Mechanical processing of banana slices-stem for fiber extraction

This research aimed to manufacture a simple fiber extraction machine. The machine prototype consisted of available raw materials. The beater cylinder is the most significant component in this machine. The electric motor of 0.75 kW was used to rotate the beater cylinder. The machine theory is based on the repeated rapid beating of the beaters on a slice-stem of banana. This beating simulated what labor does by using hand hammers to eliminate the juice and extract the fibers. The machine was tested under three rotational speeds of the beater cylinder 650, 750, and 850 rpm and using three beater cylinders with a different number of beaters 8, 10, and 12. The fibers produced by the machine were straight, of good quality, and not shredded, this was achieved in abundance when using the cylinder that has 10 beaters with 750 rpm rotational speeds of the beater cylinder. Thus, under these operating conditions, the extraction efficiency, the time required, and machine productivity were 88%, 40 min, and 8.6 kg h-1, respectively. The minimum value of the power required was 0.45 kW at the rotational speed of 650 rpm and using the eight beaters. While the maximum value of the power required was 0.64 kW at the rotational speed of 850 rpm and using the number of beaters 12. At the machine productivity of 8.6 kg h-1, the production cost will be 2.7 L.E. kg-1. While the costs of manual extracting of the fibers were 10 L.E. kg-1

Future regenerative medicine developments and their therapeutic applications

: Although the currently available pharmacological assays can cure most pathological disorders, they have limited therapeutic value in relieving certain disorders like myocardial infarct, peripheral vascular disease, amputated limbs, or organ failure (e.g. renal failure). Pilot studies to overcome such problems using regenerative medicine (RM) delivered promising data. Comprehensive investigations of RM in zebrafish or reptilians are necessary for better understanding. However, the precise mechanisms remain poorly understood despite the tremendous amount of data obtained using the zebrafish model investigating the exact mechanisms behind their regenerative capability. Indeed, understanding such mechanisms and their application to humans can save millions of lives from dying due to potentially life-threatening events. Recent studies have launched a revolution in replacing damaged human organs via different approaches in the last few decades. The newly established branch of medicine (known as Regenerative Medicine aims to enhance natural repair mechanisms. This can be done through the application of several advanced broad-spectrum technologies such as organ transplantation, tissue engineering, and application of Scaffolds technology (support vascularization using an extracellular matrix), stem cell therapy, miRNA treatment, development of 3D mini-organs (organoids), and the construction of artificial tissues using nanomedicine and 3D bio-printers. Moreover, in the next few decades, revolutionary approaches in regenerative medicine will be applied based on artificial intelligence and wireless data exchange, soft intelligence biomaterials, nanorobotics, and even living robotics capable of self-repair. The present work presents a comprehensive overview that summarizes the new and future advances in the field of RM

A Comparison between single-dose pregabalin and magnesium sulfate in induced hypotension during functional endoscopic sinus surgery: A prospective randomized double-blinded study

Background: Functional Endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is a surgical intervention during which controlled hypotension can improve visibility. Magnesium sulfate is used for controlled hypotension. Pregabalin is also effective in hypotensive anesthesia. Objectives: This study aimed to detect the effect of single preoperative oral pregabalin versus intravenous magnesium sulfate to facilitate induced hypotension during functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Patients and methods: In a randomized, double-blind, prospective study, 60 patients of either sex were divided into 2 equal groups. Group P received an oral pregabalin capsule of 150 mg 30 minutes before general anesthesia. Group M received a single-dose 2 grams of magnesium sulfate 30 minutes before induction of anesthesia. The primary outcome was the total intraoperative consumption of nitroglycerin required to maintain the mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) at the range of 55– 65 mmHg. The secondary outcomes were the quality of the surgical field assessed by the Fromm and Boezaart grading scale, surgeon satisfaction assessed by the five-point Likert scale, and the visual analog pain scores (VAS). Results: The pregabalin group P showed statistically significant lower nitroglycerine doses (1.3±1.2 mg) compared to group M (3.3±1.5 mg) with a P value of <0.001. The surgical field quality and the surgeon satisfaction scales showed statistically significant better scores in group P (1.7±0.6 and 5±0.6 respectively) than in group M (3.2±0.9 and 2.1±0.6 respectively) with P values of (0.023 and 0.001 respectively). The VAS showed statistically significant lower scores in group P (1.3±0.9) compared with group M (3.4±0.6) with a p value= 0.001. Conclusion: A single preoperative pregabalin dose was more effective than magnesium sulfate in reducing the total intraoperative consumption of nitroglycerin. It also provides a dryer surgical field that achieves better surgeon satisfaction and provides postoperative analgesia

Osteoprotegerin is a new regulator of inflammation and angiogenesis in proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a novel regulator of endothelial cell function, angiogenesis, and vasculogenesis. We correlated expression levels of OPG with those of the angiogenic and inflammatory factors vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). We also examined expression of OPG in retinas from diabetic rats and diabetic patients and measured production of OPG by human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMEC) and investigated its angiogenic activity.status: publishe

Impact of Training on Developing wisdom in Gifted Female Students at Secondary School

هدف البحث إلى معرفة أثر برنامج تدريبي قائم على الحكمة في تنمية مهارات الحكمة لدى الطالبات الموهوبات في المرحلة الثانوية، وللتحقق من هذا الهدف قام الباحثون بالتحقق من الفرض التالي: يؤدي تطبيق برنامج تدريبي قائم على الحكمة في تحسين مهارات الحكمة (التأملي، الحواري) بشكل إيجابي لدى الطالبات الموهوبات في المرحلة الثانوية في مملكة البحرين. وقد تكونت عينة البحث من (24) طالبة موهوبة من المرحلة الثانوية، موزعات بالتساوي على مدرستين ثانويتين للبنات إحداهما تجريبية والأخرى ضابطة. طبقت أداة الحكمة في القياس القبلي والبعدي لأفراد المجموعتين التجريبية والضابطة، بينما طبق البرنامج التدريبي "القائم على الحكمة" على أفراد المجموعة التجريبية على مدى (22) جلسة تدريبية خلال الفصل الثاني من العام الدراسي (2014-2015م). وبعد المعالجة الإحصائية، جاءت النتائج كالآتي: وجود فروق دالة إحصائياً عند مستوى أقل من (0.001) على التطبيق البعدي لمهارات البعدين التأملي والحواري بين المجموعتين التجريبية والضابطة لصالح المجموعة التجريبية، وهذا يدل على أثر البرنامج التدريبي في تنمية مهارات الحكمة لدى الطالبات الموهوبات. الكلمات المفتاحية: الموهبة، الحكمة، المرحلة الثانوية.The study aimed to investigate the effect of a wisdom-based training program on the development of wisdom of gifted students in the secondary level in the kingdom of Bahrain. In order to achieve this objective, the researchers answered&nbsp; this question: “Is there a valid positive impact for the implementation of a wisdom-based training program in the development of gifted students’ wisdom skills in the secondary level in the kingdom of Bahrain? The sample of the study consisted of (24) gifted students from the secondary level divided equally into two groups: experimental group and control group. The wisdom tool&nbsp; was applied in the pre-test and post-test processes on the two groups, whereas the wisdom-based training program was applied on the members of the experimental group only over (22)&nbsp; training sessions in the second term of the academic year (2014/2015). After the statistical analysis, the results revealed statistically significant differences in the post-test levels of reflective and dialogic dimension skills between the experimental and control groups, in favor of the experimental group. This indicates the effect of the experimental program in the development of wisdom skills on gifted students. Keywords: Giftedness, Wisdom, Secondary level

Patient Satisfaction and Its Predictors in the General Hospitals of Southwest Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Survey

Background: Patient satisfaction occupies a central position in measuring the quality of care as it provides information on the provider's success, meeting the patient’s values and expectations. Hence, it is an essential tool for assessing health services outcomes. This study aimed to assess patients' satisfaction level and factors influencing healthcare quality of general hospitals in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia (SA). Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 423 patients selected through stratified random sampling from general hospitals of the Jazan region. Results: The overall satisfaction rate among the study participants was 80.9%. Satisfaction with food services was the highest (91.15%) followed by doctor services (81.0%), reception and entry procedures (80%), and nursing services (78.15%). The various aspects of satisfaction with doctors and nurses included the treatment prescribed by physicians, clarity in communication with patients, compassion and providing clear explanation of what they were doing. However, about 27.3% of the patients were dissatisfied with the length of waiting period before seeing a doctor. Binary logistic regression analysis suggested that uneducated patients and patients with secondary school education were more likely to have higher satisfaction level than university-educated patients (OR = 3.40, 95% C.I. [1.56–7.45], p = 0.002), (OR = 2.66, 95% C.I. [1.28–5.55], p = 0.009), and (OR = 2.29, 95% C.I. [1.40–3.73], p = 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: The health services satisfaction level was high in the Jazan population. However, some aspects of dissatisfaction were reported, such as the long waiting period before seeing a doctor. These aspects are recommended to be improved to ensure that the services provided by general hospitals are of high quality

EVALUATION OF GENTAMICIN INDUCED NEPHROTOXICITY IN CANINE: CLINICAL, HEMATOLOGICAL, BIOCHEMICAL, ULTRASONOGRAPHIC AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS

The present study was planned to evaluate the clinical, hematological, biochemical, ultrasonographic, and histopathological alterations in kidneys and other organs in dogs injected with gentamicin. Six mongrel dogs were experimentally injected I/M with gentamicin by 20 mg/kg BW daily till the appearance of renal failure signs. Blood samples were collected before and after induction (on day 9 and day 12). Hematological results revealed a non-significant decrease in hemoglobin and RBC’s, a significant decrease in hematocrit values on both days, a non-significant increase in TLC at day 12 but a non-significant decrease at day 9, a significant increase in non-segmented neutrophil at day 9 but non-significant decrease at day 12, non-significant decrease in lymphocyte at day 9 but non-significant increase at day 12, a significant increase in monocyte at day 9 but non-significant decrease at day 12. Biochemical results revealed a significant increase in urea and creatinine on day 12 and a non-significant increase on day 9. Urinalysis results indicated an increase in leukocyte, albumin, glucose, pus cells, and RBCs. Urine culture revealed isolates of E.coli, Proteus, and Staphylococcus bacteria. Ultrasonographic results showed increased echogenicity of renal cortex with loss of corticomedullary junction on day 9. On day 12 ultrasonographic results revealed intensive hyper-echogenicity of the renal cortex, increased echogenicity of the right renal cortex as compared with the spleen, and the renal cortex of the right kidney appeared more hyperechoic when compared with the liver. Histopathological examination of kidneys showed different degenerative changes, hemorrhages, nephritis, and other organs revealed degeneration, inflammation, and hemorrhages. The findings indicated that despite the therapeutic effect of gentamicin in treating kidney infection, it may have an adverse effect on kidneys and other organs, especially with massive doses

Nurses' Knowledge Concerning Early Interventions for Patients with Ventricular Tachycardia at Baghdad Teaching Hospitals

Abstract:Objectives: The study aims to assess nurses’ knowledge regarding early intervention for patient with ventricular tachycardia and finds out association with their demographic characteristics.Methodology:Descriptive design has been conducted on 50 samples of nurses. The study was carried out to identify nurses’ knowledge concerning early intervention for patients with ventricular tachycardia at Baghdad teaching hospitals.In order to obtain comprehensive data a specifically a questionnaire is constructed by the researchers according to reviewing literatures related to the topic of the study. It is consist of two parts the first part consists of socio-demographic characteristic consist of (9) items, and second Part two consists of (23) items to measures nurses knowledge concerning early intervention for patient with ventricular tachycardia.In order to determine the face validity, copies of the questionnaire was presented to panel of experts and reliability of the questionnaire was obtained through measuring internal consistency of questionnaire items which are (23 items) where result was (0.803) by Cronbach s' Coefficient alpha. A non- probability (purposive) sample of 50 nurse taken from above –mentioned hospitals. Statistical Analysis has been applied through using statistical package for social sciences (spss version 20) by utilizing descriptive and inferential analysis.Results:The overall assessment of the studied sample’s knowledge was low. There were statistically significant association between studied sample’s knowledge and marital status, age groups, and Experience years at nursing profession.Conclusion: the overall assessment of samples knowledge was lowRecommendations: the study recommends to encourage nurses to participate in sessions inside or outside the country to improve their knowledge and In addition to Place an Educational posters in the critical care units include an outline concerning early interventions or treatment for this disorder may be more beneficial for nursesKeyword: Nurses, Knowledge, Early Intervention, Patients, Ventricular Tachycardi

Isolation and identification of allergens and biogenic amines of Prosopis juliflora genotypes

Background: Prosopis, or mesquite (Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC.), was introduced in Saudi Arabia several decades ago and is heavily used in street, roadside, and park plantations. It shows great adaptation to the prevailing climatic conditions such as high temperature, severe drought, and salinity and spreads naturally in many parts of the Kingdom. This research was conducted to isolate allergen proteins and biogenic amines from the pollen grains of P. juliflora genotypes in Saudi Arabia from two regions, namely Al-Qassim and Eastern regions. Results: The results showed that 18 different allergen proteins were detected in P. juliflora genotypes, with molecular weight ranging from 14 to 97 kDa. Moreover, P. juliflora genotypes from the two studied regions contained eight biogenic amines, namely histamine, tyramine, tryptamine, \u3b2-phenylethylamine, butricine, codapherine, spermidine, and spermine. All genotypes from the Al-Qassim region were found to contain all eight amines, while in the Eastern region, histamine was absent in three genotypes, spermine was absent in six genotypes, and spermidine was absent in three genotypes. Genotypes B23, E20, and E21 had the lowest biogenic amine quantity. Conclusions: All identified proteins from mesquite trees from both regions (Eastern and Al-Qassim) cause allergies in patients who are sensitive to pollen grains. Bioamines, except histamine and tyramine, were recorded at varying concentrations in different genotypes