130 research outputs found
Feeding and sensory processing in ASD children (Elsayed et al., 2022)
No full textPurpose: Many studies have linked sensory sensitivities to feeding problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite the importance of sensory processing for a variety of mealtime and eating skills, the specific sensory processes that may impact feeding problems in children with ASD have not been comprehensively reviewed. Thus, the goal of this systematic review was to understand the associations between sensory processing and feeding difficulties in children with ASD.
Method: This systematic review was carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The PubMed, CINAHL Plus with Full Text (EBSCOhost), Scopus (Elsevier), and Embase (Elsevier) databases were searched from their dates of inception through the final search date of April 19, 2022, for English language studies that examined both sensory processing and feeding among children with ASD. Studies were assessed for quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools.
Results: A total of 27 studies were included. Findings supported the existence of a relationship between sensory processing and feeding problems in children with ASD. Specifically, studies reported that overall scores on sensory processing measures as well as measures of oral sensory processing were frequently associated with feeding problems.
Conclusions: This review supports the development of future feeding interventions focusing on sensory processing given the relationship between sensory processing and feeding problems among children with ASD. Future research should focus on utilizing consistent feeding assessments specific to children with ASD and collect information on medical diagnoses that can impact feeding in order to report on feeding more holistically in this population.
Supplemental Material S1. Search strategy.
Elsayed, H. E., Thompson, K. L., Conklin, J. L., & Watson, L. R. (2022). Systematic review of the relation between feeding problems and sensory processing in children with autism spectrum disorder. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_AJSLP-21-00401</p
Fronthaul cell outage compensation for 5G networks
No full text5G networks are expected to bring the gigabits per second throughput level per user to reality by 2020. This is done using a combination of new and well known technologies such as C-RAN, self-organizing networks, ultra dense networks, massive MIMO, and millimeter waves. In new RAN architectures, C-RAN has been viewed as a promising 5G architecture that centralizes baseband processing units and virtualizes them into a resource pool. The baseband units are connected to the remote radio heads via high speed fronthaul links. Failure of any 5G cell site fronthaul means the loss of hundreds of gigabits, or even terabits. In this article, we present a novel cell outage compensation approach using new SHRs added to each cell site in the 5G network. These SHRs operate only in case of fronthaul/ backhaul failure of any cell site in the network. A new software defined controller is introduced to handle the self-healing procedures. The article also introduces a high-level simulation study that is carried out to assess the proposed approach. The simulation results confirm the advantages of the proposed approach in terms of the degree of recovery from failures.This is a manuscript of an article published as Selim, Mohamed, Ahmed E. Kamal, Khaled Elsayed, Heba M. Abdel-Atty, and Mohammed Alnuem. "Fronthaul cell outage compensation for 5G networks." IEEE Communications Magazine 54, no. 8 (2016): 169-175. DOI: 10.1109/MCOM.2016.7537192. Posted with permission.</p
Polyphenolic profile, hepatoprotective evaluation, and molecular docking study of three palm tree species (Family Arecaceae)
No full textArecaceae species are renowned in traditional medicine for treating inflammation and liver disorders. Herein, we aimed to identify the phenolic constituents and the hepatoprotective potential of the aqueous methanol extract (AME) of Aiphanes
eggersii, Carpoxylon macrospermum, and Jubaeopsis caffra leaves, in a drug-induced liver injury in vivo model. The AMEs are considered safe until the maximum tested dose (5 g/kg). The two selected screening doses, 500 and 1000 mg/kg, displayed antioxidant activity with significant (P < 0.05) decline in the liver/body weight ratios (19.1–29.7%), liver enzymes (25.9–63.4%), and malondialdehyde (39.3–63.8%), while increasing reduced glutathione (2.1–3.2 folds) and superoxide
dismutase (2.2–3.1 folds). Moreover, they demonstrated a significant anti-inflammatory effect (P < 0.05) with decline in NF-KB p65 (32.7–64.5%), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (24.9–64.4%), and interleukin-1β (18.7–64.2%). Ultimately, significant (P < 0.05) antiapoptotic effects from the declined BAX (31.8–65.6%) and caspase-3 (23–69%), while increasing Bcl2 (2.7–5.7 folds). Ultimately, the histopathological investigation showed obvious hepatoprotective efficacy. The HPLC–MS/MS profiling revealed high phenolic content. As key phenolic attributes, chlorogenic acid is major in C. macrospermum and J. caffra, while vanillic in A. eggersii. Rutin is the principal flavonol in the three extracts (365.852–57970.205 μg/Kg), followed by hyperoside (62.764–7379.297 μg/Kg) and hesperidin (1225.976–1575.550 μg/Kg). The docking results show that rutin and hesperidin achieved the best fitting to SOD-1, with binding scores of -8.24 and -8.36 kcal/mol, while -8.0671
and -7.1735 kcal/mol with caspase-3, respectively with stable conformations revealed by 100 ns MD. In all, the investigated species exert significant hepatoprotective activity, at least partly, to their constitutive flavonoids and phenolic acids. However, further clinical investigation is still needed
Evaluation of genetic diversity within different rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) genotypes utilizing start codon targeted (SCoT) and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular markers
No full textThis work aimed at studying the genetic diversity among different rabbit genotypes reared in Egypt by two different molecular markers (start codon targeted, SCoT, and inter-simple sequence repeat, ISSR) to improve breeding strategies. Five different groups of rabbits were used Gabali (Gab), New Zealand white (NZW), Californian (Cal), Rex, and Papillon (Pap). DNA was extracted and analyzed using SCoT and ISSR-PCR, and the obtained fragments were analyzed. Six SCoT primers scored 60 bands with 78.33 % polymorphism; primer SCoT 6 was the most polymorphic marker with 92.31 % polymorphism, while SCoT 5 was the lowest with 60 %. A dendrogram based on SCoT-PCR revealed that the Rex breed was the most genetically different. Seven ISSR primers gained 56 bands in total with 49.762 % polymorphism. ISSR 4 was the most polymorphic primer that detected 75 % of polymorphism, while ISSR 6 was not able to detect any polymorphism. It was suggested that the SCoT markers may be more effective than ISSR for differentiating and identifying the genetic variations within investigated breeds. Also, the usage of molecular markers of SCoT and ISSR may be more proper for calculating genetic diversity and common ancestry among tested rabbit breeds. Furthermore, evaluating genetic variability is important for enhancing existing breeds' adaptation to ecological alterations and crucial for preservation or breeding purposes
Phenolic profiling and bioactivity assessment of in vitro propagated Psidium cattleianum Sabine: A promising study
No full textPsidium cattleianum Sabine (strawberry guava) is an evergreen shrub that is grown as a fruiting hedge and has received significant consideration in the food and pharmaceutical disciplines. This study aims to set a promising protocol for in vitro propagation of P. cattleianum, along with profiling the phenolic content of the original plant (OP), induced callus (IC), and regenerated plantlets (RP) extracts, ultimately, evaluating their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer
potential. Seeds were treated with commercial bleaching, HCl, and H2O2 to enhance the germination percentage and minimize the contamination percentage. Culturing sterilized leaf explants onto Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with benzyl adenine (BA), 2,4-dichloro phenoxy acetic acid, and kinetin showed the best callus induction, while supplementation of MS media with BA, adenine sulfate, naphthalene acetic acid, and gibberellic acid activated regeneration. Augmentation of MS media with indol-3-butyric acid recorded the maximum rooting percentage. Finally, the obtained rooted shoots were successfully acclimatized in sand and
peat moss soil. HPLC-MS/MS profiles of OP, RP, and IC showed a variety of phenolic metabolites. IC extract decreased the viability of MCF-7, HepG2, and K-562 cancer cell lines. Also, OP exhibits strong antioxidant activity. P. cattleianum and its RP are profound sources of phenolic compounds promoted for promising applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries
EVALUACION DEL EFECTO DEL DISRUPTOR ENDOCRINO DIOXINA SOBRE MARCADORES CELULARES Y MOLECULARES DEL SISTEMA REPRODUCTOR INMUNE Y NERVIOSO
No full textES UNA TESIS DE DOCTORADO SOBRE DIOXINAS DEL PROGRAMA DE DOCTORADO EN CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y RECURSOS NATURALESLos químicos disruptores endocrinos (EDC) son compuestos que alteran la estructura y función del sistema endocrino y pueden estar contribuyendo a trastornos de los sistemas reproductivos, metabólicos, neuroendocrinos y otros sistemas complejos. Las dioxinas es una clase de contaminantes ampliamente diseminados en todo el ambiente y causan efectos tóxicos a altas dosis demostrada en varias especies. La exposición de animales de laboratorio causa muchas formas de toxicidad, como hepatotoxicidad, inmunosupresión e infertilidad. Se realizó un ensayo de toxicidad subaguda con el disruptor endocrino 2,3,7,8- tetraclorodibenzo-p-dioxina (TCDD) en conejos adultos machos de Nueva Zelanda (n = 30) y ratones CD1 machos adultos (n = 30) con tres dosis bajas para simular la realidad de la exposición a este compuesto ( 0.375, 0.75 y 1.5 μg / kg). Los resultados de este trabajo muestra una disminución del peso corporal en ratones y conejos adultos sin afectar significativamente el peso de testículos, hígado y bazo. Las enzimas aspartato aminotransferasa (AST) y la alanina aminotransferasa (ALT) muestran una variación significativa en los grupos tratados con respecto al control. Se evidencia efectos significativos en la motilidad y la malformación de los espermatozoides. Se determinó la citotoxicidad y la apoptosis de los espermatozoides y los linfocitos de bazo e hígado mediante 7AAD y Anexin V usando citometría de flujo. Estas evaluaciones muestran un aumento de la citotoxicidad y una disminución de la apoptosis en las células de hígado y bazo. Eso se corroboró en las alteraciones presentadas en el análisis histopatológicos de testiculo, hígado, bazo y sistema nervioso. Concluyendo que la exposición a las dosis bajas de TCDD causa efectos negativos en los órganos analizados en ambas especies.UAEME
Correction: Guidelines for the prevention, detection and management of the renal complications of COVID-19 in Africa
No full textThe authors of the article ‘Guidelines for the prevention, detection and management of the renal complications of COVID-19 in Africa’ [1] wish to acknowledge the contribution of Professor Hussein El Fishawy. Our guidelines drew on various sources, including the Egyptian Ministry of Health guidelines, portions of which were adapted and reproduced with permission from the Egyptian Ministry of Health. Two of the authors of those guidelines, Professors Elsayed and Zaki, are also coauthors of our paper. Professor El Fishawy was the third author of the Egyptian guidelines and we would like to acknowledge his contribution to our review through this source, especially with respect to the treatment algorithms for patients with kidney transplants and those with acute kidney injury. Reference1. Elsayed HM, Wadee S, Zaki MS, Were AJO, Ashuntantang GE, Bamgboye EL, et al. Guidelines for the prevention, detection and management of the renal complications of COVID-19 in Africa. Afr J Nephrol. 2020; 23(1):109-126
Developing and testing guidelines for designing surprising products
No full textLAUREA MAGISTRALELa sorpresa è diventata un argomento interessante nel mondo del design di prodotto; è stato dimostrato che la presenza di un elemento sorprendente all'interno di un prodotto aumenta l'interazione uomo-prodotto e l’apprezzamento in generale. Sono stati compiuti sforzi attraverso numerosi studi per capire cosa sia veramente il concetto di sorpresa e su cosa si basa, cosa rende sorprendenti alcuni prodotti e come si possono catturare i processi cognitivi coinvolti quando un utente valuta un oggetto probabilmente sorprendente. Tuttavia, mancava ancora una linea guida che permettesse a ingegneri meccanici e designer di esplorare sistematicamente la propria creatività per generare, infine, idee per prodotti sorprendenti. L'autore di questa tesi di laurea magistrale ha proposto delle linee guida per questo scopo, che vengono proposte attraverso una presentazione interattiva. Questa presentazione interattiva è stata testata per la sua usabilità come strumento metodologico da un set di ingegneri meccanici e designer industriali, ritenuti i destinatari delle linee guida. Inoltre, le sorpresa indotta dalle idee generate da detti ingegneri e designer è stata valutata da un insieme di partecipanti accuratamente filtrati. I risultati raggiunti durante entrambe le attività sperimentali hanno raggiunto gli obiettivi fissati e consentono alle linee guida proposte di fungere da solida base per ulteriori sviluppi, sulla base dei miglioramenti già ipotizzati dall'autore sia per incrementare l’efficacia delle linee guida proposte che la relativa procedura di verifica.Surprise has become an interesting topic in the world of product design; the presence of a surprising trigger within a product has been proved to increase human-product interaction and overall likeability. Efforts by numerous contributors have been made to understand what the concept of surprise truly is and what does it rely on, what makes some products surprising, and how can one capture the cognitive processes involved when a user assesses an arguably surprising object; however, there was yet to be a guideline, using which mechanical engineers and designers can systematically explore their own unique creativity to ultimately generate ideas for surprising products. The author of this master thesis has proposed guidelines that do exactly that in the form of an interactive presentation. This interactive presentation was tested for its usability as a methodological tool by a third party of mechanical engineers and industrial designers. Furthermore, the ideas generated by those said engineers and designers have been assessed whether if they are genuinely surprising or not by a set of carefully filtered participants. The results reached during both external tests met expectations and allow the proposed guidelines to serve as a firm base for further development; however, the author acknowledges some points where potential improvements are due in both the proposed guidelines and in the testing procedure
The Impact of Low-Power Design Methodology on Digital Libraries
No full textIn recent years, exciting new low-power design methods have been introduced, such as: multiple supply voltages, body bias techniques and power shut-off. In order to use these low power design methods, strict requirements for both libraries and tools are needed. An additional challenge is the introduction of more accurate characterization models for newer technologies (current source models like ECSM and CCS). This has made the task of library checking a serious issue that needs to be automated. The main part of this thesis presents a checker tool that is used to verify the consistency of the different library formats (views) in standard cell libraries. The layout consistency checker in our tool checks the consistency of the layout of pins between GDSII and LEF library views; we devised a new algorithm,Grid Formation and Centre Inclusion, for this checker. The tool also verifies the pin consistency and availability of cells across other library formats, such as: Verilog and Liberty. The tool was tested using different technology libraries (such as 90nm and 40nm), provided by different vendors (such as GLOBALFOUNDRIES); multiple interfacing errors were caught using our library checker tool. A second part at the end of the thesis shows experiments with some of the low-power design techniques used during the design of a digital block, using -for implementation- standard cells from one of the libraries that have been checked with the library checker tool. Benefits of using these techniques are evaluated and trade-offs are discussed. Power-Shut Off (PSO) design technique proved to be the most effective in reducing power consumption, with power savings that reached 20%.Circuits and SystemsElectrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
Interleukin-10 levels in azithromycin-induced cardiac damage and the protective role of combined selenium and vitamin E treatment
No full textAzithromycin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic commonly used to treat bacterial infections but is associated with adverse cardiac effects, including oxidative damage and myocardial inflammation. This study aims to explore the histopathological and biochemical changes, including serum interleukin-10 levels, induced by azithromycin in the hearts of male albino rats and to evaluate the protective role of combined selenium and vitamin E treatment. Forty rats were divided into four groups: a control group, an azithromycin treatment group, selenium and vitamin E treatment group, and a combined treatment group receiving both azithromycin, selenium, and vitamin E. Results showed that the azithromycin-treated group exhibited significant increases in interleukin-10 levels, myocardial fibrosis, and cell structure degeneration, while combined selenium and vitamin E treatment markedly reduced these adverse effects, indicating a protective effect. This study concludes that selenium and vitamin E provide a protective effect against azithromycin-induced cardiac toxicity, suggesting that concurrent antioxidant therapy may help safeguard the heart during azithromycin treatment
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