75 research outputs found
ASSESSMENT OF DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES OF URINARY TUBERCULOSIS
No full textKhalid Ghaleb a,* , Magdy Afifib, Mohamad El-Gohary c
aDepartment of Medical Laboratories, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, King Khalid University, Bisha 551, Saudia Arabia
bDepartment of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assuit 71524, Egypt
cDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Assuit, Egypt
• The corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] Current Tel: 00966595388496 Saudia, 00201119338055 Egypt
The place of the study worked : Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assuit 71524, Egypt, e-mail: [email protected] Tel: 00201006554961
Abstract
Early diagnosis of active tuberculosis remains an elusive challenge. In addition, one third of the world's population is latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and up to 10% of infected individuals develop tuberculosis (TB) in their lifetime. In this investigation, the incidence of urinary tuberculosis among renal patients was studied. Three hundreds urine samples were processed for detection of Mtb by Ziehl-Neelson (ZN) smear examination, Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) medium, radiometric BACTEC460 system as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA Enzyme Immunoassay (DEIA) test. Out of 300 urine samples, 2 were positive by both ZN smears and LJ medium with incidence rate of 0.66 %, 3 positive samples by BACTEC460 culture system with incidence of 1%. PCR assay gave more positive results than smear and culture examination (i.e. 8 positive samples with incidence rate of 2.6%). The specificities were 25% for both ZN smears and LJ medium, 37.5% for BACTEC460 culture system, and 100% for PCR test, while sensitivities of all assays were 100%. Thus PCR is a rapid and sensitive method for the early diagnosis of urinary tuberculosis.
Keywords:
List of abbreviations:Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB)-Base pair (bp)-DNA Enzyme Immunoassay (DEIA) -Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis (EPTB)-International Union Against Tuberculosis (IUAT)-Lowenstein Jensen (LJ)-Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) -Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-Tuberculosis (TB)-Urinary Tuberculosis (UTB-Urogenital Tuberculosis (UGTB)-Ziehl-Neelson (ZN
The Nexus between Green Perceived Quality, Green Satisfaction, Green Trust, and Customers’ Green Behavioral Intentions in Eco-Friendly Hotels: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach
No full textWith the growing awareness of the climate change effects, hotel customers progressively intend to favor green products and services that minimize adverse environmental effects. The key factors affecting customers’ green behavioral intentions in the hospitality industry context are still under research. Accordingly, this study primarily aims at empirically investigating the nexus between green perceived quality (GPQ), green satisfaction (GS), green trust (GT), and customers’ green behavioral intentions (CGBIs) in a sample of five-star eco-friendly hotels in Egypt. More specifically, the study first endeavors to investigate the direct impact of GPQ on GS, GT, and CGBIs besides exploring the direct impact of GS and GT on CGBIs in addition to examining the potential effect of GS and GT as mediators in the nexus between GPQ and CGBIs. To achieve the study’s aim and associated objectives, a self-administrated questionnaire was developed and distributed to a convenience sample of local guests staying at certified five-green star hotels. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed, and only 304 valid forms, representing 60.8%, were used in the statistical analysis. Seven hypotheses, reflecting the direct and indirect relationships between study constructs, were examined by using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with bootstrapping technique. The study findings revealed that GS, GT as well as CGBIs are significantly positively affected by GPQ, respectively. Furthermore, GT and GS have a significant positive effect on CGBIs. Moreover, GT as well as GS partially mediate the nexus between GPQ and CGBIs. From the previous findings, it could be concluded that the increase in investment in enhancing GPQ significantly contributes to the improvement in GS, GT, and CGBIs. Additionally, the higher the GT, GPQ, and GS, the greater the revisit intention to green hotels, positive green word-of-mouth (GWoM), and intention to pay a premium for staying in environmentally friendly hotels. As a result, for enhancing CGBIs and sustaining a customer-hotel long-term relationship, hotel operators should make efforts towards maintaining GT, improving GPQ, and increasing customers’ GS as key predictors of CGBIs in the hotel industry context
MiR-29a promotes lipid droplet and triglyceride formation in HCV infection by inducing expression of SREBP-1c and CAV1
No full textHEMATO-BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR MARKERS (IS900) OF CATTLE INFECTED WITH JOHNE’S DISEASE IN EGYPT
No full textIn Egypt, limited studies were performed to investigate Jhon’s disease (JD) caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). This study was concerned with diagnosis of MAP in cattle dairy farms using indirect-ELISA technique and amplification of IS900 using PCR technique for confirmation of infection and investigated adequate diagnostic markers for MAP through determining hemato-biochemical profile in cattle dairy farms. Screening of MAP was done by indirect ELISA between the periods from January 2017 to June 2018. A total of 200 cows suffered from persistent diarrhea (n=17) and apparently healthy cows in contact with them (n=183) were used in this study. Positive JD was reported in 62 cases (31%) and negative JD was reported in 138 cases (69%). Out of the positive JD, 17 cases were clinically affected by persistent diarrhea and weight loss (clinical JD), where 45 cases were apparently healthy (sub-clinical JD). Typical colonies of MAP were isolated from the fecal samples of clinically affected cows with positive staining of MAP bacilli. Amplification of IS900 using PCR technique confirmed the presence of MAP infection. Phylogenetic analysis revealed identical similarities with MAP strains in India and Egypt. Hemato-biochemical investigations revealed significant decrease in RBCs, PCV, total protein, globulin and glucose with non-significant change in oxidative stress markers in clinically affected cows. This study is considered one of the limited researches that highlight the role of MAP infection in dairy farms in Egypt.Key words: dairy cattle; ELISA; IS900; Johne’s disease; MA
Quality of life, functional impairment and healthcare experiences of patients with irritable bowel syndrome in Norway: an online survey
No full textAbstract Background The present study is an online survey to determine the quality of life and functional impairment caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the healthcare experiences of IBS patients in Norway, which has not been done previously. Methods An author-developed, online questionnaire using Microsoft Forms program was applied. The questionnaire comprised 52 questions. The questionnaire was posted from 1 March to 17 April (a 48-day period) on the Norwegian Gastrointestinal Association website and in its magazine and social media posts. Results The questionnaire was completed by 2727 patients. Of these patients 327 were excluded because they have not been diagnosed by a medical doctor. IBS reduced the quality of life in 97% of affected patients, including the social life in 90% and the sexual life in 69%. The unemployment rate of IBS patients in Norway 38%, which is 10-fold higher than that of the general population, and 94% of IBS patients reported that IBS impaired their work/study performance. About half of the patients had to discuss their abdominal symptoms with their general practitioner (GP) more than 10 times and wait more than 1 years before being diagnosed. Only 34% and 48% were satisfied with the help they received from their GP and gastroenterologist, respectively. Only 18% and 43% of the IBS patients felt that their GP and gastroenterologist, respectively, were sufficiently knowledgeable about IBS. Only 21% of the IBS patients was satisfied with the treatment they received. Conclusions IBS markedly reduces the affected patient’s quality of life and their working productivity. IBS patients are generally dissatisfied with the clinical management they receive from GPs and gastroenterologists
Effect of weight loss program using prebiotics and probiotics on body composition, physique, and metabolic products: longitudinal intervention study
No full textAbstract The relationship between gut microbiota and obesity has recently been an important subject for research as the gut microbiota is thought to affect body homeostasis including body weight and composition, intervening with pro and prebiotics is an intelligent possible way for obesity management. To evaluate the effect of hypo caloric adequate fiber regimen with probiotic supplementation and physical exercise, whether it will have a good impact on health, body composition, and physique among obese Egyptian women or has no significant effect. The enrolled 58 women, in this longitudinal follow-up intervention study; followed a weight loss eating regimen (prebiotic), including a low-carbohydrate adequate-fiber adequate-protein dietary pattern with decreased energy intake. They additionally received daily probiotic supplements in the form of yogurt and were instructed to exercise regularly for 3 months. Anthropometric measurements, body composition, laboratory investigations, and microbiota analysis were obtained before and after the 3 months weight loss program. Statistically highly significant differences in the anthropometry, body composition parameters: and obesity-related biomarkers (Leptin, ALT, and AST) between the pre and post-follow-up measurements at the end of the study as they were all decreased. The prebiotic and probiotic supplementation induced statistically highly significant alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota with increased relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria, and Bacteroidetes and decreased relative abundance of Firmicutes and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes Ratio. Hypo caloric adequate fiber regimen diet with probiotics positively impacts body composition and is effective for weight loss normalizing serum Leptin and AST
Ellagic acid microspheres restrict the growth of Babesia and Theileria in vitro and Babesia microti in vivo
No full textapplication/pdfBackground: There are no effective vaccines against Babesia and Theileria parasites; therefore, therapy depends heavily on antiprotozoal drugs. Treatment options for piroplasmosis are limited; thus, the need for new antiprotozoal agents is becoming increasingly urgent. Ellagic acid (EA) is a polyphenol found in various plant products and has antioxidant, antibacterial and effective antimalarial activity in vitro and in vivo without toxicity. The present study documents the efficacy of EA and EA-loaded nanoparticles (EA-NPs) on the growth of Babesia and Theileria. Methods: In this study, the inhibitory effect of EA, β-cyclodextrin ellagic acid (β-CD EA) and antisolvent precipitation with a syringe pump prepared ellagic acid (APSP EA) was evaluated on four Babesia species and Theileria equi in vitro, and on the multiplication of B. microti in mice. The cytotoxicity assay was tested on Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK), mouse embryonic fibroblast (NIH/3T3) and human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cell lines. Results: The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of EA and β-CD EA on B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. divergens, B. caballi and T. equi were 9.58 ± 1.47, 7.87 ± 5.8, 5.41 ± 2.8, 3.29 ± 0.42 and 7.46 ± 0.6 μM and 8.8 ± 0.53, 18.9 ± 0.025, 11 ± 0.37, 4.4 ± 0.6 and 9.1 ± 1.72 μM, respectively. The IC50 values of APSP EA on B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. divergens, B. caballi and T. equi were 4.2 ± 0.42, 9.6 ± 0.6, 2.6 ± 1.47, 0.92 ± 5.8 and 7.3 ± 0.54 μM, respectively. A toxicity assay showed that EA, β-CD EA and APSP EA affected the viability of cells with a half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) higher than 800 μM. In the experiments on mice, APSP EA at a concentration of 70 mg/kg reduced the peak parasitemia of B. microti by 68.1%. Furthermore, the APSP EA-atovaquone (AQ) combination showed a higher chemotherapeutic effect than that of APSP EA monotherapy. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the in vitro and in vivo antibabesial action of EA-NPs and thus supports the use of nanoparticles as an alternative antiparasitic agent. © 2019 The Author(s)
Ellagic acid microspheres restrict the growth of Babesia and Theileria in vitro and Babesia microti in vivo
No full textapplication/pdfBackground: There are no effective vaccines against Babesia and Theileria parasites; therefore, therapy depends heavily on antiprotozoal drugs. Treatment options for piroplasmosis are limited; thus, the need for new antiprotozoal agents is becoming increasingly urgent. Ellagic acid (EA) is a polyphenol found in various plant products and has antioxidant, antibacterial and effective antimalarial activity in vitro and in vivo without toxicity. The present study documents the efficacy of EA and EA-loaded nanoparticles (EA-NPs) on the growth of Babesia and Theileria. Methods: In this study, the inhibitory effect of EA, β-cyclodextrin ellagic acid (β-CD EA) and antisolvent precipitation with a syringe pump prepared ellagic acid (APSP EA) was evaluated on four Babesia species and Theileria equi in vitro, and on the multiplication of B. microti in mice. The cytotoxicity assay was tested on Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK), mouse embryonic fibroblast (NIH/3T3) and human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cell lines. Results: The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of EA and β-CD EA on B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. divergens, B. caballi and T. equi were 9.58 ± 1.47, 7.87 ± 5.8, 5.41 ± 2.8, 3.29 ± 0.42 and 7.46 ± 0.6 μM and 8.8 ± 0.53, 18.9 ± 0.025, 11 ± 0.37, 4.4 ± 0.6 and 9.1 ± 1.72 μM, respectively. The IC50 values of APSP EA on B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. divergens, B. caballi and T. equi were 4.2 ± 0.42, 9.6 ± 0.6, 2.6 ± 1.47, 0.92 ± 5.8 and 7.3 ± 0.54 μM, respectively. A toxicity assay showed that EA, β-CD EA and APSP EA affected the viability of cells with a half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) higher than 800 μM. In the experiments on mice, APSP EA at a concentration of 70 mg/kg reduced the peak parasitemia of B. microti by 68.1%. Furthermore, the APSP EA-atovaquone (AQ) combination showed a higher chemotherapeutic effect than that of APSP EA monotherapy. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the in vitro and in vivo antibabesial action of EA-NPs and thus supports the use of nanoparticles as an alternative antiparasitic agent. © 2019 The Author(s).journal articl
The global burden of typhoid and paratyphoid fevers: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
No full textBackground Efforts to quantify the global burden of enteric fever are valuable for understanding the health lost and the large-scale spatial distribution of the disease. We present the estimates of typhoid and paratyphoid fever burden from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017, and the approach taken to produce them. Methods For this systematic analysis we broke down the relative contributions of typhoid and paratyphoid fevers by country, year, and age, and analysed trends in incidence and mortality. We modelled the combined incidence of typhoid and paratyphoid fevers and split these total cases proportionally between typhoid and paratyphoid fevers using aetiological proportion models. We estimated deaths using vital registration data for countries with sufficiently high data completeness and using a natural history approach for other locations. We also estimated disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for typhoid and paratyphoid fevers. Findings Globally, 14.3 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 12.5-16.3) cases of typhoid and paratyphoid fevers occurred in 2017, a 44.6% (42.2-47.0) decline from 25 . 9 million (22.0-29.9) in 1990. Age-standardised incidence rates declined by 54 . 9% (53 . 4-56.5), from 439.2 (376.7-507.7) per 100 000 person-years in 1990, to 197.8 (172.0-226.2) per 100 000 person-years in 2017. In 2017, Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi caused 76.3% (71.8-80.5) of cases of enteric fever. We estimated a global case fatality of 0.95% (0.54-1.53) in 2017, with higher case fatality estimates among children and older adults, and among those living in lower-income countries. We therefore estimated 135.9 thousand (76.9-218.9) deaths from typhoid and paratyphoid fever globally in 2017, a 41.0% (33.6-48.3) decline from 230.5 thousand (131.2-372.6) in 1990. Overall, typhoid and paratyphoid fevers were responsible for 9.8 million (5.6-15.8) DALYs in 2017, down 43.0% (35.5-50.6) from 17.2 million (9.9-27.8) DALYs in 1990. Interpretation Despite notable progress, typhoid and paratyphoid fevers remain major causes of disability and death, with billions of people likely to be exposed to the pathogens. Although improvements in water and sanitation remain essential, increased vaccine use (including with typhoid conjugate vaccines that are effective in infants and young children and protective for longer periods) and improved data and surveillance to inform vaccine rollout are likely to drive the greatest improvements in the global burden of the disease. Copyright (C) 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.N
Land and land conflict in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process:1990-1999
No full textThis thesis examines the importance of the debates and struggle over land in the Oslo Accord and immediately post-Oslo. It does this by first situating the conflict
over land in the historical context of the spread of Zionism from the 1880s, culminating in the establishment of the State of Israel in Palestine in 1948. It then reviews and contrasts the policies on land and settlement of the Israeli Labour and Likud parties. The focus of the thesis is an assessment of Israeli settlement policy on the West Bank and Gaza-Strip after the Oslo Agreement of 1993. It examines the sequences of Israeli-Palestinian agreements that have divided Palestinian land into different categories and argues that these categories and the problems they have created have ignored the historical importance of land in the conflict between Israel
and Palestine.
The thesis argues that the classification of land is intended to further subjugate Palestine to the political and economic dominance of Israel, and that the
formulation for discussing land issues undermines the possibility for the establishment of a strong and economically independent Palestinian state. The thesis submits that the persistence of Israeli settlement policy and the manner of Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank has not encouraged the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to conduct a comprehensive land survey and registration
procedure. Moreover. Israeli strategy in the post-Oslo period has been to promote the cantonisation of Palestine to ensure that any future Palestinian state will remain
economically weak and politically disjointed
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