Evaluation of the ecological health and food chain on the shores of four River Nile Islands, Egypt.

This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of human activities on the ecological health and food chain at the shores of four Nile Islands in Great Cairo including El-Qeratten, El-Waraq, El-Zamalek, and El-Manial. Water quality, bacteria, phytoplankton, benthic algae, zooplankton, macrobenthic invertebrates, and bony fishes were examined at each island shore over two seasons including the lowest and the highest flow (February and July 2020, respectively). The obtained results showed that the average values of most of the chemicals in Nile Island's water were within the Egyptian water quality limits. Discriminant analysis of physicochemical factors revealed a similarity between El-Waraq and El-Qerateen and between El-Manial and El-Zamalek. El-Qeratten was the most polluted island. It has the highest total and fecal coliform bacteria count (3.155 and 3.050 Log MPN/100 mL, respectively). El-Zamalek shores have the highest phytoplankton (33,582 cells × 104 L-1) and zooplankton count (310,891 organisms × m-3) and phyto-biochemical values. Biochemical analysis of phytoplankton demonstrated the richness of the bulk by protein (> 85% of biomass), indicating that phytoplankton has a high nutritional value. Elevated zooplankton count was recorded at El-Zamalek, which coincided with the peak of phytoplankton abundance. Mollusca were the dominant macrobenthic invertebrates on most of the island's shores. Bony fishes were represented by 27 species and two crustaceans. The levels of the metals in fish samples were compared with the food safety guideline endorsed by the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization (WHO/FAO) to evaluate the toxicity level.

Ecological risk assessment of heavy metal pollution in sediments of Nile River, Egypt.

The Nile River is the soul of Egypt, providing more than 95% of its freshwater demand. However, it receives different pollutants discharged into the water body along its stretch from Aswan (downstream of the High Dam) to Cairo, which is approximately 950 km. Alternatively, sediments play an important role in the dynamics of the entire aquatic environment and act as a sink or a source of pollution in the overlying water under various conditions. This study assessed sediment quality and its heavy metal levels. Several indices and human health risks were determined to assess the potential ecological risk of the Nile River sediment. On the basis of the index results, Cd registered the highest pollution ranking, whereas Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Ni had the lowest effect. In another context, southern sites represented the lowest ecological risk relative to the central and northern sectors. The results of the noncarcinogenic hazard indices, hazard quotient, and hazard index in addition to the lifetime cancer risk were below the acceptable international limits, confirming that there are no adverse effects on the exposed population due to the Nile sediment.

[Family environment and dental health disparities among urban children in Burkina Faso]. / Environnement familial et disparités de santé dentaire des enfants en milieu urbain au Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: Dental caries is the most common multifactorial disease in children and has substantial negative impact on daily life. In sub-Saharan Africa, few data are available on the relationship between dental caries and the social and family environment of children. The objectives of the present study were firstly to assess the level of prevalence and severity of dental caries of children in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso and secondly to determine whether or not individual factors, family and living conditions are linked with dental health disparities within the population. METHODS: Interview and clinical data were obtained from a household-based cross-sectional survey. A two-stage stratified sampling technique was applied in four areas of Ouagadougou representing different stages of urbanization. RESULTS: The final study population included 1606 children aged 6-12 years. For the overall group the total caries prevalence rate was 48.2%. Results showed that the dental health status of the mother, social integration of the householder and socioeconomic level of the household were associated with the dental health of children. Disparities in dental health were prominent; poor dental health was relatively frequent in children from households poorly integrated into social networks with rather acceptable standard in terms of material wealth. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that individual factors as well as family-related and environmental factors had an influence on their caries experience. The rapidly changing lifestyle affects oral health and the burden of oral diseases is expected to increase initially in people of upper classes and later in disadvantaged people. Disease prevention focussing on common risk factors of chronic diseases should be enhanced. In addition, the accessibility of quality fluoride products (e.g. toothpaste, salt, water) should be facilitated as soon as possible.

Durability of self-consolidating concrete containing natural waste perlite powders.

Perlite is a natural glassy volcanic rock used in construction applications requiring improved lightweight, thermal, and acoustic properties. During processing of raw perlite (i.e., cutting and fractioning to different sizes), large amounts of powders are collected and stored as waste materials. This paper evaluates the effect of waste perlite (WP) powders on durability and long-term transport properties of self-consolidating concrete (SCC). Different mixtures prepared with 580 kg/m3 powder using various combinations of WP, limestone filler (LF), metakaolin (MK), and silica fume (SF) are tested over 2-years period. Test results showed that WP confers particular benefits to the SCC compressive strength and its evolution over time, particularly when used in combination with MK and SF. Water permeability, carbonation, and chloride ion migration curtailed when WP concentration reached 220 and 260 kg/m3. In contrast, the resistance against freeze/thaw remarkably improved, given the pozzolanic reactions and porous nature of such powders that accommodated the disruptive expansive stresses resulting from frost attack.

Psychological aspects of orthognathic surgery and its effect on quality of life in Egyptian patients.

A study was made of 120 patients aged 11-33 years who underwent various types of orthognathic surgery in a Cairo hospital between 1998 and 2004. Patients answered a standardized questionnaire to identify motives for seeking surgery, the degree of satisfaction with the outcome and its effect on quality of life. Preoperatively, aesthetic reasons were the primary motive for seeking surgery in 95% of patients. Postoperatively, 85% of the patients were positive about the outcome of surgery as well as its effect on their quality of life. Postoperative improvement of facial aesthetics of the patients was associated with improvement of their quality of life in all aspects tested.

Cultural Practices Shaping Zoonotic Diseases Surveillance: The Case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Thailand Native Chicken Farmers.

Effectiveness of current passive zoonotic disease surveillance systems is limited by the under-reporting of disease outbreaks in the domestic animal population. Evaluating the acceptability of passive surveillance and its economic, social and cultural determinants appears a critical step for improving it. A participatory rural appraisal was implemented in a rural subdistrict of Thailand. Focus group interviews were used to identify sanitary risks perceived by native chicken farmers and describe the structure of their value chain. Qualitative individual interviews with a large diversity of actors enabled to identify perceived costs and benefits associated with the reporting of HPAI suspicions to sanitary authorities. Besides, flows of information on HPAI suspected cases were assessed using network analysis, based on data collected through individual questionnaires. Results show that the presence of cockfighting activities in the area negatively affected the willingness of all chicken farmers and other actors to report suspected HPAI cases. The high financial and affective value of fighting cocks contradicted the HPAI control policy based on mass culling. However, the importance of product quality in the native chicken meat value chain and the free veterinary services and products delivered by veterinary officers had a positive impact on suspected case reporting. Besides, cockfighting practitioners had a significantly higher centrality than other actors in the information network and they facilitated the spatial diffusion of information. Social ties built in cockfighting activities and the shared purpose of protecting valuable cocks were at the basis of the diffusion of information and the informal collective management of diseases. Building bridges with this informal network would greatly improve the effectiveness of passive surveillance.

The Perceived Value of Passive Animal Health Surveillance: The Case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Vietnam.

Economic evaluations are critical for the assessment of the efficiency and sustainability of animal health surveillance systems and the improvement of their efficiency. Methods identifying and quantifying costs and benefits incurred by public and private actors of passive surveillance systems (i.e. actors of veterinary authorities and private actors who may report clinical signs) are needed. This study presents the evaluation of perceived costs and benefits of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) passive surveillance in Vietnam. Surveys based on participatory epidemiology methods were conducted in three provinces in Vietnam to collect data on costs and benefits resulting from the reporting of HPAI suspicions to veterinary authorities. A quantitative tool based on stated preference methods and participatory techniques was developed and applied to assess the non-monetary costs and benefits. The study showed that poultry farmers are facing several options regarding the management of HPAI suspicions, besides reporting the following: treatment, sale or destruction of animals. The option of reporting was associated with uncertain outcome and transaction costs. Besides, actors anticipated the release of health information to cause a drop of markets prices. This cost was relevant at all levels, including farmers, veterinary authorities and private actors of the upstream sector (feed, chicks and medicine supply). One benefit associated with passive surveillance was the intervention of public services to clean farms and the environment to limit the disease spread. Private actors of the poultry sector valued information on HPAI suspicions (perceived as a non-monetary benefit) which was mainly obtained from other private actors and media.

Fluorouracil plus racemic leucovorin versus fluorouracil combined with the pure l-isomer of leucovorin for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer: a randomized phase III study.

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy and toxicity of fluorouracil (FU) and racemic leucovorin (d,l-LV) versus FU combined with the l-isomer of leucovorin (l-LV) in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 248 patients with advanced measurable colorectal cancer previously unexposed to chemotherapy were randomly assigned to treatment with either FU (400 mg/m2/d by intravenous [I.V.] infusion for 2 hours) and racemic LV (100 mg/m2/d by I.V. bolus injection) given for 5 consecutive days, or the combination of FU and the pure l-isomer of LV using the same dose schedule. In both treatment arms, courses were administered every 28 days if toxicity allowed for a total of 6 months, unless evidence of tumor progression was documented earlier. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the FU/racemic LV and the FU/l-LV arm in the overall response rate (25% v 32%), duration of response (7.2 v 8.0 months), median time to progression or death (6.25 v 8.0 months), or median overall survival time (14.5 v 15.0 months). Except for minor myeloid toxic effects associated with FU/l-LV, there was also no significant difference in terms of adverse reactions. Gastrointestinal symptoms, specifically mucasitis and diarrhea, were less frequent and less severe in both treatment arms compared with other trials with FU/racemic LV reported in the literature, which might be because of the prolonged administration of FU used in both arms. CONCLUSION: The combination of FU/l-LV produced response rates, response durations, and survival times similar to those with FU/d,l-LV. Biochemical modulation of FU by either pure l-LV or racemic LV thus appears to result in equivalent clinical efficacy.

Correlation of observed fold frequency with the occurrence of local structural motifs.

It is well known that some protein folds (superfolds) occur very frequently. We show that compared to other folds, most superfold structures have a higher proportion of their alpha-helical or beta-strand residues in one of three basic units of supersecondary structure (alpha-hairpin, beta-hairpin or betaalphabeta-unit). Furthermore, by taking into consideration two more complex motifs, the four-stranded Greek-key (beta4) and the betaalpha-Greek key (betaalphabetabeta), we demonstrate that the remaining superfold structures contain many of these higher order units of three-dimensional packing. The implications of these results for folding are discussed.

Paroxetine-induced hyponatremia in older adults: a 12-week prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Older depressed patients are at high risk for development of hyponatremia after initiation of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine, despite clinical monitoring and preventive management. The purposes of this study were to determine the incidence and etiology of paroxetine-induced hyponatremia in older patients and to identify patient characteristics that may account for variability in susceptibility to this adverse event. METHODS: This prospective, longitudinal study was conducted in a university-based ambulatory psychiatric research clinic from August 1999 through September 2001. Patients included 75 men and women aged 63 through 90 years (mean +/- SD age, 75.3 +/- 6.0 years) who received a diagnosis of a current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, major depressive episode and were prescribed paroxetine. We monitored plasma sodium levels before initiating paroxetine therapy and after 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12 weeks of treatment. In a subset of individuals, we measured levels of antidiuretic hormone, glucose, serum urea nitrogen, and creatinine. Hyponatremia was defined as a plasma sodium level of less than 135 mEq/L after initiation of paroxetine therapy. RESULTS: Hyponatremia developed in 9 (12%) of the 75 patients after initiation of paroxetine treatment. Mean +/- SD time to development of hyponatremia was 9.3 +/- 4.7 days (median, 9 days; range, 1-14 days; n = 8). In the multivariate regression, lower body mass index and lower baseline plasma sodium level (<138 mEq/L) were significant risk factors for the development of hyponatremia in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Hyponatremia is an under recognized and potentially serious complication of paroxetine treatment in older patients. Our results provide a foundation for understanding the etiology and risk factors associated with paroxetine-induced hyponatremia.

Sizing up human health through remote sensing: uses and misuses.

Following the launch of new satellites, remote sensing (RS) has been increasingly implicated in human health research for thirty years, providing a growing availability of images with higher resolution and spectral ranges. However, the scope of applications, beyond theoretical large potentialities, appears limited both by their technical nature and the models developed. An exhaustive review of RS applications in human health highlights the real implication thus far regarding the diversity and range of health issues, remotely sensed data, processes and interpretations. The place of RS is far under its expected potential, revealing fundamental barriers in its implementation for health applications. The selection of images is done by practical considerations as trivial as price and availability, which are often not relevant to addressing health questions requiring suitable resolutions and spatio-temporal range. The relationships of environmental variables from RS, geospatial data from other sources for health investigations are poorly addressed and usually simplified. A discussion covering the potential of RS for human health is developed here to assist health scientists deal with spatial and temporal dynamics of health, by finding the most relevant data and analysis procedures.

[Dynamics of disease in Senegal: epidemiological transition or health transition?]. / Dynamiques spatio-temporelles de la morbidité au Sénégal: transition épidémiologique ou transition sanitaire?

In Senegal, the evolution of disease as recorded by the public health care system confirms the preponderance of seeking care for infectious diseases (malaria, respiratory and diarrheal diseases) and reveals the emergence of chronic diseases. However, while the incidence of hypertension diagnosed by the public system increased from 14 to 81 per thousand inhabitants aged over 40, between 1995 and 2009, the diabetes appears only at 0.4‰, thus in contradiction with hospital data and general population surveys. For instance, diabetes prevalence was estimated at 10.4% in Saint-Louis in 2010 (8). This difference recalls the limitations of this data source as regards epidemiological information, but sheds light on the challenges facing the health care system, both in terms of detection, medical care, access to health care and treatment as well as cost recovery.

When private actors matter: Information-sharing network and surveillance of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Vietnam.

The effectiveness of animal health surveillance systems depends on their capacity to gather sanitary information from the animal production sector. In order to assess this capacity we analyzed the flow of sanitary information regarding Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) suspicions in poultry in Vietnam. Participatory methods were applied to assess the type of actors and likelihood of information sharing between actors in case of HPAI suspicion in poultry. While the reporting of HPAI suspicions is mandatory, private actors had more access to information than public actors. Actors of the upstream sector (medicine and feed sellers) played a key role in the diffusion of information. The central role of these actors and the influence of the information flow on the adoption by poultry production stakeholders of behaviors limiting (e.g. prevention measures) or promoting disease transmission (e.g. increased animal movements) should be accounted for in the design of surveillance and control programs.

Long-term, high-fat-sucrose diet alters rat femoral neck and vertebral morphology, bone mineral content, and mechanical properties.

Short-term exposure to diets high in fat and sucrose can induce hyperinsulinemia, affect calcium and magnesium metabolism, and alter bone mineralization and mechanical properties. The current study focused on the morphological and structural changes that result from long-term exposure to a high-fat sucrose (HFS) diet. Inbred, female Fischer 344 rats were assigned randomly to a low-fat, complex-carbohydrate (LFCC) diet group or a HFS diet for 24 months. At the end of the 2 years, each femoral neck (FN) was tested to failure in cantilever-bending, the sixth lumbar vertebra (L6) was tested in compression, and geometrical characteristics of the bones were determined. Although the HFS rats were significantly fatter and heavier than the LFCC rats, the HFS L6 had a significantly smaller average cross-sectional area. When L6 structural properties were normalised with respect to body mass, the HFS L6 had significantly lower loads, energies, and stiffnesses. The HFS L6 stress and strain energy density values were also significantly less than the LFCC L6. Compared to the LFCC FN, the HFS FN had a smaller cortical shell and larger trabecular core. The HFS FN also had significantly lower mass-normalised loads, energies, and stiffnesses. These results suggest that a long-term HFS diet has a significant adverse effect on rat bone morphology and mechanics.

Adaptations of immature trabecular bone to moderate exercise: geometrical, biochemical, and biomechanical correlates.

Strenuous endurance exercise can adversely affect the mechanical integrity of immature bone, but it is unclear whether a more moderate exercise regimen would have a positive effect. Thus, to investigate the response of immature trabecular bone to moderate exercise, we randomly assigned female Sprague-Dawley rats (8 weeks old) to either a basal-control, exercise, or age-matched control group. The basal-control rats were killed at 8 weeks of age, while the other two groups were killed at 18 weeks of age. Between 8 and 18 weeks, one group remained sedentary, while another group was trained progressively on a motor-driven treadmill at a moderate level of intensity. Rat femoral necks (FN) were tested in cantilever bending to failure, and the sixth lumbar vertebral bodies (L6) were compressed to 50% of their initial height. Both tissues were analyzed for calcium, hydroxyproline, and collagen-crosslinking concentrations, and for changes in geometry. The adrenal mass per unit body mass was significantly greater in the exercised group, compared to the age-matched controls. L6 calcium content, compressional stress, and elastic modulus were significantly less in the exercise group as compared to the age-matched control group. Nonreducible collagen crosslinks (hydroxylysylpyridinoline [HP] and lysylpyridinoline [LP]) were significantly greater in the older exercise and age-matched control L6 and FN. In the weightbearing FN--but not L6--the LP concentration of the exercise group was significantly greater than the age-matched controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Social, professional conditions and arterial hypertension: an epidemiological study in Dakar, Senegal.

A group of men and women (1315 and 554, respectively) employed by six companies in Dakar, Senegal, underwent a cross-sectional study. The prevalence of arterial hypertension, according to the WHO criteria, was found to be 7.4% among the men and 10.2% among the women. Risk factors for high blood pressure were: age, body mass index, illiteracy and factors related to occupation, such as occupational category and working conditions (e.g. noise and shift work). Therapeutic control was low in this community. Awareness of hypertension was high, but a high percentage of false positive diagnosis was observed among subjects labelled as hypertensives, on the basis of inaccurate blood pressure measurement.

Arterial hypertension in urban Africa: an epidemiological study on a representative sample of Dakar inhabitants in Senegal.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and risk markers of arterial hypertension in the context of a rapidly growing urbanization in Africa. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was performed on a representative sample of inhabitants of Pikine, an urban suburb of Dakar, Senegal. METHODS: Blood pressure was measured by properly trained field workers at subject homes. A total of 2580 individuals were included, aged > or = to 15 years and with a duration of residence > or = 2 months. Complete data including risk markers were obtained for 2300 subjects. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension (World Health Organization criteria) was found to be 10.4%. Due to the young age of the population, nearly half of the cases of moderate-to-severe hypertension were observed in middle-aged subjects. Risk markers of hypertension were age and obesity in both sexes: illiterate and multiparous women also had a higher prevalence of hypertension. Awareness of hypertension was infrequent among the hypertensive subjects: of the 189 subjects who had been labelled hypertensive, 10 were treated with antihypertensive therapy but 111 had normal blood pressure levels without any treatment, suggesting poor-quality prior diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension was found to be frequent in this urban African population. These findings emphasize the need for improvement in the management of hypertension, focusing upon the high-risk groups.

Pericardial tamponade and its effect on cardiac performance in absence of the pulmonic valve.

A controlled study was undertaken to quantitate and compare the amount of accumulated pericardial fluid causing acute pericardial tamponade in animals with or without an intact pulmonary valve. In 13 mongrel dogs, acute pericardial tamponade was induced by gradual loading of the pericardial cavity with fluid (mean 21.3 cc/m2). In 10 dogs (Group A) the pulmonic valve was completely excised under caval occlusion and the pericardium resealed. In Group B, the control group (n = 3), caval occlusion was performed for the same period of time but the pulmonary valve was left intact. Reloading of the pericardium with fluid in both groups revealed that whereas in the Control Group B a similar volume of fluid was required (mean 213 cc/m2) to cause critical tamponade, in Group A a much smaller volume (mean 132 cc/m2) (40% decrease) now produced tamponade (p less than 0.001). The results of the study may have important practical implications in patients having cardiac operations in which the pulmonary valve is left incompetent, such as after complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot.

A randomized trial of weighted vest use in ambulatory older adults: strength, performance, and quality of life outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Lower extremity weakness is a major risk factor for falls and hip fractures. Aging muscle is capable of responding to strengthening techniques. Strategies for providing accessible, inexpensive, safe, and effective strengthening programs for older adults are needed. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether use of a weighted vest improved strength, physical performance, markers of bone turnover, or health-related quality of life. DESIGN: A 27-week randomized, controlled, unmasked clinical trial. The primary outcome was peak isokinetic knee extensor strength at follow-up, adjusted for baseline strength. SETTING: Home-based program. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 62 women and men, mean age 74 years. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were randomized to: no vest (n = 21), 3% body weight (BW) vest (n = 19), or 5% BW vest (n = 22). The vest is a nylon garment with pockets that are loaded with adjustable weights. The vest was prescribed for 2 hours daily, 4 days per week. No specific physical activities were mandated. MEASUREMENTS: All measures were made at baseline and 27 weeks. These included: knee strength and endurance by isokinetic dynamometer; timed physical performance tests; serum osteocalcin and urinary N-telopeptides; and health-related quality of life scales. RESULTS: Follow-up values of muscular strength and endurance, physical performance, bone turnover markers, and health-related quality of life did not differ by treatment assignment. The final study visit was attended by 19 (90%), 15 (80%), and 20 (91%) of the control, 3%, and 5% groups, respectively. Three permanent discontinuations of vest use occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Weighted vest use did not result in improvement in multiple domains of strength and function and did not affect bone turnover markers. We conclude that the training stimulus afforded by the vest (at the dosage tested) was below the required amount to produce strength gains or bone stimulation.