depending on water sample and the sampling season. Concisely, all water samples collected from Mans-I pump were health safe with acceptable drinking water guidelines while samples collected from other pumps can impose great human health risks if used for drinkin

A New Technique to Measure Interfacial Tension of Transformer Oil using UV-Vis Spectroscopy

Interfacial tension (IFT) and acid numbers of insulating oil are correlated with the number of years that a transformer has been in service and are used as a signal for transformer oil reclamation. Oil sampling for IFT measurement calls for extra precautions due to its high sensitivity to various oil parameters and environmental conditions. The current used technique to measure IFT of transformer oil is relatively expensive, requires an expert to conduct the test and it takes long time since the extraction of oil sample, sending it to external laboratory and getting the results back. This paper introduces a new technique to estimate the IFT of transformer oil using ultraviolet-to-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. UV-Vis spectral response of transformer oil can be measured instantly with relatively cheap equipment, does not need an expert person to conduct the test and has the potential to be implemented online. Results show that there is a good correlation between oil spectral response and its IFT value. Artificial neural network (ANN) approach is proposed to model this correlation

STR-990: SUSTAINABLE GROUTED HELICAL PILES: MATERIALS AND PERFORMANCE

Cementitious materials are widely used as a construction material all over the world. However, cement industry has high environmental impact such as the release of CO2 and the consumption of natural resources for its manufacturing energy. Therefore, reducing cement consumption is vital to achieve sustainable green construction practices. In this study, the effects of using treated oil sand waste (TOSW) as a partial replacement of cement in grouted helical pile applications were investigated. Fresh and hardened properties of the green grout incorporating different percentages of TOSW were evaluated. In addition, a model scale grouted helical pile with the green grout was tested to characterize its performance. The experimental results show that the properties of TOSW grout mixes were comparable to conventional grout and satisfy the strength and construction requirements of grouted piles. Moreover, tested grouted helical pile using the developed mixture exhibited similar geotechnical performance as those installed using conventional grout mix. Hence, TOSW can be implemented in grouted helical pile applications, which would assist in achieving sustainable construction

Magnetic resonance imaging of head and neck vascular anomalies: pearls and pitfalls

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe typical MRI features of the head and neck vascular anomalies and the possible diagnostic pitfalls.Patients and methods: Patients with extracranial vascular anomalies of the head and neck, who underwent MRI examinations between January 2013 and January 2016, were included in the study. Precontrast and postcontrast T1-WI,T2-WI, with and without fat saturation were acquired. When indicated, a noncontrast MR angiography was performed. Dynamic postcontrast MRI techniques were available in six children.Results: The study included 33 patients (age ranged from 10 to 20 years, mean: 49 months). MRI confirmed the clinical diagnosis in equivocal cases, and provided proper determination of lesion extension and/or associated intracranial anomalies. The study included 10 cases of vascular tumors (hemangioma), whereas the remaining 23 cases had the diagnosis of vascular malformations (one patient with arteriovenous malformation, one with capillary malformation, seven with venous, nine with macrocystic lymphatic, and five with microcystic lymphatic malformations).Conclusion: Vascular anomalies in the head and neck are mostly diagnosed on clinical basis; however, when the history is uncertain or the diagnosis is equivocal, a well-tailored MR examination can be a single valuable diagnostic tool providing structural and functional information.Keywords: children, head and neck, hemangioma, lymphatic malformation, magnetic resonance angiography, venous malformatio

Comparative infectivity and transmissibility studies of wild-bird and chicken-origin highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses H5N8 in chickens

Despite the recent advances in avian influenza viruses surveillance and genomic data, fundamental questions concerning the ecology and evolution of these viruses remain elusive. In Egypt, H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) are co-circulating simultaneously with HPAIVs of subtypes H5N1 and low-pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) of subtype H9N2 in both commercial and backyard poultry. In order to isolate AIVs from wild birds and to assess their potential in causing infection in commercial poultry, a total of thirty-four cloacal swab samples were collected from apparently healthy migratory wild birds (Anas acuta, Anas crecca, Rallus aquaticus, and Bubulcus ibis) from four Egyptian Governorates (Giza, Menoufia, Gharbia, and Dakahlia). Based on matrix (M) gene-targeting real-time reverse transcriptase PCR and subsequent genetic characterization, our results revealed two positive isolates (2/34) for H5N8 whereas no H5N1 and H9N2 subtypes were detected. Genetic characterization of the full-length haemagglutinin (HA) genes revealed the clustering of two reported isolates within genotype 5 of clade 2.3.4.4b. The potential of a wild bird-origin H5N8 virus isolated from a cattle egret for its transmission capability within and between chickens was investigated in compare to chicken origin H5N8 AIV. Chickens inoculated with cattle egret isolate showed varying clinical signs and detection of virus shedding. In contrast, the contact chickens showed less levels of virus secretion indicating efficient virus inter/intra-species transmission. These results demonstrated the possibility for spreading of wild bird origin H5N8 viruses between chicken. In conclusion, our study highlights the need for continuous and frequent monitoring of the genetic diversity of H5N8 AIVs in wild birds as well as commercial poultry sectors for better understanding and determining the genetic nature of these viruses, which is fundamental to predict any future threat through virus reassortment with the potential to threaten human and animal health. Likewise, an assessment of coverage and efficacy of different vaccines and or vaccination regimes in the field conditions should be reconsidered along with strict biosecurity measures

Eco-Friendly Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and In Silico Molecular Docking Approach of Some New Quinoline Derivatives as Potential Antioxidant and Antibacterial Agents

A new series of quinoline derivatives 5–12 were efficiently synthesized via one-pot multicomponent reaction (MCR) of resorcinol, aromatic aldehydes, β-ketoesters, and aliphatic/aromatic amines under solvent-free conditions. All products were obtained in excellent yields, pure at low-cost processing, and short time. The structures of all compounds were characterized by means of spectral and elemental analyses. In addition, all the synthesized compounds 5–12 were in vitro screened for their antioxidant and antibacterial activity. Moreover, in silico molecular docking studies of the new quinoline derivatives with the target enzymes, human NAD (P)H dehydrogenase (quinone 1) and DNA gyrase, were achieved to endorse their binding affinities and to understand ligand–enzyme possible intermolecular interactions. Compound 9 displayed promising antioxidant and antibacterial activity, as well as it was found to have the highest negative binding energy of -9.1 and -9.3 kcal/mol for human NAD (P)H dehydrogenase (quinone 1) and DNA gyrase, respectively. Further, it complied with the Lipinski’s rule of five, Veber, and Ghose. Therefore, the quinoline analogue 9 could be promising chemical scaffold for the development of future drug candidates as antioxidant and antibacterial agents

Insights into the genetic evolution of duck hepatitis a virus in Egypt

Duck hepatitis virus (DHV) is one of the commercially important diseases of ducklings worldwide. It is an acute and highly infectious disease of ducklings caused by three different sero-types (1–3) of duck hepatitis A virus (DHAV), and serotype 1 is the most common in poultry. To date, little is known about the prevalence and genetic characterisation of DHAV-1 in Egypt. In the current study, isolation and complete genomic analyses of DHAVs circulating in commercial duck farms in different Egyptian governorates were conducted. A total of eighteen samples were collected from six Egyptian governorates of 3–11 days old ducklings (Pekin and Mullard) with a his-tory of nervous signs and high mortality rates. Five out of eighteen (5/18) samples were screened positive for the DHAV-1 based on the VP1 gene. These samples were individually used for virus isolation in embryonated duck embryos (EDE), followed by complete genome sequencing. Phylo-genomic analyses showed that DHAV serotype I; genotype I were diversified into four different groups (1, 2, 3 and 4). Most of the recent circulating Egyptian DHAV strains are clustered within group 4, while isolates characterised within this study were clustered within group 1. Recombination analyses revealed that the emergence of a new recombinant virus—DHAV-1 strain Egypt-10/2019—through recombination. Likewise, the selective pressure analyses showed the existence, inside or near areas of the viral attachment or related functions, of positive scores highlighting the importance of natural selection and viral evolution mechanism at different protein domains. The findings of this study provide updated information on the epidemiological and genetic features of DHAV-1 strains and underscore the importance of DHAV surveillance as well as re-evaluation for currently used vaccines

Transgenic chicks expressing interferon-inducible transmembrane protein 1 (Ifitm1) restrict highly pathogenic h5n1 influenza viruses

Mammalian cells utilize a wide spectrum of pathways to antagonize the viral replication. These pathways are typically regulated by antiviral proteins and can be constitutively expressed but also exacerbated by interferon induction. A myriad of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) have been identified in mounting broad-spectrum antiviral responses. Members of the interferon-induced transmembrane (IFITM) family of proteins are unique among these ISGs due to their ability to prevent virus entry through the lipid bilayer into the cell. In the current study, we generated transgenic chickens that constitutively and stably expressed chicken IFITM1 (chIFITM1) using the avian sarcomaleukosis virus (RCAS)-based gene transfer system. The challenged transgenic chicks with clinical dose 104 egg infective dose 50 (EID50 ) of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) subtype H5N1 (clade 2.2.1.2) showed 100% protection and significant infection tolerance. Although challenged transgenic chicks displayed 60% protection against challenge with the sub-lethal dose (EID50 105 ), the transgenic chicks showed delayed clinical symptoms, reduced virus shedding, and reduced histopathologic alterations compared to non-transgenic challenged control chickens. These finding indicate that the sterile defense against H5N1 HPAIV offered by the stable expression of chIFITM1 is inadequate; however, the clinical outcome can be substantially ameliorated. In conclusion, chIFITM proteins can inhibit influenza virus replication that can infect various host species and could be a crucial barrier against zoonotic infections. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Biochar composition-dependent impacts on soil nutrient release, carbon mineralization, and potential environmental risk: A review

Biochar application has multiple benefits for soil fertility improvement and climate change mitigation. Biochar can act as a source of nutrients and sequester carbon (C) in the soil. The nutrient release capacity of biochar once applied to the soil varies with the composition of the biochar, which is a function of the feedstock type and pyrolysis condition used for biochar production. Biochar has a crucial influence on soil C mineralization, including its positive or negative priming of microorganisms involved in soil C cycling. However, in various cases, biochar application to the soil may cause negative effects in the soil and the wider environment. For instance, biochar may suppress soil nutrient availability and crop productivity due to the reduction in plant nutrient uptake or reduction in soil C mineralization. Biochar application may also negatively affect environmental quality and human health because of harmful compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, and dibenzofurans (PCDD/DF). In this review, we discuss the linkage between biochar composition and function, evaluate the role biochar plays in soil fertility improvement and C sequestration, and discuss regulations and concerns regarding biochar's negative environmental impact. We also summarize advancements in biochar production technologies and discuss future challenges and priorities in biochar research