Human Rights Organizations in Palestine: Scope, Opportunities and Challenges

The study was designed to understand the scope, opportunites and challenges of human rights organizations (HROs) from the point of view of managers in the State of Palestine. The study adopted the quantitative method, using a probability sample of 39 managers in the HROs. A social survey, developed by the researchers, was used to collect the data after ensuring its reliability and validity. The data were analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and are discussed with descriptive statistics. Against the background of the pervasive attacks by Israel on Palestine, the study revealed that HROs engage in a range of activities to protect and promote socio-economic and political rights. However, the goals of these HROs are challenged by the generally weak culture of human rights in the country, and institutional, legal and political factors

HEPATOPROTECTIVE AND HEPATOTHERAPUTIC EFFECTS OF PROPOLIS AGAINST D-GALACTOSAMINE/LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE-INDUCED LIVER DAMAGE IN RATS

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential hepatoprotective and hepatotherapeutic activities of propolis against D-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide (D-GaIN/LPS)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.Methods: Hepatotoxicity was induced in rats by intra peritoneal injection of GalN (300 mg/kg) and LPS (30 μg/kg). In the hepatoprotection experiment, propolis was administered orally for 10 days before induction of hepatoxicity. In another experiment (hepatotherapy), propolis was dosed immediately after GalN/LPS injection.Results: Injection of GalN/LPS to rats induced hepatic damage that was manifested by a significant increase in the activities of aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase and levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and total bilirubin in serum. Liver homogenate of intoxicated animals had the lower content of reduced glutathione with increased levels of the hepatic malondialdehyde and caspase-3 enzyme. Histological data presented marked damage in liver sections of intoxicated rats. Oral dosing of propolis before or once immediately after intoxication reversed these altered parameters near to normal values.Conclusion: Liver apoptotic events such as DNA fragmentation and increased caspase-3 activity observed during intoxication were prevented by pre and post- propolis treatment. These results suggest that propolis could afford significant protection and therapy in alleviation of hepatotoxicity.Â

Evaluation of the safety and antioxidant activities of Crocus sativus and Propolis ethanolic extracts

AbstractThe possible toxicological effects and in vitro antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extracts of Crocus sativus and Propolis were investigated. Both extracts did not cause any mortalities or signs of toxicity in mice when administered orally at doses up to 5g/kgb.wt. In the sub-chronic study; the tested extracts did not produce any significant change in liver and kidney functions of rats, following oral administration for 8 successive weeks at doses of 500mg/kgb.wt. of each. Propolis showed remarkable in vitro antioxidant activity at concentrations of (40–100mg/ml). In contrast, the ethanolic extract of C. sativus ethanolic extract showed weak antioxidant activity in concentrations of (1–10mg/ml) while at concentrations of (20–100mg/ml) failed to exhibit any antioxidant activity. It was concluded that: both extracts were non-toxic, as they did not cause any mortalities or signs of toxicity in mice when administered orally at doses up to 5g/kgb.wt. Daily oral administration of C. sativus, Propolis ethanolic extracts alone or in combination for 8 successive weeks to rats was quiet safe and didn't cause any toxic changes in liver and kidney. Antioxidant study showed that Propolis ethanolic extract was a more potent antioxidant than C. sativus extract

Niosomas encapsulados en praziquantel contra Schistosoma mansoni con sensibilidad reducida al praziquantel

Introduction: Praziquantel (PZQ) is the only commercially available drug for schistosomiasis. The current shortage of alternative effective drugs and the lack of successful preventive measures enhance its value. The increase in the prevalence of PZQ resistance under sustained drug pressure is, therefore, an upcoming issue. Objectives: To overcome the tolerance to PZQ using nanotechnology after laboratory induction of a Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) isolate with reduced sensitivity to the drug during the intramolluscan phase. Materials and methods: Shedding snails were treated with PZQ doses of 200 mg/kg twice/week, followed by an interval of one week, and then repeated twice in the same manner. The success of inducing reduced sensitivity was confirmed in vitro via the reduction of cercarial response to PZQ regarding their swimming activity and death percentage at different examination times. Results: Oral treatment with a single PZQ dose of 500 mg/kg in mice infected with cercariae with reduced sensitivity to PZQ revealed a non-significant reduction (35.1%) of total worm burden compared to non-treated control mice. Orally inoculated PZQ-encapsulated niosomes against S. mansoni with reduced sensitivity to PZQ successfully regained the pathogen’s sensitivity to PZQ, as evidenced by measuring different parameters in comparison to the non-treated infected animals with parasites with reduced sensitivity to PZQ. The mean total worm load was 1.33 ± 0.52 with a statistically significant reduction of 94.09% and complete eradication of male worms. A remarkable increase in the percentage reduction of tissue egg counts in the liver and intestine (97.68% and 98.56% respectively) was obtained associated with a massive increase in dead eggs and complete absence of immature stages. Conclusion: PZQ-encapsulated niosomes restored the drug sensitivity against laboratory-induced S. mansoni adult worms with reduced sensitivity to PZQ.Introducción. El praziquantel (PZQ) es el único fármaco disponible comercialmente para la esquistosomiasis. La escasez actual de medicamentos alternativos eficaces y la falta de medidas preventivas eficaces aumentan su valor. El aumento de la prevalencia de la resistencia al PZQ bajo una presión prolongada del fármaco es, por tanto, un tema emergente. Objetivos. Superar la tolerancia a PZQ mediante nanotecnología después de la inducción en laboratorio de un aislamiento de Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) con sensibilidad reducida al fármaco durante la fase intramolusca. Material y métodos. Los caracoles que liberaban cercarias se trataron con dosis de PZQ de 200 mg / kg dos veces por semana, seguido de un intervalo de una semana, y luego se repitieron dos veces de la misma manera. El éxito de inducir una sensibilidad reducida se confirmó in vitro mediante la reducción de la respuesta de las cercarias al PZQ con respecto a su actividad de natación y el porcentaje de muerte en diferentes momentos de examen. Resultados. El tratamiento oral con una dosis única de PZQ de 500 mg / kg en ratones infectados con cercarias con sensibilidad reducida a PZQ reveló una reducción no significativa (35,1%) de la carga total de gusanos en comparación con los ratones de control no tratados. Los niosomas encapsulados en PZQ inoculados por vía oral contra S. mansoni con sensibilidad reducida a PZQ permitieron reestablecer con éxito la sensibilidad del patógeno a PZQ, como lo demuestra la medición de diferentes parámetros en comparación con los animales infectados no tratados con parásitos con sensibilidad reducida a PZQ. La carga media total de gusanos fue de 1,33 ± 0,52 con una reducción estadísticamente significativa del 94,09% y la erradicación completa de los gusanos machos adultos. Se obtuvo un aumento notable en el porcentaje de reducción del recuento de huevos en tejido en el hígado y el intestino (97,68% y 98,56% respectivamente) asociado con un aumento masivo de huevos muertos y ausencia total de estadios inmaduros. Conclusión. Los niosomas encapsulados en PZQ restauraron la sensibilidad al fármaco contra gusanos adultos de S. mansoni inducidos en laboratorio con sensibilidad reducida a PZQ

Divisi XVII.C.2, Periode 101, TAHUN AKADEMIK 2022/2023, Padaan Ngasem, Banjarharjo, Kalibawang, Kulon Progo

Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) Reguler Universitas Ahmad Dahlan Tahun Akademik 2022/2023 Periode 101 Unit XVII.C2 ditempatkan di Padukuhan Padaan Ngasem, Banjarharjo, Kalinawang, Kulon Progo. Banjarharjo adalah desa di kecamatan Kalibawang, Kulon Progo, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Di sebelah selatan dan barat berbatasan dengan kelurahan Banjarasri dan utara dengan kelurahan Banjaroyo, sedangkan di sebelah barat laut berbatasan dengan kabupaten Magelang, Jawa Tengah dan kabupaten Sleman

Evaluation of growth and nutritional value of Brassica microgreens grown under red, blue and green LEDs combinations

39 p.-7 fig.-2 tab.-9 tab. supl.Microgreens are rich functional crops with valuable nutritional elements that have health benefits when used as food supplements. Growth characterization,nutritional composition profile of 21 varieties representing five species of the Brassica genus asmicrogreens were assessed under light-emitting diodes(LEDs) conditions. Microgreens were grown under four different LEDs ratios(%); red:blue 80:20 and 20:80 (R80:B20 and R20:B80), or red:green:blue 70:10:20 and 20:10:70 (R70:G10:B20 and R20:G10:B70). Results indicated that supplemental lighting with green LEDs (R70:G10:B20) enhanced vegetative growth and morphology, while blue LEDs (R20:B80) increased the mineral and vitamin contents. Interestingly, by linking the nutritional content with the growth yield to define the optimal LEDs setup, we found that the best lighting to promote the microgreen growth was the green LEDs combination (R70:G10:B20). Remarkably, under the green LEDs combination (R70:G10:B20) conditions,the microgreens of Kohlrabi purple, Cabbage red, Broccoli, Kale Tucsan, Komatsuna red, Tatsoi and Cabbage green, which can benefit human health in conditions with limited food, had the highest growth and nutritional content.This research work is a part of a project received seed funding from the Dubai Future Foundation through the Guaana.com open research platform(grant no. MBR026). Dr. Mortaza is supported from ERDF project “Plants as a tool from sustainable global development” No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000827.Peer reviewe

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

Effects of antiplatelet therapy after stroke due to intracerebral haemorrhage (RESTART): a randomised, open-label trial

Background: Antiplatelet therapy reduces the risk of major vascular events for people with occlusive vascular disease, although it might increase the risk of intracranial haemorrhage. Patients surviving the commonest subtype of intracranial haemorrhage, intracerebral haemorrhage, are at risk of both haemorrhagic and occlusive vascular events, but whether antiplatelet therapy can be used safely is unclear. We aimed to estimate the relative and absolute effects of antiplatelet therapy on recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage and whether this risk might exceed any reduction of occlusive vascular events. Methods: The REstart or STop Antithrombotics Randomised Trial (RESTART) was a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded endpoint, parallel-group trial at 122 hospitals in the UK. We recruited adults (≥18 years) who were taking antithrombotic (antiplatelet or anticoagulant) therapy for the prevention of occlusive vascular disease when they developed intracerebral haemorrhage, discontinued antithrombotic therapy, and survived for 24 h. Computerised randomisation incorporating minimisation allocated participants (1:1) to start or avoid antiplatelet therapy. We followed participants for the primary outcome (recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage) for up to 5 years. We analysed data from all randomised participants using Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusted for minimisation covariates. This trial is registered with ISRCTN (number ISRCTN71907627). Findings: Between May 22, 2013, and May 31, 2018, 537 participants were recruited a median of 76 days (IQR 29–146) after intracerebral haemorrhage onset: 268 were assigned to start and 269 (one withdrew) to avoid antiplatelet therapy. Participants were followed for a median of 2·0 years (IQR [1·0– 3·0]; completeness 99·3%). 12 (4%) of 268 participants allocated to antiplatelet therapy had recurrence of intracerebral haemorrhage compared with 23 (9%) of 268 participants allocated to avoid antiplatelet therapy (adjusted hazard ratio 0·51 [95% CI 0·25–1·03]; p=0·060). 18 (7%) participants allocated to antiplatelet therapy experienced major haemorrhagic events compared with 25 (9%) participants allocated to avoid antiplatelet therapy (0·71 [0·39–1·30]; p=0·27), and 39 [15%] participants allocated to antiplatelet therapy had major occlusive vascular events compared with 38 [14%] allocated to avoid antiplatelet therapy (1·02 [0·65–1·60]; p=0·92). Interpretation: These results exclude all but a very modest increase in the risk of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage with antiplatelet therapy for patients on antithrombotic therapy for the prevention of occlusive vascular disease when they developed intracerebral haemorrhage. The risk of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage is probably too small to exceed the established benefits of antiplatelet therapy for secondary prevention