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Leachate collected at the bottom of dead bird’s disposal pits may leak and migrate to pollute groundwater when soils and rocks present are porous. This study assessed the coefficient of permeability (K) and porosity (Ф) of soils and rocks in poultry farmland using 2 Dimensional (2D) electrical resistivity method and soil analysis. Geo-electrical data collection was achieved by using the dipole-dipole array. The field resistivity measurement was carried out along three traverse lines (three Profiles) of 100 m long which were oriented along with East-West directions. These measurements were taken in the order of increasing in offset distance interval of 5 m. The acquired apparent resistivity data were inverted using DIPPROWIN modeling software to perform 2D data inversion. Five soil samples from different locations at depths of 0 – 15 cm and 15 – 30 cm, on the poultry farmland, were collected, transported, and tested in the laboratory. K and Ф were determined using falling head and density methods respectively. The results obtained from the processed field resistivity data from the three profiles were presented as field data pseudo-sections, theoretical pseudo-section, and 2D resistivity structures. The 2D resistivity structure revealed three structures viz; highly conductive, slightly conductive, and resistive. The resistivity values of these structures ranged from 14.1-99.0 Ω m, 100-848 Ω m, and 1350-90330 Ω m respectively. The highly conductive structures were found in profiles 1 and 3 due to the downward migration of the contaminants from the dead bird disposal pit 1 and the feces disposal site through clayey sand soil. This occurs at the depth range of few meters from the surface to greater than 20 m. The presence of the slightly conductive structure is a result of filtration of the contaminants by the soil materials which increased the resistivity of the soil. The movement of the contaminant through the soil is an indication of the porous and permeable nature of the farmland. The resistive structure is only noticeable in profiles 1 and 2 but very prominent at the depth range of 5 m to more than 20 m and 5 m to 35 m along the profile length. The results of the analysis of the five soil samples from the poultry farmland showed a high value of 0.552 and 3.554 x 10−2cm/s of porosity (Ф) and coefficient of permeability (K) respectively. A strong correlation of R 2 = 0.9878 existed between Ф and K. With these results geo-electrical method had successfully assessed Ф and K of the soil of the poultry farmland.

White-cement kiln dust (WCKD) is a waste material produced in a huge amount after production of white cement. It causes many environmental problems; thus its disposal is considered as an interesting issue and urged the researchers to deal with. In the present work, an attempt for utilization of WCKD to produce some alkali activated products was studied. Different batches were designed from WCKD/silica fume, WCKD/metakaolin and WCKD/grog to produce various alkali-activated products. WCKD was used as is or as calcined one. The alkali activated products were prepared without and with autoclaving process. The results revealed that the maximum amount of WCKD to produce alkali activated products with suitable mechanical properties was 50% after which the properties were deteriorated. The developed properties depended on the reactivity of added materials; the results of alkali activated products fabricated from silica fume and grog were better than that fabricated from metakaolin. Moreover, the results of alkali activated products prepared from calcined WCKD were better than that prepared from none calcined WCKD. Furthermore, the autoclaving of alkali activated products led to improving their properties as compared to those without autoclaving. The best results for the autoclaved products were for the samples B5 (50% calcined WCKD + 50% silica fume) and F5 (50% calcined WCKD + 50% grog) while for none autoclaved products were B4 (60% calcined WCKD + 40% silica fume), B5, E4 (60% none calcined WCKD + 40% grog) and F5 sample.

Smoking is a severe health problem. Smoking has been shown to increase the risk of systemic inflammation. Neutophil Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) is used as a marker of systemic inflammation and monitors prognosis, morbidity, and mortality in many diseases. This study aimed to analyze NLR in smokers. This is an observational analytic study conducted at Tadulako University, Palu. A total of 48 subjects consisted of 24 active smokers and 24 non-smokers. Subjects were given a questionnaire containing a history of the disease, smoking status, and the number of cigarettes consumed per day. Blood samples were also taken for hematological examination. NLR of the subjects was then compared with the appropriate statistical test. The NLR in the smoker’s group was 1.54 ± 0.81 and in the non-smoker’s group 1.87 ± 1.76. This NLR was not significantly different between smokers and non-smokers, with a p-value of 0.578. Most of the smoking subjects are light and moderate smokers, and it is possible that this condition has not been able to cause a significant increase in systemic inflammation.

BackgroundIsopods shape features are sensitive and respond to several selective pressures which may result in variations of these features. These pressures might reflect the heterogeneity of the environment where an animal lives. Land isopodsPorcellionides pruinosuswere collected from an agricultural field. Landmarks geometric morphometrics was applied to evaluate its shape changes during two different seasons. The present work aims to (i) assess and characterize morphological changes in body shape ofP. pruinosusas a response to seasonal variations, (ii) determine differences in the body shape during ontogeny, (iii) examine the effect of intraspecific allometry to interpret the observed variations in the species, and (iv) clarify whether the body shape ofP. pruinosuscan be used as a sexual differentiating trait.ResultsJuveniles showed no seasonal variations in the body shape, which were detected among adults, females and males as shown by PCA, DFA, and MANOVA.The adult winter forms have large bodies, small heads, broad pereons, and short but wide telsons. The adult summer forms have small slender bodies, slightly stretched heads, and relatively long telsons. Juveniles’ growth to adulthood showed body shape changes in the head and pereon, that include shrank of the head in the anteroposterior direction and its level became slightly lower than the body. The pereon becomes broader and the two anterolateral projections of the first pereonite extend anteriorly, reaching a little beyond the posterior margin of the eyes. Present species showed a shape sexual dimorphism which includes the broader body and more convex pereon in females and a small waist between the second and third pleonites in males. Shape sexual dimorphism was attributed to reproductive activity. Both allometric trajectories of juveniles and adults (ontogenetic allometry) and of sexes (static allometry) were parallel.ConclusionsThe landmark geometric morphometric technique was able to reveal the seasonal shape variations in terrestrial isopodP. pruinosus. Also, this method provides information about shape variations between juveniles and adults, as well as about shape sexual dimorphism.

Doxorubicin (DOX) induces endothelial cell (EC) senescence, which contributes to endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular complications. Senolytic drugs selectively eliminate senescent cells to ameliorate senescence-mediated pathologies. Previous studies have demonstrated differences between immortalized and primary EC models in some characteristics. However, the response of DOX-induced senescent ECs to senolytics has not been determined across these two models. In the present work, we first established a comparative characterization of DOX-induced senescence phenotypes in immortalized EA.hy926 endothelial-derived cells and primary human umbilical vein EC (HUVECs). Thereafter, we evaluated the senolytic activity of four senolytics across both ECs. Following the DOX treatment, both EA.hy926 and HUVECs shared similar senescence phenotypes characterized by upregulated senescence markers, increased SA-β-gal activity, cell cycle arrest, and elevated expression of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). The potentially senolytic drugs dasatinib, quercetin, and fisetin demonstrated a lack of selectivity against DOX-induced senescent EA.hy926 cells and HUVECs. However, ABT-263 (Navitoclax) selectively induced the apoptosis of DOX-induced senescent HUVECs but not EA.hy926 cells. Mechanistically, DOX-treated EA.hy926 cells and HUVECs demonstrated differential expression levels of the BCL-2 family proteins. In conclusion, both EA.hy926 cells and HUVECs demonstrate similar DOX-induced senescence phenotypes but they respond differently to ABT-263, presumably due to the different expression levels of BCL-2 family proteins.

Two oribatid mite species belonging to the genus Malaconothrus, namely Malaconothrus ramadani sp. n.and Malaconothrus transversus sp. n.,were described as two new species. They were collected from the roots of the floating aquatic plant, Eichhornia crassipes in River Nile, Girga city, Sohag Governorate, Egypt. The first species, Malaconothrus ramadani sp. n., is clearly characterized by zigzag-like lateral margins of the notogaster, nine thick dorsal folds (2 longitudinal and 7 protruded transverse), eight ventral thick oblique folds (7 longitudinal and 1 transverse) and the genital plates carry four pairs of simple setae. Also, it has five and six distinct dorsal and ventral processes, respectively. The second species, Malaconothrus transversus sp. n., is characterized by the presence of six flattened dorsal transverse folds and five ventral oblique folds (4 longitudinal and 1 transverse).

The hermit crab Clibanarius signatus Heller, 1861 inhabits varied intertidal habitats of the Red Sea coast, such as rocky shores and mangrove littoral salt marshes. Shield-shape variation among three populations of C. signatus was analyzed with geometric morphometric methods. Shape variation was studied through multivariate analyses using configurations aligned by the generalized Procrustes analysis. Shape variation was explored through principal component analysis. The ordination of the populations and the sexes was investigated using discriminant analysis of canonical variables. Centroid size, as a measure of overall size, was used to estimate size variation among the three populations and the sexes. The results revealed the presence of shield-size variation among the three populations and confirmed the size sexual dimorphism in two populations. Moreover, the analysis revealed the occurrence of two morphotypes based on a covariation between shield shape and shape of occupied shells. The geographic distance was not a good predictor of shield shape. Cross-validation analyses correctly reclassified more than 70% of individuals and 66% of sexes to their correct group. It was suggested that association in shield-shell shape could be the result of the phenotypic plasticity of this species.

The male genital system of the water mite, Unionicola aegyptiaca consists of an accessory gland, two spherical testes, two vasa deferentia, common vas deferens, an ejaculatory complex and spermatopositor (penis) and is supported with the male genital skeleton. It is evident that each testis is enclosed in a very thin amorphous layer (basal lamina) and consists of a germinal part, in which spermatogenesis take place for sperms development, and a glandular part which consists of a massive complex of glandular cells. The glandular cells of the accessory gland and glandular part of each testis secret testicular secretions which delivered into the lumen of the testis and contribute to sperm cell aggregation and sperm movement. The sperm development of Unionicola aegyptiaca includes spermatogonia, primary and secondary spermatocytes, spermatids and sperms. Fine structures of these stages show mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, free ribosomes and cytoplasmic vacuoles in their cytoplasm. Transmission electron micrographs show that the mature sperm consists of three parts; head, middle piece and a short tail.

Lightning activity is one of the global natural hazards that poses significant risks on human life and numerous aspects of the society's technological infrastructure. Understanding the linkage between aerosols present in the atmosphere and lightning activity is important to further advance our knowledge of the global lightning activity cycle. The southwestern region of the Arabian Peninsula (AP) is home to one of the 500 hottest lightning spots in the world, and is not far from the largest contiguous sand desert in the world, the Empty Quarter (al-Rubea Al-Khali). Using data of individual lightning strokes from the the Global Lightning Detection Network (GLD360), in conjunction with remote sensing measurements of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) obtained at 500 nm from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument onboard the Terra and Aqua satellites during active lightning days, we examine the evolution of lightning activity in two geographically and topologically different regions over the AP. One region extends inland to the desert (R1) and the other is in the southwest mountainous region that is close to the Red Sea (R2). In both regions, results from thunderdays-only indicate that lightning is strongly and positively correlated with the AOD loading, up to AOD ~ 0.8, after which the trend flattens or reverses direction. Results suggest the two opposite effects that aerosols could indirectly have on lightning activity are at play. Mountainous region exhibits much stronger linear relation compared to the inland region. Furthermore, both regions exhibit seasonal and asynchronous lightning activity and AOD loading. Year 2018 in R1 shows very high lightning activity, likely linked to the 2018 intense dust storms in the region.

Roman Sculpture , with artists from across a huge empire and changing public tastes over centuries, is above all else, remarkable for its sheer variety and eclectic mix. The art form blended the idealized perfection of earlier Classical Greek sculpture with a greater aspiration for realism and absorbed artistic preferences and styles from the East to create images in stone and bronze which rank among the finest works from antiquity. Aside from their own unique contribution, Roman sculptors have also, with their popular copies of earlier Greek masterpieces, preserved for posterity invaluable works which would have otherwise been completely lost to world art. The aim of this paper is to discuss a distinguished type of Roman sculpture which is the portrait and the differences between the schools, periods, functions and characteristics in the eastern Roman Empire. Although the political circumstances around the empire was almost the same yet Egypt had always succeeded to keep its own style and special artistic features. Egyptian artists were always affected by their predecessors and tried to keep their culture and characteristics throughput the ages. The paper will try to move smoothly through these periods focusing on Roman Egypt and the art of portraits till the early period of Christianity.

The present study dealt with the description of the reproductive and gametogenic cycles and the embryonic development of the freshwater mussel Nitia teretiuscula from the River Nile. Macro and micro-anatomy showed that the present species is dioceous and gonadosomatic indices showed that the species is semiannual and had two gonadal growth periods, a short period of gonadal growth from January to March and a long period from April to August. Visceral indices revealed a reciprocal relationship with the gonadosomatic indices of both the two sexes. The recorded sex ratio of females to males was (1.5: 1). The oogenesis displayed five developmental stages; oogonia, previtellogenic oocytes, vitellogenic oocytes, late vitellogenic oocytes and mature ova. Also, spermatogenesis illustrated five developmental stages: spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, and secondary spermatocytes, spermatids; which clustered to form sperm morula and finally metamorphosed to spermatozoa. Within the gills of females (marsupia), brooding of embryos was occurred till the formation of glochidia larvae. The unfertilized eggs were released from the gonads with distinct germinal vesicle. The fertilized eggs had two polar bodies and a fertilization cone. Successive cleavages were observed. Spiral cleavage, non-ciliated blastula and D-shaped larvae were recorded.

Background Urological complications such as ureteral strictures and ureteral leakage can affect the outcome of kidney transplantation by increasing morbidity and mortality, including graft loss. Controversy still exists regarding the role of stents in renal transplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of ureteral stenting in kidney transplantation. Methods We performed a retrospective study on a series of 798 consecutive renal transplants performed in our center between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2011. Ureteral stents were used in 152 cases (19.1%) of the total (stent group) and were removed 2 weeks postoperatively. Donor and recipient age, sex, type of ureteroneocystostomy, stent and non-stent patients, cold and warm ischemia time, and urological complications were analyzed. Results The overall incidence of urological complications was 7.8% (62 cases). Ureteral stenosis (3.1%) and ureteral leakage (2.4%) were the most common complications; 39.7% (25 cases) of complications were recorded in the first month after transplantation. Major urological complication rate was 3.3% in the stent group compared with 8.8% in the non-stent group (P = .04). However, stent use was associated with the increase of urinary tract infections rate in the stent group (51.3%) compared with the non-stent group (17.9%) (P = .03). Conclusions In our study, the use of ureteral stents significantly decreased urological complications in kidney transplant recipients but increased the risk for development of urinary tract infections.

Image fusion is a technique of combining complementary information from multiple images originated from single or different sources to form single fused image. This fused image has better quality compared to the original input images. In this paper a new fusion technique based on independent component analysis (ICA) and IHS transformation is proposed. A comparison of this new technique with PCA, IHS, and ICA-based fusion techniques is given. Ikonos-2 data are used to test the new and other three techniques. Four evaluation criteria are used for quantitative assessment the quality of the obtained fused images. To assess the spectral quality the spectral discrepancy ( Dk) and correlation coefficients (cc ) are used. For spatial quality assessment high pass correlation coefficients (HPCC ) and information entropy ( EN) are used. The results of the new technique show higher performance compared to the other techniques.

The present work aims to assess the spatial distribution, analyze shell utilization, shell fitness and determine the effect of coexistence of two hermit crabs Calcinus latens and Clibanarius signatus on used shell resources in various habitats on the Red Sea Coast. Also, to determine the choice of shells and investigate the shell species preference of C. latens and C. signatus in the laboratory. The hermit crabs C. latens and C. signatus were found to occupy shells of 39 gastropod species. The most commonly occupied gastropod shells are those belonging to genera Strombus, Nerita, Cerithium and Planaxis. The results showed that crab individuals utilized mainly the shell with elongate aperture. Laboratory experiments showed that two crab species preferred shells of Strombus followed by Cerithium and Nerita when offered shells of nearly similar size (optimal). Crab individuals showed a significant preference for optimal sized shells when given suboptimal shells as an alternative choice. Also, the hermit crabs avoid damaged shells when given a choice of optimal sized damaged shell and optimal sized intact one. In addition, two hermit crab species chose shells of smaller than optimal size when given a choice of damaged optimal sized shells and smaller intact ones. On the other hand, field observations showed that most crab individuals lived in adequate sized shells. The present data conclude that shell selection by hermit crabs C. latens and C. signatus depends mostly on shell internal volume, shell quality and shell aperture size than other factors, because they provide a maximum protection for hermit crabs.

This study was carried out during the two successive seasons of 2007 and 2008 at the Experimental Farm of El-Kassasin Horticultural Research Station, Ismailia Governorate, to detect the effect of difference media culture and nitrogen sources and ratios and their interaction on growth and alkaloid content of Catharanthus roseus. Periwinkle plants were grown in nine different media types with nutrient solution during drip irrigation. Nitrogen was applied as constant concentration of 200 ppm using three different ratios between ammonical nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen as 100% NH4 + 0% No3, 50% NH4 + 50% No3 or 0% NH4 + 100% No3. Whereas , different media types used were peatmoss , sand , clay , vermiculite, peatmoss: sand (1:1, v:v), peatmoss: clay (1:1, v:v), peatmoss: vermiculite (1:1, v:v), sand: clay (1:1, v:v) or sand: vermiculite (1:1, v:v). Generally , the combination peatmoss, peatmoss + sand or peatmoss + vermiculite medium and 0% NH4+100% No3 treatments were more effective in plant height, number of branches /plant fresh and dry weight of leaves/ plant, fresh and dry weight of plant , alkaloids content in leaves and chemical constituents in leaves0(N, T, K and nitrate).

The experiment was carried out in the Experimental Farm of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Station, Horticultural Research Institute, in El-Kanater El-Khayria, Kalyobia Governorate, Egypt, during the two successive seasons of 2007 and 2008, to study the effect of nitrogen fixed bacteria (Azotobacter, Azospirillum and Rhizobium) and different levels (zero of NPK, half and full recommended doses) on growth, herb yield and volatile oil yield of Ocimim bacilicum plants. The tallest plants obtained from plants that treated with Azospirillum + Rhizobium + full recommended dose of NPK followed by Azotobacter + Azospirillum alone. While number of branches recorded the highest value from the treatment of Rhizobium + half recommended dose of NPK in the first cut and Rhizobium + full recommended dose of NPK in the second cut. The highest values of fresh and dry weights of herb/plant and total production of fresh and dry weights of herb/plant/season were obtained from Azotobacter + Rhizobium + half recommended dose of NPK in the two cuts of both seasons. The volatile oil percentages based on fresh and dry weights of herb and volatile oil yield of plant per cut and per season recorded the highest values when plants treated with Azospirillum alone. The high concentration from the main component of linalool in the volatile oil obtained from the treatment of Azospirillum alone.

This paper is concerned with the transformer coil dc leakage current under different conditions. These conditions include in-air, and in-oil leakage, currents with or without artificial coil deposits. In-oil leakage, currents are investigated when the coil is immersed in new or used transformer oil at different temperatures. The results showed that the leakage current increases with the increase in the applied voltage and oil temperatures. The rate of increase in leakage current with temperature depends on the transformer oil and coil conditions. The in-oil leakage currents are higher than those obtained in air. The leakage currents measured in used oil are higher than those resulted in new oil. Copper deposits cause higher values of leakage current than iron deposits for the same medium, applied voltage and temperature. Deposits increase the leakage current for different coil surrounding media. A linear model for the leakage current as a function of the applied voltage under different conditions has been found and its validity has been justified by statistical consideration. The parameters of this model account for various experimental conditions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper presents techniques developed to accurately model the characteristics of transformer oil for the purpose of predicting the effect of aging on these characteristics. Aging causes some of the transformer oil characteristics to violate the internationally specified limits. The purpose of this simulation is to develop alternative techniques to predict the operating time after which these characteristics would violate the limits. The results obtained from monitoring of twenty in-service power transformers for long period of operating time up to ten years have been implemented in developing the proposed models. The physical, chemical and electrical characteristics have been determined periodically by internationally specified testing methods. The patterns of violation sequence of the standard limits, against operating time, by different transformer oil characteristics have been revealed and the most common pattern has been determined. The definition of residual operating time (t rot ) of the different transformer oil characteristics has been introduced. The choice of transformer oil breakdown voltage trot to represent that of the transformer oil characteristics has been justified. Modelling of trot as a function of transformer oil breakdown voltage, total acidity and water content by multiple-linear regression has been proposed and verified. Also, polynomial regression model of t rot as a function only of transformer oil breakdown voltage has been given. The accuracy and applicability of these models and the different modelling techniques have been discussed and proved.

One of the most drawbacks of CRRT is anticoagulation. Excessive anticoagulation determines bleeding complications; whole circuit clotting decreases dialysis effectiveness, increases blood loss and necessitates transfusions. The aim of the study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of Tinzaparin as anticoagulation for extracorporeal circuit in CRRT. The optimal necessary dose of tinzaparin was examined in 12 CRRT sessions, 7 CVVHDF (Qb = 134 ± 15.7 ml/min, Qd = 35 ± 7 ml/min, minimal UF = 500 ml/h, total time = 120.5 h) and 5 CVVH (Qb = 150 ± 13 ml/min, minimal UF = 500 ml/h, total time = 72.5 h) in 9 pts (M = 5, F = 4, mean age = 51.78 ± 8.9 y, BW = 60 ± 15.3 Kg) with acute renal failure and associated comorbidities. The initial dose of tinzaparin was 5 IU a Xa/Kgc in 2 pts with thrombocitopenia

Daily or intermittent hemodialysis in ARF is, in general, efficient, but the procedure has various complications due to associated comorbidities and unphysiological ways of renal substitution. The aim of the study was to establish the efficiency (hydro-electrolytic equilibrium, acido-basic equilibrium, fluid balance, evolution of renal function, patient survival) and complications (hypotension, hemorrhagic, vascular access, etc.) during CRRT. We performed CRRT in 24 pts with ARF on native kidney (n = 20) or renal transplant (n = 4). In 19 cases (M = 11, F = 8, mean age = 43.2 ± 15.7 y, BW = 49 ± 7.5 kg, mean BP = 107 ± 16.6 mmHg) we made CVVHF and in 11 cases (M = 6, F = 5, mean age = 39 ± 9.9 y, BW = 55.5 ± 5.6 kg, mean BP = 104 ± 18.8 mmHg) CVVHDF. 16pts (66.6%) have been associated severe, one or more comorbidities: MSOF in 2 pt, sepsis in 3pt, coma in 2 pts, anasarca in 6 pts (1pt hepatic cirrhosis, 1pt severe cardiac failure and 4pts nephrotic syndrome), CID in 1pt, acute pancreatitis in 3 pt, liver failure and hepato-renal syndrome in 1 pt. Mean period of CVVHF was 21.6 ± 11.3 h with a mean blood flow rate of 116.9 ± 16.4 ml/min and an ultrafiltration rate of 6.42 ± 4.6 ml/min. Creatininemia level decreased from 12.6 to 8.3 mg% and urea level decreased from 237 to 166 mg%. In CVVHDF mean period of procedure was 24.0 ± 8.5 h, mean blood flow 134 ± 15.2 ml/min and mean ultrafiltration rate 5.6 ± 2.1 ml/min. Decreased of creatininemia level was from 11.6 to 6.36 mg% and for urea level from 236 to 137 mg%. Vascular approach was by jugular vein in 15 pts, femoral vein in 6 pts, subclavia vein in 1 pt and native fistula in 2 pts. Anticoagulation was performed with UHF in 14 pts and LMWH in 9 pts. In 1 pt anticoagulation was performed by repeated washback with saline solution. Renal function was recovery completely in 8 pts (33.3%), partially in 4 pts (17.2%) and 10 pts (41.7%) goes to chronic HD. Survival rate was 100% in CVVHF and 82% in CVVVHDF (2 pts died). Complications of procedures appear in 5/24 pts (20.8%) and were represented by cardiac events (hypotension in 2 pts, arrhythmia in 1 pt), bleeding disorders (hemorrhages in 2 pts, clotting in dialyser or lines in 4 pts) and diselectrolithemias (hypophosphatemia in 2 pts). In 1 pt has been necessary to change the femoral catheter to subclavia site due to thrombosis. In conclusion, continuous renal replacement therapy is efficient and well tolerated with a low frequency of complications.

The effect of transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) on sexual function continues to be a controversial issue. The aim of this study was to evaluate sexual functions in Saudi patients suffering from BPH before and after TURP.The influence of TURP on libido, erection and ejaculation was prospectively studied in 179 patients undergoing TURP for BPH. The risk factors studied for erectile dysfunction (ED) were old age, polygamy, comorbidities, late presentation, intraoperative bleeding, intraoperative capsular perforation and bacteriuria. Patients reporting ED underwent intracavernosal injection (ICI) of 20-40 AA(1/4)g of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) before and/or after surgery.Before surgery, ED was present in 33/179 patients (18%) and was significantly associated with old age and comorbidities but not with polygamy or late presentation. In the patients with normal erection before surgery, dry ejaculation, ED and diminished libido developed after TURP in 71/134 (53%), 20/137 (15%), and 22/137 (16%), respectively. Postoperative ED was significantly associated with diminished libido (P=0.001), but not with postoperative dry ejaculation. The only significant risk factor associated with ED following TURP was capsular perforation. The response to ICI before and after TURP was comparable.ED associated with TURP is most likely of neurogenic origin due to capsular perforation, or of psychogenic nature as suggested by the significant association with diminished libido.

We describe a convenient, versatile and safe method for preparing bacterial DNA for ribotyping analysis. In this method, extraction of bacterial DNA from Salmnonella typhi and Burkholderia pseudomallei. and subsequent restriction endonuclease digestion, was performed in agarose blocks/plugs thus minimizing shearing and loss of DNA, problems commonly associated with liquid phase phenol extraction. Digested DNA in the plugs was then electrophoresed directly, transferred to nylon membranes and hybridized with labeled rDNA probes in the usual manner to provide reproducible restriction patterns. This method is particularly useful for bacterial species where standard DNA extraction in the liquid phase using phenol has been problematic (e.g. B. pseudomallei) but can be used for any bacterial species. The DNA extracted within the agarose plugs can be stored for long periods and can be used in other, widely-used typing methods such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and PCR-based techniques. Embedding live cells directly in agarose plugs also minimizes the risk of exposure to these virulent human pathogens among laboratory workers.

We assessed a new sensing device based on the monitoring of immunobinding reactions using waveguide surface plasmon resonance (WSPR) for the determination of simazine in water samples. Standard solutions between 0.1 and 1.0 μg l−1 analysed in triplicate showed a mean within-day variability of 5%. Calibration curves for the same standards conducted on five consecutive days showed a 14% mean day-to-day variability. The detection limit calculated as three standard deviations below the mean blank value was 0.2 μg l−1. The upper limit of the working range calculated as a 90% decrease in the blank signal was 2.4 μg l−1. The cross-reactivity of atrazine and terbuthylazine was 61 and 63%, respectively. The recovery from spiked natural ground- and surface-water samples ranged from 55 to 153% for spikes ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 μg l−1. For the 11 surface- and 8 ground-water samples tested, the correlation coefficient between WSPR and high pressure liquid chromatography/gas chromatography (HPLC/GC) values was significant (p

The risk of thromboembolic events is increased in patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS) as compared with other medical conditions and is a severe complication associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We aimed to assess the risk of renal vein thrombosis, and other venous thromboembolic events (VTE) in a large cohort of patients with NS and to identify the disease-specific risk for VTE.We performed a prospective observational study including consecutive adult patients with primitive NS admitted to our department. Clinical and biological data were obtained every six months during follow-up. Occurrence of VTE confirmed by imaging techniques was the primary study outcome.We enrolled 191 patients (47±15 years, 53% men) with a median follow-up of 24 [IQR:12,36] months. During follow-up, 23 VTE occurred, of which 65.2% in the first six months. The disease-specific risk of VTE during the follow-up period was different across the histological groups, with the lowest risk in minimal change disease and IgA nephropathy and the highest in membranous nephropathy and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis patients. In the subgroup of membranous, the severity of the subepithelial electron dense deposits did not correlate with the risk for VTE (p=0.5).In this prospective study, the risk of VTE was higher in the first six months of follow-up in NS patients. The histological pattern seems to influence the risk of VTE in this setting.

Comparative trials were carried out on triazine microtiter plate tests distributed by Millipore, Riedel-de Haen, Transia and CIFEC. Sensitivity and reproducibility were tested with standard solutions of atrazine. Cross-reactivity was studied for hydroxyatrazine, deisopropylatrazine, deethylatrazine, simazine, hydroxysimazine, terbutylazine, hydroxyterbutylazine and deetylterbutylazine. A set of 19 surface-, 16 ground- and 6 lysimetric plate water samples were also analysed. Liquid chromatography with diode array detection or gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection were used as validated control techniques for those natural samples. Laboratory assays developed by GEC-Marconi as part of a collaborative European Union research project (BIOPTICAS) have also been assessed. The lowest detectable dose were those of Riedel and Transia tests, 0.003 and 0.014 μg/l, respectively. The other tests also enable the detection of atrazine below 0.1 μg/l. All tests showed inter-assay coefficients of variation (C.V.) below 20%, the Transia, GEC-Marconi and Riedel tests producing the lowest inter-assay C.V.s. The mean intra-assay C.V.s were below 7% for all tests, the most homogeneous results being those of Transia and CIFEC. Except for the GEC-Marconi test which appeared very specific for atrazine, the most interfering triazines were terbutylazine, simazine and deethylatrazine. For the complete set of 41 water samples, the triazine concentrations measured by all the immunoassays and the sum of the triazines determined by gas chromatography-liquid chromatography were correlated at the 0.001 level, while for the water samples collected from lysimetric plates, the correlation coefficients were less significant, except for the Riedel test whose correlation coefficient remained significant at the 0.001 level. The laboratory-based assay from GEC-Marconi, still under development, showed promising characteristics with respect to sensitivity and specificity. The Riedel-de Haen test gave the best overall results.

The disease melioidosis, caused by the soil bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei, often manifests as acute septicemia with high fatality. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) plays a key role during the inflammatory response induced by bacteria. We used a murine model of acute melioidosis to investigate the effects of LiCl, a GSK3 inhibitor on experimental animal survivability as well as TNF-α, IL-1β, IFN-γ, IL-10 and IL-1Ra cytokine levels in blood, lung, liver and spleen of B. pseudomallei-infected mice. Our results showed that administration of 100 μg/g LiCl improved survivability of mice infected with 5 X LD50 of B. pseudomallei. Bacterial counts in spleen, liver and lungs of infected mice administered with LiCl were lower than non-treated controls. Our data also revealed that GSK3β is phosphorylated in the spleen, liver and lung of animals infected with B. pseudomallei. However in infected animals administered with LiCl, higher levels of pGSK3 were detected in the organs. Levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IFN-γ) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and IL-1Ra) in sera and organs tested were elevated significantly following B. pseudomallei infection. With GSK3β inhibition, pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β) were significantly decreased in all the samples tested whilst the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-10 (spleen and lung) and IL-1Ra (spleen, liver and sera) were further elevated. This study represents the first report implicating GSK3β in the modulation of cytokine production during B. pseudomallei infection thus reiterating the important role of GSK3β in the inflammatory response caused by bacterial pathogens.

Objective.To investigate the effect of atorvastatin therapy on inflammation, disease activity, endothelial dysfunction, and arterial stiffness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods.This study included 30 patients with early RA, randomly divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (n = 15) received methotrexate (MTX; 0.2 mg/kg/week; mean (15.5 ± SD 1.3) plus prednisone (10 mg/day). Group 2 (n = 15) received MTX and prednisone with the same previous doses plus atorvastatin therapy (40 mg/day). Ten healthy individuals of similar age and sex served as controls. Disease activity, lipid profile, serum malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), resistin, adiponectin, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were measured before and after 6 months of treatment.Results.Atorvastatin combined with MTX therapy significantly reduced serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides, and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p < 0.001). Disease activity variables, serum MDA, TNF-α, resistin, adiponectin, and FMD were significantly improved by the drug combinations (p < 0.001).Conclusion.Atorvastatin therapy in patients with RA reduced disease activity and conventional and novel vascular risk factors that promote the atheromatous lesion. Therapy was also associated with concomitant improvement in endothelial function.

A serologic study of Toxoplasma antibodies among 501 foreign migrant workers in Malaysia was conducted in a plantation and detention camp. The highest prevalence rate of 46.2% was among Nepalese workers. Statistical analysis indicated the IgG positivity rate among local residents was significantly higher than the migrants studied (p0.05). The IgM positivity rate showed no significant difference between the two groups (p0.05). No significant difference in the prevalence rate was noted between the migrants and the local workers when grouped by agricultural and non-agricultural occupations (p0.05). The continuous introduction of these infections may influence the epidemiology and further compromise efforts in control and prevention. It is therefore important to monitor of non-notifiable diseases.

Cardiovascular mortality and morbidity are high in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients. Previous studies on non-uraemic patients with heart failure (HF), hypertension or diabetes mellitus (DM) showed that QT and QTc prolongation and dispersion represent cardiovascular risk factors. The patients with long QT interval have more often ventricular premature beats and sudden death than those with normal QT interval. The aim of our study was to evaluate the frequency and predictive value of QT and QTc prolongation in CRF patients, included or not in a chronic dialysis programme. On 68 patients (M/F = 36/32, mean age = 47.6 years), with CRF we analyzed QT and QTc interval with a digital 12 lead electrocardiogram-CARDIAX. 8/68 patients (11.8%) had long QT interval (0.45"). After having calculated QT corrected (QTc) interval according to the heart rate, 28/68 patients (41.2%) had QT prolongation (0.45"). Multivariate statistical analysis of clinical factors, but also of biological, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic data and 24 hours of ECG and blood pressure monitoring showed that QT prolongation is statistically significant (p0.05) correlated with: number of years of renal failure (p = 0.0001), serum concentrations of potassium and calcium (p = 0.0001) and diastolic BP (p = 0.05). QT prolongation in CRF patients is not dependent on the level of uremia or the type of chronic renal substitution (hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis). There were no statistically significant correlations between QT prolongation and serum concentrations of Mg, PO4, HCO3 and Hb. Long QT interval was not dependent either on the dipper/nondipper profile of mean BP values or ejection fraction of left ventricle. In our study long QT interval was not statistically significant correlated with arrhythmias or sudden death. Despite the high incidence of QT prolongation in CRF patients (41.2%), short-term consequences are not as severe as those in cardiac patients. This is possibly explained by the different pathogenic mechanisms of arrhythmia in CRF when electrolytic disorders are the main cause for the development of arrhythmia. During a mean follow-up of 3.8 months (3-5.5) there were no cases of sudden death on patients with QT prolongation, and arrhythmia incidence was not statistically significant higher than in subjects with normal QT interval.

We conducted a cross sectional study to examine the association of intestinal parasitic infections and protein energy malnutrition (PEM) with iron-status indicators and anaemia among Orang Asli children in Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 281 children aged 2 - 15 years were studied. The data were collected using structured questionnaires, anthropometric measurements and laboratory analysis for blood and faecal samples. All children were infected either by A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura or hookworm and almost 19%, 26% and 3% of the children had severe infection of ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection respectively. The prevalence of giardiasis among them was 24.9%. Overall, 41.5% of the children were anaemic (haemoglobin11.0 g/dL). Of these 61.0% of the children had iron deficiency and 36.5% had iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), which accounted for 88.0% of anaemia in this population. Severe trichuriasis had the most significant correlation with anaemia and iron deficiency in this population. It contributed to low concentrations of haemoglobin, serum iron and serum ferritin and high total iron binding capacity (TIBC). Significant underweight and stunting were associated with low concentrations of haemoglobin and serum iron while significant wasting was significantly associated with low concentration of serum ferritin. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that severe trichuriasis was a strong predictor of IDA. It also confirmed that children who were significantly underweight and whose mother was working were independent predictors of IDA in this population.

Soil-transmitted helminthiases are a public health problem in rural communities. A cross-sectional study of the prevalence and distribution of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm was conducted in 281 Orang Asli children (aborigines) aged between 2 and 15 years, from 8 Orang Asli villages in Selangor, Malaysia. All the children were infected with soil-transmitted helminthes, with 26.3% of the children infected either with A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura or hookworm and 72.6% having mixed infection. The overall prevalences of A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura and hookworm were 61.9, 98.2 and 37.0%, respectively. Approximately 19.0, 26.0 and 3.0% of the children had severe infection of ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection, respectively. The prevalences and mean egg per gram (epg) counts for A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura were not significantly dependent on age, therefore age-dependent convexity was not seen in this study. However, the results of this study reveal an age-dependent prevalence and mean epg count in children with hookworm infection. We conclude that ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection are still prevalent and therefore a public health concern in Orang Asli communities. Severe ascariasis and trichuriasis may lead to other health and medical problems.

This study aims to determine the prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition and its association with soil-transmitted helminthiases in Orang Asli (Aborigine) children in Selangor, Malaysia. The results obtained from 368 children aged 2-15 years showed that the overall prevalence of mild and significant underweight was 32.1% and 56.5% respectively. The prevalence of mild stunting was 25.6% while another 61.3% had significant stunting. The overall prevalence of mild and significant wasting was 39.0% and 19.5% respectively. The overall prevalence of ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection were 61.9%, 98.2% and 37.0% respectively and of these 18.9%, 23.5% and 2.5% of the children had severe infection of the respective helminthes. The overall prevalence of giardiasis was 24.9%. The present study vividly shows that stunting and underweight are highly prevalent among Orang Asli children and therefore of concern in this community. In this population intestinal parasitic infections, especially severe trichuriasis and giardiasis, were identified as the main predictors of stunting and wasting respectively, in addition to age between 2 to 6 years.