A retrospective analysis of factors affecting levels of presenting Periodontitis of patients referred to the Royal London Dental Hospital

Abstract Objectives: To describe the socio-demographic features of the typical periodontal referral cohort; the levels of presenting periodontitis at Royal London Dental Hospital (RLDH) with reference to the 2017 European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) classification; identifying the risk factors/risk indicators for Periodontitis in the population; use multivariate logistic regression modelling to determine the relative contribution of risk factor/indicators to levels of periodontitis determined by a focus on tooth loss as the primary outcome Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional analytical study used a subset of data from subjects that were referred, clinically assessed on periodontal Consultation clinics at the RLDH and subsequently taken on for periodontal treatment. The sample consisted of 150 individuals (92 females/ 58 males), aged 16+ years (16-79 years old). Risk factors/indicators were assessed in relation to tooth loss and mean probing pocket depth (PPD) of ≥4mm. Results: Smoking, Age>40 years and self-declared stress at baseline assessment were significant predictors of tooth loss and only poor plaque control (defined as >50%) was a significant predictor of mean PPD≥4mm. A higher proportion of patients in the South-East Asian (SEA) cohort were younger, suggesting that they present earlier with severe disease, they presented with lower levels of self-reported stress and higher numbers of irregular dental attenders. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this retrospective cross-sectional study, it is unclear whether the SE-Asian group demonstrated with significant Periodontitis disease severity more or less than the other Ethnic groups combined. There is a lack of strong evidence to demonstrate that there are more diabetics amongst the SEA population, and as to whether this is controlled or uncontrolled DM. However, in this study the SEA group had lower levels of self-reported stress and higher numbers of irregular dental attenders compared with other ethnic groups combined

Oxidant-antioxidant balance in childhood asthma

Background: Asthmatic patients generate reactive oxygen species impairing the antioxidant defense system and creating a state of oxidative stress in asthmatics. Objectives: Determination of the oxidant - antioxidant status in asthmatic children, by measuring the activities of antioxidant enzymes; superoxide dismutases (SOD) and glutathione peroxidases (Gpx) and estimating plasma level of malondialdehyde (MDA) as an index of lipid peroxidation, to find a relation between antioxidant levels and the severity of asthma and the early response to treatment. Methods: This study included 60 children; group (1): 40 asthmatic children and group (2): 20 apparently healthy children as a control group. The following were measured in all the children; plasma level of (MDA), erythrocytes (SOD) and (Gpx) (in asthmatic children two samples were taken; the first during acute attack and the second after 48 hours of treatment). Results: Significant lower erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes activities and higher malondialdehyde was found in asthmatic children compared to the control group, either before or after receiving treatment. In asthmatics, MDA was significantly decreasing and SOD was significantly increasing with treatment. MDA was significantly higher, while SOD was significantly lower with the severity of asthma either before or after receiving treatment. A significant negative correlation was observed between MDA with both of SOD and Gpx, in acute asthmatic attacks. A significant positive correlation was detected between the activities of SOD and Gpx enzymes. Conclusion: Acute asthma leads to a considerable oxidative stress that is indicated by the high level of malondialdehyde and low level of antioxidant enzymes.Keywords: bronchial asthma, superoxide dismutases (SOD), glutathione peroxidases (Gpx), malondialdehyde (MDA), antioxidantsEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2013;11(1):35-4

Interleukin-12 levels in Egyptian children with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), arising through a complex interaction of immune, genetic and environmental factors, results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing β cells. Cytokines are critical to the function of both innate and adaptive immune responses. Interleukin-12 p40 production influences T cell response, and may therefore be important in T1DM pathogenesis. Objective: to study the changes in IL12 levels in children with T1DM. Study design: fifty T1DM children among those attending diabetes clinic at Zagazig University hospitals, were included in the study. They were 27 males and 23 females (mean age, 9.19 ± 3.3 years). Thirty age and sex matched healthy children were serving as a control group. All children were subjected to full history taking, physical examination, complete blood count (CBC), random blood sugar, glycated hemoglobin (HBA1C) and serum IL-12 levels assessed by ELISA. Results: Diabetic children had significantly higher white blood cell count, HBA1C, and IL12 levels than healthy children. While there was no effect of gender on IL12 levels, there were significant increase in IL12 levels in newly diagnosed cases, those with higher body mass index and those who had the poorest glycemic control. Conclusion: type 1 diabetes is associated with elevation of IL-12 levels. This association is more evident in both newly diagnosed and poorly controlled patients indicating a relevant role of IL-12 in the pathogenesis of the disease.Keywords: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Interleukin 12, EgyptEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2013;11(1):41-4

Constitutive models for the prediction of the hot deformation behavior of the 10%Cr steel alloy

The aim of this paper is to establish a reliable model that provides the best fit to the specific behavior of the flow stresses of the 10%Cr steel alloy at the time of hot deformation. Modified Johnson-Cook and strain-compensated Arrhenius-type (phenomenological models), in addition to two Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models were established with the view toward investigating their stress prediction performances. The ANN models were trained using Scaled Conjugate Gradient (SCG) and Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithms. The prediction accuracy of the established models was evaluated using the following well-known statistical parameters: (a) correlation coefficient (R), (b) Average Absolute Relative Error (AARE), (c) Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), and Relative Error (RE). The results showed that both of the modified Johnson-Cook and strain-compensated Arrhenius models could not competently predict the flow behavior. On the contrary, the results indicated that the two proposed ANN models precisely predicted the flow stress values and that the LM-trained ANN provided a superior performance over the SCG-trained model, as it yielded an RMSE of as low as 0.441 MPa. - 2019 by the authors

Utilization of Synthesized Nano-Zinc Oxide in Yellow Basic Dye Decontamination from Industrial Wastewater

ZnO nanorod has been successfully synthesized through the reduction of Zinc chloride salt with ammonia solution in the presence of triethanolamine (TEA) as surfactant agent via hydrothermal technique. The properties of the produced material were determined using different characterization techniques such as X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectrum (FTIR). The results showed that the asprepared ZnO are rod- like morphologies at pH equal to 10. The synthesized nano rod-zinc oxide was employed asadsorbent agent for basic yellow 28 dye decolorization from polluted industrial wastewater. The synthesized nano-ZnO was achieved 93.26% dye decolorization affinity with in 60minutes. The variation in the different processing parameters on the dye sorption process was elucidated using batch technique. The increment in both the dye solution pH and its  temperature was association with decline in the decolourization process. The optimum nano-zinc oxide dosage was recorded to be equal to 10 g/L. The adsorption data at equilibrium were analyzed using Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin equilibrium isotherms. The experimental results confirmed the applicability of synthesized nano-zinc oxide as adsorbent agent for dye decontamination from polluted wastewater.Keywords: nano-zinc oxide, dye decolourization, sorption parameters

Biliary duodenostomy: a safe and easier biliary drainage procedure after choledochal cyst excision

Background/purpose: The treatment of choice for choledochal cyst (CC) is complete excision followed by biliary–enteric anastomosis. Roux-en-Y biliary jejunostomy has been favored by most surgeons for decades, with satisfying results. The use of biliary duodenostomy (BD) is another simple alternative for biliary drainage after CC excision. Our intermediate-term outcomes of both biliary drainage procedures after CC excision are presented.Methods: We carried out a retrospective analysis of the outcome of CC management in children operated at the Pediatric Surgery Department of Ain-Shams University over 5 years, from January 2010.Results: A total of 23 cases (16 females) were included in this study. The mean age at operation was 4.02 ± 2.52 years. Twenty-one cases had type I and two cases had type III CC. Complete excision of the CC was performed in 22 cases, and partial excision with mucosectomy was performed in one case. Biliary–enteric anastomosis was performed with the duodenum in 18 patients (group I, BD) and with the jejunum in five cases (group II, Roux-en-Y biliary jejunostomy). The mean follow-up period was 53± 4.48 months. A patient from group II suffered from ascending cholangitis 6 months postoperatively.Conclusion: BD is a simple technique for biliary drainage after CC excision with no major complications at intermediate-term follow-up.Keywords: biliary obstruction, choledochal cyst, hepaticoduodenostomy, jaundic

Influence of Reaction Time, Reducing Agent and Zinc Precursors on the Morphological Structures of Zinc Oxide

ZnO either nanoparticles or nanorods were synthesized via sol-gel technique. Many factors were studied and optimized in order to obtain different morphological structures of nano-ZnO. Effect of reaction time (3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours) has been studied to optimize the best preparation condition. Reducing agent (NH3, NaOH and KOH) is one of the factors affect on morphological structures, which has been studied in this work. Other effect has been studied in this work is zinc precursors such as Zn(NO3)2, ZnAc2, ZnCl2, and ZnBr2. The morphological structures of prepared ZnO were revealed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the aspect ratios were calculated. x-ray diffraction (XRD) patternsexposed a highly crystallized wurtzite structure and used for identifying phase structure and chemical state of ZnO under different preparation conditions.Keywords: sol-gel, morphological structures, reducing agent, SEM, preparation conditions

Stellar parameters of Be stars observed with X-shooter

Aims. The X-shooter archive of several thousand telluric star spectra was skimmed for Be and Be-shell stars to derive the stellar fundamental parameters and statistical properties, in particular for the less investigated late type Be stars, and the extension of the Be phenomenon into early A stars. Methods. An adapted version of the BCD method is used, utilizing the Balmer discontinuity parameters to determine effective temperature and surface gravity. This method is optimally suited for late B stars. The projected rotational velocity was obtained by profile fitting to the Mg ii lines of the targets, and the spectra were inspected visually for the presence of peculiar features such as the infrared Ca ii triplet or the presence of a double Balmer discontinuity. The Balmer line equivalent widths were measured, but due to uncertainties in determining the photospheric contribution are useful only in a subsample of Be stars for determining the pure emission contribution. Results. A total of 78 Be stars, mostly late type ones, were identified in the X-shooter telluric standard star archive, out of which 48 had not been reported before. The general trend of late type Be stars having more tenuous disks and being less variable than early type ones is confirmed. The relatively large number (48) of relatively bright (V > 8.5) additional Be stars casts some doubt on the statistics of late type Be stars; they are more common than currently thought: The Be/B star fraction may not strongly depend on spectral subtype.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis as a cause of bronchial asthma in children

Background: Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) occurs in patients with asthma and cystic fibrosis. When aspergillus fumigatus spores are inhaled they grow in bronchial mucous as hyphae. It occurs in non immunocompromised patients and belongs to the hypersensitivity disorders induced by Aspergillus. Objective: To diagnose cases of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis among asthmatic children and define the association between the clinical and laboratory findings of aspergillus fumigatus (AF) and bronchial asthma. Methods: Eighty asthmatic children were recruited in this study and divided into 50 atopic and 30 non-atopic children. The following were done: skin prick test for aspergillus fumigatus and other allergens, measurement of serum total IgE, specific serum aspergillus fumigatus antibody titer IgG and IgE (AF specific IgG and IgE) and absolute eosinophilic count. Results: ABPA occurred only in atopic asthmatics, it was more prevalent with decreased forced expiratory volume at the first second (FEV1). Prolonged duration of asthma and steroid dependency were associated with ABPA. AF specific IgE and IgG were higher in the atopic group, they were higher in Aspergillus fumigatus skin prick test positive children than negative ones .Wheal diameter of skin prick test had a significant relation to the level of AF IgE titer. Skin prick test positive cases for aspergillus fumigatus was observed in 32% of atopic asthmatic children. Conclusion: ABPA occurs in 1/3 of atopic asthmatic children and is related to the duration and severity of asthma.Keywords: Aspergillosis, bronchial asthma, childrenEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2012;10(2):95-10