132 research outputs found
Expression Of Glucocorticoid Receptor Beta (GCR Β) In Asthmatic Patients And Its Correlation With Clinical Severity And Pulmonary Functions
No full textN e w Y o r k S c i e n c e J o u r n a l 2 0 1 0 ; 3 Expression Of Glucocorticoid Receptor Beta (GCR Β) In Asthmatic Patients And Its Correlation With Clinical Severity And Pulmonary Functions Engy Yousry Elsayed , Enas M Foda, khaled AH Mohammed, Hassan Shalaby, Amal Z. Abd El-Halem* and Eman Ramzy** Internal Medicine, Clinical Pathology* and Chest** Departments Faculty Of Medicine, Ain Shams University, cairo, Egypt. [email protected] ABSTRACT Background: Glucocorticoids are the gold standard treatment of bronchial asthma. Although the majority of patients with asthma respond favorably to inhaled and systemic steroid therapy, a subset of asthmatics failed to demonstrate a satisfactory response even to systemic glucocorticoid therapy. GCR β (glucocorticoid receptor beta) is a hormone binding deficit isoform of GCR (glucocorticoid receptor) which has been isolated in humans and when over expressed, it may function as a dominant negative modulator of GCR. Aim of the work: This study was designed to determine the percentage of expression of GCRβ on PBMCs: (peripheral blood mononuclear cells )of asthmatic patients and to correlate it with the clinical severity and pulmonary functions. Subjects and Methods: 60 asthmatic patients (41 males, 19 females) and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Asthmatics were classified according to GINA guidelines (2002) into mild, moderate and severe asthma. They were subdivided into asthmatic on inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) (n=35) and those not on ICS (n=25). For all studied groups, spirometeric pulmonary functions and immunohisto-chemistry staining of PBMC S were performed to analyze percentage of expression of GCRβ on PBMCs. Results: It showed that the percentage of expression of GCRβ on PBMC S were statistically higher in all asthmatic patient groups compared to control, with higher % of expression in those not on ICS. Also a statistical significant higher % of expression of GCR β in severe asthmatics compared to both mild and moderate groups was detected. In conclusion: This study highlights the importance of glucocorticoid receptor beta isoform in pathogenesis of bronchial asthma and this may be directly linked to asthma severity and can affect the response to medications especially ICS
EFFECT OF SHOULDER SIDE PACK ON DYNAMIC POSTURAL STABILITY IN YOUNG HEALTHY FEMALE
No full textBackground: Control of balance is a complex motor skill that involves integration of sensory inputs and the planning and execution of flexible movement patterns. Carrying side packs is famous in our society especially shoulder side packs. Most students carry shoulder side packs and they don't care about the way to carry them to be more balanced. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of carrying shoulder side pack on dynamic postural stability and to determine the best way of carrying a shoulder side pack either on the dominant side or non-dominant side that doesn’t affect dynamic postural stability in young healthy female.
Methods: Sixty female volunteers aged from 18 to 25 years old participated in the study. Biodex balance system was used to measure the dynamic postural stability in three different occasions (without carrying a shoulder side pack, with carrying a shoulder side pack on the dominant side, and on the non-dominant side) with a rest period in between.
Results: Repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni post hoc test were used to compare dynamic posture balance without carrying and during carrying a shoulder side pack on dominant and non-dominant sides. Analysis revealed that overall, anteroposterior and mediolateral stability indexes reduced significantly (P<0.0001) when carrying shoulder side pack on dominant side in comparison with when carrying shoulder side pack on non-dominant side and without carrying bag.
Conclusion: It was concluded that carrying a shoulder side pack on the non-dominant side didn't disturb the postural stability when compared to carrying on the dominant side so, we recommend the students to carry shoulder side packs on the non-dominant side
Reproductive health human rights : women's knowledge, attitude, and practices toward their reproductive health rights in Palestine
No full textDhaher E. Reproductive health human rights : women's knowledge, attitude, and practices toward their reproductive health rights in Palestine. Bielefeld (Germany): Bielefeld University; 2008.Reproductive health rights ensure that people are able to have satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capacity to reproduce with freedom to decide, when and how often to do so. Reproductive health rights also include the access of women to high quality health care services that help in protecting women during pregnancy and childbearing and providing the couples with the best chances of having healthy. In addition, reproductive health rights might be an important indicator for women's health.
Studies that were conducted in Palestine before had not focused on assessing women's perception on their reproductive health rights while receiving the health care. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to assess knowledge, perception, attitude, and practices of reproductive health rights among the Palestinian women of reproductive age (15-49). Specifically, the objective was to assess women's perception of their reproductive health rights while receiving their reproductive health care (in particular: reproductive health rights concepts and meaning, family planning, antenatal care, delivery care and postnatal care). In addition, the present study aimed to assess women's perception towards wife beating and the best marriage age for women.
In order to achieve this purpose, a cross sectional study was conducted in 2006 at three clinics that provide Mother and Child Health Care in the West Bank. The clinics were located in the three largest cities in the West Bank: Jenin in the north, Ramallah in the center, and Hebron in the south. A total of 450 women (150 women in each site) in reproductive age (15-49) were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed several issues related to reproductive health such as: understanding of reproductive rights, knowledge and use of family planning methods, antenatal care, delivery care, postnatal care, attitudes towards domestic violence and age at first marriage. Response rate of the study was 99.4 percent.
Generally, the results of this study revealed that women had positive understanding of their reproductive health rights. Women mentioned the right to have good access to health care during and after the course of pregnancy as their first important right. The majority of women were able to identify the modern contraceptives and most women mentioned that they made the fertility decision together with their husbands. Women started antenatal care at a relatively early stage of their pregnancy (before 4-month pregnancy), and 78.2 percent of women made six or more antenatal care visits during their entire pregnancy. Almost all women delivered their last child in medical institutions and under medical supervision. Women were most likely more satisfied from the private health facilities than from the governmental facilities. Although the majority of women considered postnatal care necessary (66.1 percent), only 36.6 percent of women obtained postnatal care. Sixty-five percent of women agreed with at least one reason for wife beating. The mean age of first marriage among the 450 women was 20 years old and the median was 19, while half of the women perceived the best age of their daughter's marriage between 17 and 20 years old.
Based on the results of this study, it is recommended to consider these results when planning for any women's health programs and projects. In order to improve health care services based on women's needs and priorities, we also recommend setting new policies and regulations that protect women against violence and organizing public education programs to change women's perception towards intimate partner violence and age at first marriage. Empowering women through education and open employment opportunity might help women in making decisions regarding their fertility and taking an active role when they experience any reproductive health rights violation. Future research should expand to include Gaza Strip and to include men, adolescent, health care providers, health policy makers and key law and religious leaders
An observational study of the relationship between precipitating ions and ENAs emerging from the ion/atmosphere interaction region
No full textThe author has granted permission for their work to be available to the general public.Plasmasheet particles transported Earthward during times of active magnetospheric convection can interact with thermospheric neutrals through charge exchange. The resulting Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENAs) are free to leave the influence of the magnetosphere and can be remotely detected. ENAs associated with low altitude (300-800 km) ion precipitation in the high latitude atmosphere/ionosphere are termed Low Altitude Emissions (LAEs). Remotely observed LAEs are highly non-isotropic in velocity space such that the pitch angle distribution at the time of charge exchange is near 90 degrees. The Geomagnetic Emission Cone (GEC) of LAEs can be mapped spatially, showing where proton energy is deposited during times of varying geomagnetic activity. In this study we present a statistical look at the correlation between LAE flux (intensity and location) and geomagnetic activity as well as comparisons of LAE signatures with in situ ion precipitation. The LAE data is from the MENA imager on the IMAGE satellite over the declining phase of solar cycle 23 (2000-2005). The SYM-H, AE, and Kp indices are used to describe geomagnetic activity. The in situ data is from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). The goal of the study is to evaluate properties of LAEs in ENA images and determine if those images can be used to infer properties of ion precipitation. Results indicate a general positive correlation to LAE flux for all three indices, with the SYM-H showing the greatest non-linearity. The MLT distribution of LAEs are centered about midnight and spread with increasing activity. The Invariant Latitude for all indices has a slightly negative correlation. The combined results indicate that both LAE and DMSP data behave similarly to geomagnetic activity. LAEs are more spread out in latitude, possibly due to multiple charge exchange interactions, while the in situ data changes to lower latitudes dramatically with increasing flux. The bulk of the data indicates that the LAE latitude region is lower than that of the precipitating ions. The local time coverage of the DMSP constellation during the time of MENA is too limited to infer much information. The ratio of the fluxes (DMSP/LAE) is roughly constant over storm time parameters (LOG[-SYM-H]/Slope/Phase), with the possible exception of favoring Low Altitude Emissions at higher flux and lower latitudes. This may indicate that the change in flux intensity may respond equally between the two.Physics and Astronom
Surface chemistry of a Cu(I) beta-diketonate precursor and the atomic layer deposition of Cu2O on SiO2 studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
No full textThis article has been published online on 21st May 2014, in Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A: Vac (Vol.32, Issue 4):
http://scitation.aip.org/content/avs/journal/jvsta/32/4/10.1116/1.4878815?aemail=author
DOI: 10.1116/1.4878815
This article may be accessed via the issue's table of contents at this link:
http://scitation.aip.org/content/avs/journal/jvsta/32/4?aemail=author
The surface chemistry of the bis(tri-n-butylphosphane) copper(I) acetylacetonate, [(nBu3P)2Cu(acac)], and the thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Cu2O using this Cu precursor as reactant and wet oxygen as co-reactant on SiO2 substrates are studied by in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The Cu precursor was evaporated and exposed to the substrates kept at temperatures between 22 °C and 300 °C. The measured phosphorus and carbon concentration on the substrates indicated that most of the [nBu3P] ligands were released either in the gas phase or during adsorption. No disproportionation was observed for the Cu precursor in the temperature range between 22 °C and 145 °C. However, disproportionation of the Cu precursor was observed at 200 °C, since C/Cu concentration ratio decreased and substantial amounts of metallic Cu were present on the substrate. The amount of metallic Cu increased, when the substrate was kept at 300 °C, indicating stronger disproportionation of the Cu precursor. Hence, the upper limit for the ALD of Cu2O from this precursor lies in the temperature range between 145 °C and 200 °C, as the precursor must not alter its chemical and physical state after chemisorption on the substrate. 500 ALD cycles with the probed Cu precursor and wet O2 as co reactant were carried out on SiO2 at 145 °C. After ALD, in situ XPS analysis confirmed the presence of Cu2O on the substrate. Ex-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry indicated an average film thickness of 2.5 nm of Cu2O deposited with a growth per cycle of 0.05 Å/cycle. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) investigations depicted a homogeneous, fine, and granular morphology of the Cu2O ALD film on SiO2. AFM investigations suggest that the deposited Cu2O film is continuous on the SiO2 substrate
Destructive preservation : figuring the urban ground
No full textThesis: M. Arch., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture, 2016.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 146-147).What does it mean to invert the urban fabric? When figure becomes ground, and ground becomes figure, how does a neighborhood adapt to moving from extreme privacy to communal living? Despite the complete destruction of the existing fabric, the proposition immediately disallows a Utopian, Tabula-Rasla response. Although ghosted, the idiosyncratic identity becomes even more identifiable, and somewhat nostalgic; rather than the footprints being inhabitable buildings, they become holes in the built environment that one can walk out into (ground floor courtyard) or look down into (upper floor windows/terraces). As one of the largest and most populated cities in the Middle East, the city of Riyadh is a clear example of a metropolitan city that is continuously growing in a low-density sprawl. This thesis aims to explore how we can re-imagine the city in the already-built environment as a way of densifying the fabric. Despite its metropolitan nature, importance and large population, life in the city of Riyadh is more suburban than urban, with the majority of people living in stand-alone houses. The culture of habitat has, however, begun adapting in this generation; from completely segregated stand-alone houses, to duplex houses, to gated communities, and finally moving a little bit into high-rise living. The project aims to push the slow transition into a faster trajectory towards a super-block mega-structure. Different people would come together under one larger roof, where different programs come together and pull apart. A unified plinth acts as a mediator between different kinds of traffic, different kinds of users, and different kinds of spaces, blurring the lines between public spaces, religious spaces, housing, and working environments. The whole aboveground environment becomes a pedestrian space, while a lower level of the plinth pulls vehicular traffic below ground, and creates an expansive parking and road zoneby Enas A AlKhudairy.M. Arch
Effect of sleep related breathing disorders on ocular function
No full textAbstractIntroductionSleep disorders are common and obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is the commonest. OSAHS is not commonly diagnosed by the ophthalmologist, but it has many systemic and ocular complications.Aim of the workThe aim of this study was to detect the effect of sleep related breathing disorders on ocular function.Patients and methodsThirty patients with OSAHS were enrolled after obtaining informed consents. Patients were subjected to full history taking, Epworth sleepiness scale, anthropometric data, Mallampati score, clinical apnea score, sleep study and complete ocular examination.Results4 patients had mild OSAHS (13.33%), 12 patients had moderate OSAHS (40%) and 14 patients had severe OSAHS (46.67%) two of them had sleep hypoventilation. 4 patients were free from any ocular manifestations. In 26 patients one or more of the following ocular findings were found: floppy eyelid syndrome (FES) was detected in 3 (10%) patients, glaucoma was diagnosed in 5 (16.67%) patients, senile cataract was found in 3 (10%) patients, nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) was detected in 4 (13.33%) patients, papilledema was diagnosed in 3 (10%) patients and 18 (60%) patients had dry eye manifestations.In conclusionThe increased prevalence of ocular symptoms and signs in patients with OSAHS indicates a need to increase awareness and establish close collaboration with the sleep physicians with clear pathways for review of OSAHS patients by the ophthalmic services. We should study the effect of treatment of OSAHS on the ocular manifestations
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