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OBJECTIVES: A survey compared dental caries experience, perceived problems, treatment needs and exposure to risk factors in a group of prisoners in two Saudi prisons with those of a group from the general population. METHODS: The study included male prisoners ( n =82) in Dammam and Khobar prisons (October 2014- January 2015) An age, gender and education-matched control group ( n=79) was selected from literacy schools and an elderly care home using a stratified sampling method. Data was collected on an interview questionnaire. Caries experience was assessed using World Health Organization criteria. RESULTS: Of the prisoners, 75.6%, and, of the subjects in the control group, 47.4%, reported smoking cigarettes daily, 95.1% and 70.9% reported having oral health problems such as dental pain or bleeding on brushing whilst 97.6% and 70.9% reported treatment need, with caries incidence being around 90.2% and 57%. Being a prisoner increased the odds of having dental problems affecting daily activities (odds ratio= 7.37), and having decayed teeth (odds ratio= 6.99).CONCLUSIONS: Male inmates in the two Saudi prisons had higher odds of dental problems than did subjects from the general population. Governmental action and volunteering initiatives are needed to reduce oral health inequalities between prisoners and the general population.

This study presents a total of sixty four measurements of indoor radon concentrations, obtained within the campus of the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The passive radon detection kit from E-Perm was deployed in this survey, and all measurements were short-term measurements ranging between 2 and 5 days. Since there is no official recommended limit for radon concentrations within the United Arab Emirates, we have compared our results to the one set by the World Health Organization (WHO) of 100 Bq m-3. The highest recorded concentration was 97.07 Bq m-3, and it is one of the 5 measurements that were close to the WHO’s recommended concentration. On the other hand, the remaining 59 measurements were below 60 Bq m-3. Since all measurements were below the WHO’s recommended reference limit of 100 Bq m-3, we have concluded that the breathing environment within the University of Sharjah is adequate for the community.&nbsp

The pathogenesis of AIDS in simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected rhesus macaques models the pathogenesis of human AIDS. We investigated whether certain immunological abnormalities associated with HIV infection and implicated in disease progression also occur in SIV infection. We observed striking parallels between the rhesus macaque humoral immune response to SIV and unusual features of the human humoral immune response to HIV infection. Anti-SIV envelope antibodies from SIV-infected macaques exhibited skewed kappa/lambda L chain usage relative to the ratio of kappa/lambda L chain usage detected on total plasma Ig. In addition, the same idiotope conserved on human anti-HIV gag, pol and env antibodies was detected with a similar distribution pattern on macaque anti-SIV env, gag and pol antibodies. Skewed Ig L chain representation and selection of a highly conserved possible dominant regulatory idiotope on antibodies against key neutralizing antigens raise the possibility that the progressive failure of the humoral immune response to SIV and HIV involves skewed oligoclonal humoral immunity. We also found that SIV-infected macaques, like HIV-infected humans, have elevated levels of CD8+ lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity. Cytotoxicity against human B cells was higher in CD8+ effector lymphocytes from SIV-infected macaques than in those from uninfected macaques (P < 0.05). Cell-mediated cytotoxicity against human NK cell targets was not elevated in effector lymphocytes from the SIV-infected macaques, suggesting that CTL activity was selectively elevated. Two out of seven SIV-infected macaques tested had CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes that selectively killed activated uninfected CD4+ macaque lymphocytes. Oligoclonal B cell responses and persistently elevated CD8+ lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity are consistent features of primate retroviral infections leading to AIDS. Understanding immune predispositions to these features triggered by HIV and SIV may advance new prophylactic and therapeutic strategies.

The growth response of common duckweed Lemna minor was studied at various temperature and pH levels for its possible application for remediating eutrophic waters. The dry weight, chlorophyll a, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined. Whilst optimum growth was recorded at between 20 and 30 &#176C, reduced growth and an increase in protective enzymes were noted at both lower and higher temperatures. There was oxidative damage at temperatures of less than 10 &#176C and greater than 40 &#176C. The pH of the growth medium was inversely related to the growth responses of Lemna minor. At acidic pH and at temperatures between 20 and 30 &#176C, the environmental conditions were most suitable for phytoremediation of eutrophic waters. Under these conditions, and when harvested regularly, Lemna minor may be of use in counteracting eutrophication.Keywords: duckweed; enzymes; eutrophication; growth; pH; temperatureAfrican Journal of Aquatic Science 2008, 33(3): 275–278

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (MYCO-ELISA) was developed to detect antibodies to Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) in chicken sera. The assay was standardized in terms of optimum antigen concentration, serum dilution, conjugate dilution and incubation temperature, and time. The MYCO-ELISA antigen was prepared from MG whole bacterial cell or its disrupted cell suspension. Both preparations showed strong affinity for binding or adsorbing to the surface of polystyrene wells of the microtiter plate. The MYCO-ELISA was more sensitive than the hemagglutination-inhibition test. However, cross-reactions were observed with sera from M. synoviae (MS)-infected birds.

Sicily is the largest Mediterranean island and one of the most densely populated areas in the region. To counteract the periodic oscillation in water availability and fulfill drinking and agriculture needs, about 30 dam-reservoirs, impounding in total 750 106 m3, were built in the last 60 years. However, the inherent features of the Mediterranean climate and the total lack of awareness from local authorities have contributed to a progressive increase in the trophic state of these human-made lakes. In particular, the water is stored during the winter rainy season and then it is intensively used in the dry summer. These operational procedures, in particular the time separation between filling and emptying phases contributes to increase the internal loadings. Under this hydrological regime, reservoirs act as a sink for nutrients. Moreover, the wide water-level fluctuations which characterize these environments further contribute to enhance eutrophication processes by promoting the instability of the thermal stratification and by establishing a state of atelomixis during the summer. Consequentially, most Sicilian reservoirs are affected by intense cyanobacterial blooms, which impair their water quality and cause concern due to their toxicity. Since a reduction of external loadings, which involves economic and political decisions, is far from being achieved, some procedures based on the management of the hydrological patterns of these reservoirs have been proposed. These procedures are aimed at avoiding excessive dewatering and at maintaining summer stratification. A reduction in phytoplankton biomass and a structural change in phytoplankton composition with a reduction of toxic cyanobacterial blooms have been observed as a result of the implementation of the above mentioned procedures.