A Comprehensive Survey on the Internet of Things with the Industrial Marketplace.

There is no doubt that new technology has become one of the crucial parts of most people's lives around the world. By and large, in this era, the Internet and the Internet of Things (IoT) have become the most indispensable parts of our lives. Recently, IoT technologies have been regarded as the most broadly used tools among other technologies. The tools and the facilities of IoT technologies within the marketplace are part of Industry 4.0. The marketplace is too regarded as a new area that can be used with IoT technologies. One of the main purposes of this paper is to highlight using IoT technologies in Industry 4.0, and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is another feature revised. This paper focuses on the value of the IoT in the industrial domain in general; it reviews the IoT and focuses on its benefits and drawbacks, and presents some of the IoT applications, such as in transportation and healthcare. In addition, the trends and facts that are related to the IoT technologies on the marketplace are reviewed. Finally, the role of IoT in telemedicine and healthcare and the benefits of IoT technologies for COVID-19 are presented as well.

Relation of Serum Ferritin Level with Serum Hepcidin and Fucose Levels in Children with ß-Thalassemia Major.

The aim of this study was to assess serum ferritin, hepcidin, L-fucose, and protein binding fucose levels in ß-thalassemia major (ß-TM) patients and to correlate the serum ferritin level with hepcidin and fucose levels. A total 70 (26 males and 44 females) children with ß-TM, ages ranging from 5 to 16 years (mean age 8.3 ± 2.7 years) and 50 (25 males and 25 females) apparently healthy subjects with matching age and sex were included as a control group. An especially designed questionnaire was used to collect age, gender, body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin, hepcidin-25 peptide, α-L-fucose, and protein binding fucose (PBF) levels. ß-Thalassemia major patients had significantly (p < 0.05) higher serum ferritin, fucose and PBF levels, but the serum hepcidin level was significantly (p < 0.05) lower when compared to the controls, and their levels were affected by the gender of the ß-TM patients, as it was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in female in comparison to male patients. There was no significant (p > 0.05) correlation between serum ferritin with hepcidin and fucose levels as a marker of iron overload in ß-TM. The regulation of hepcidin, and L-fucose levels in patients with ß-TM is more affected by erythropoeitic activity than by iron overload, as there was no significant correlation between serum ferritin with hepcidin and fucose levels as a marker of iron overload in ß-TM.

Determinants of shisha use among secondary school students in Sudan.

BACKGROUND: Shisha smoking has re-emerged in the Middle East in the last two decades and has spread rapidly in these communities. Information about shisha smoking in adolescents in Sudan is deficient. Hence, the aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of shisha smoking among adolescents and determine the associated factors. METHODS: This study is a school based cross sectional study among secondary school students in Khartoum State - Sudan that targets both male and female students aged 14-17 years. A total of 3387 students from 29 public and private schools were selected by multi stage random sampling. The participants completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire which was based on Arabic version of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). RESULTS: The response rate was 100% in schools and among participants, 57.3% were females and 51.6% were from public schools. The overall prevalence of those who had ever smoked shisha was 13.4%, and among male students the prevalence was 16.8%, while it was 10.9% in females. The associated factors were poor academic performance OR 2.90 CI 95% (1.21-6.94), friends smoking shisha OR 2.39 CI 95% (1.65-3.45), friends smoking cigarettes OR 2.76 CI 95% (1.90-4.01), peer pressure to smoke shisha OR 13.76 CI 95% (7.86-24.07) and unexpectedly restriction of selling shisha to minors OR 2.21 CI 95% (1.28-3.82). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of those who had ever smoked shisha is among the lowest in Middle East region; therefore, regular surveillance system is needed. A well-structured peer based comprehensive tobacco control programmes that are supported by strict and rigorous anti-tobacco regulations which control both commercial and social resources of tobacco are needed to contain this issue among adolescents.

Burnout Syndrome Among Critical Care Health Providers in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Burnout Syndrome constitutes a critical concern in healthcare, particularly among practitioners operating in high-stress, critical care settings. Understanding the multifaceted factors contributing to burnout in this context is pivotal for devising effective interventions and promoting the well-being of critical care professionals. Objective: To investigate the prevalence, contributing factors, and potential interventions related to Burnout Syndrome among critical care health providers in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional research design was employed, gathering data from a sample of critical care health providers, including medical practitioners. A self-administered structured electronic questionnaire was used, incorporating the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) with its three subscales: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. The target population was male and female critical care health providers over 18 years age, most participants lies between 25 years to 34 years. Results: Statistical analysis shows significant disparities in response distribution (p<0.05), highlighting the importance of understanding encounters with emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, and depersonalization. The Durbin-Watson statistic indicated limited autocorrelation, and collinearity tolerance values suggested nominal intercorrelations among predictors. A significant positive correlation was found between the "Depersonalization Loss of Empathy MBI" factor and the outcome variables, indicating complex relationships between emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, and depersonalization. Conclusion: The study highlights the multifaceted nature of burnout, revealing intricate relationships between emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, and depersonalization. These findings collectively form an important foundation for future guidelines and interventions to enhance the well-being of healthcare professionals.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Laser-Welded Joints between DP590 Dual-Phase Steel and 304 Stainless Steel with Preset Nickel Coating.

Dissimilarities in metal laser welding lead to brittleness in welded joints due to differences in the thermophysical and chemical properties between dissimilar base materials. To overcome such brittleness, the addition of a preset coating onto the base materials as an interlayer is a method for attaining reliable welded joints. Nd:YAG laser butt welding of DP590 dual-phase steel and 304 stainless, both with a thickness of 1 mm, was performed with a preset nickel coating as an interlayer using an electroplating process. The relationship between the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the welded joints was researched, the microstructure and composition of the weldment were analyzed, and the microhardness, tensile strength and corrosion resistance were tested. The results showed that the preset nickel coating increased the content of Ni element in the welded joints, which is beneficial to the formation of lath martensite. The average hardness of the welded joints increased by 12%, and the tensile strength was higher than 370 MPa. The corrosion rate of the welded joints can be slowed down, and the corrosion resistance can be improved by increasing the nickel coating.

Optical soliton solutions of the coupled Radhakrishnan-Kundu-Lakshmanan equation by using the extended direct algebraic approach.

The analytical soliton solutions place a lot of value on birefringent fibres. The major goal of this study is to generate novel forms of soliton solutions for the Radhakrishnan-Kundu-Lakshmanan equation, which depicts unstable optical solitons that arise from optical propagations using birefringent fibres. The (presumably new) extended direct algebraic (EDA) technique is used here to extract a large number of solutions for RKLE. It gives soliton solutions up to thirty-seven, which essentially correspond to all soliton families. This method's ability to determine many sorts of solutions through a single process is one of its key advantages. Additionally, it is simple to infer that the technique employed in this study is really straightforward yet one of the quite effective approaches to solving nonlinear partial differential equations so, this novel extended direct algebraic (EDA) technique may be regarded as a comprehensive procedure. The resulting solutions are found to be hyperbolic, periodic, trigonometric, bright and dark, combined bright-dark, and W-shaped soliton, and these solutions are visually represented by means of 2D, 3D, and density plots. The present study can be extended to investigate several other nonlinear systems to understand the physical insights of the optical propagations through birefringent fibre.

A role for prenylated rab acceptor 1 in vertebrate photoreceptor development.

BACKGROUND: The rd1 mouse retina is a well-studied model of retinal degeneration where rod photoreceptors undergo cell death beginning at postnatal day (P) 10 until P21. This period coincides with photoreceptor terminal differentiation in a normal retina. We have used the rd1 retina as a model to investigate early molecular defects in developing rod photoreceptors prior to the onset of degeneration. RESULTS: Using a microarray approach, we performed gene profiling comparing rd1 and wild type (wt) retinas at four time points starting at P2, prior to any obvious biochemical or morphological differences, and concluding at P8, prior to the initiation of cell death. Of the 143 identified differentially expressed genes, we focused on Rab acceptor 1 (Rabac1), which codes for the protein Prenylated rab acceptor 1 (PRA1) and plays an important role in vesicular trafficking. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis confirmed reduced expression of PRA1 in rd1 retina at all time points examined. Immunohistochemical observation showed that PRA1-like immunoreactivity (LIR) co-localized with the cis-Golgi marker GM-130 in the photoreceptor as the Golgi translocated from the perikarya to the inner segment during photoreceptor differentiation in wt retinas. Diffuse PRA1-LIR, distinct from the Golgi marker, was seen in the distal inner segment of wt photoreceptors starting at P8. Both plexiform layers contained PRA1 positive punctae independent of GM-130 staining during postnatal development. In the inner retina, PRA1-LIR also colocalized with the Golgi marker in the perinuclear region of most cells. A similar pattern was seen in the rd1 mouse inner retina. However, punctate and significantly reduced PRA1-LIR was present throughout the developing rd1 inner segment, consistent with delayed photoreceptor development and abnormalities in Golgi sorting and vesicular trafficking. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified genes that are differentially regulated in the rd1 retina at early time points, which may give insights into developmental defects that precede photoreceptor cell death. This is the first report of PRA1 expression in the retina. Our data support the hypothesis that PRA1 plays an important role in vesicular trafficking between the Golgi and cilia in differentiating and mature rod photoreceptors.

Short-term late-generation antibiotics versus longer term penicillin for acute streptococcal pharyngitis in children.

BACKGROUND: The standard duration of treatment for children with acute group A beta hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) pharyngitis with oral penicillin is 10 days. Shorter duration antibiotics may have comparable efficacy. OBJECTIVES: To summarize the evidence regarding the efficacy of two to six days of newer oral antibiotics (short duration) compared to 10 days of oral penicillin (standard duration) in treating children with acute GABHS pharyngitis. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL 2012, Issue 3) which contains the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group's Specialized Register, MEDLINE (January 1966 to March week 3, 2012) and EMBASE (January 1990 to April 2012). SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing short duration oral antibiotics to standard duration oral penicillin in children aged 1 to 18 years with acute GABHS pharyngitis. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors scanned the titles and abstracts of retrieved citations and applied the inclusion criteria. We retrieved included studies in full, and extracted data. Two review authors independently assessed trial quality. MAIN RESULTS: We included 20 studies with 13,102 cases of acute GABHS pharyngitis. The updated search did not identify any new eligible studies; the majority of studies were at high risk of bias. However, the majority of the results were consistent. Compared to standard duration treatment, the short duration treatment studies had shorter periods of fever (mean difference (MD) -0.30 days, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.45 to -0.14) and throat soreness (MD -0.50 days, 95% CI -0.78 to -0.22); lower risk of early clinical treatment failure (odds ratio (OR) 0.80, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.94); no significant difference in early bacteriological treatment failure (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.20) or late clinical recurrence (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.08). However, the overall risk of late bacteriological recurrence was worse in the short duration treatment studies (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.48), although no significant differences were found when studies of low dose azithromycin (10 mg/kg) were eliminated (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.22). Three studies reported long duration complications. Out of 8135 cases of acute GABHS pharyngitis, only six cases in the short duration treatment versus eight in the standard duration treatment developed long-term complications in the form of glomerulonephritis and acute rheumatic fever, with no statistically significant difference (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.17 to 1.64). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Three to six days of oral antibiotics had comparable efficacy compared to the standard duration 10-day course of oral penicillin in treating children with acute GABHS pharyngitis. . In areas where the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease is still high, our results must be interpreted with caution.

Vitamin D deficiency in young children with iron deficiency in Misan province, Iraq.

This study aimed to assess vitamin D status and its association with iron status in young Iraqi children. A total of 95 infants and toddlers with iron deficiency (ages ranging from 6 to 24 months) and an equal number of 95 healthy subjects with normal hemoglobin (Hb) and sufficient ferritin level with matching age were included as a control group. A specially designed questionnaire was used to collect data. The cases were classified into iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) according to hemoglobin and ferritin levels. The cases and control groups were subdivided into vitamin insufficiency (VDI), vitamin D deficiency (VDD), and vitamin D sufficiency groups according to 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels. Young children with IDA have significantly lower serum levels of 25(OH) D compared with ID and control groups (p<0.05). According to iron status, VDI and VDD were present in 20% and 70% of IDA, 25.7% and 60%of ID, and 26.3% and 30.5% of control groups, respectively, with a significant difference in vitamin D level (p<0.05) among studied groups. A significant positive correlation (p=0.000) was found between serum ferritin level and 25(OH) D level in studied patients. Young children with severe iron deficiency have a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, and there was a significant positive correlation between serum ferritin level and 25(OH) D levels among studied children.

Determinants of smokeless tobacco use and prevalence among Sudanese adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Smokeless tobacco is a part of social and cultural life in Sudan. The affordability and availability of this kind of tobacco make it a fundamental issue in adolescents. The aim of this study is to investigate the extent of the use of smokeless tobacco in adolescents and its determinants. METHODS: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Khartoum state in Sudan. The study targeted male and female adolescents in secondary schools. A total of 3387 students from public and private schools participated in the study. Multistage random sampling was used to select the participants. The Arabic version questionnaire from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) was utilised to collect the data from the participants. RESULTS: Among the participants, 57.3% were females and 42.7% were males. Students from private and public schools were 48.4 and 51.6%, respectively. The overall prevalence of those who had ever used smokeless tobacco was 7.6%, in which the prevalence among male students was 11.0% while among females was 5.0%. The determinant factors were male gender (OR 1.53 CI 95% 1.03-2.28), family structure (OR 1.52 CI 95% 1.03-2.23), exposure to second-hand smoke at home (OR 1.60 CI 95% 1.11-2.31), friends smoking cigarettes (OR 1.78 CI 95% 1.22-2.60), lack of restriction of selling tobacco to minors (OR 1.73 CI 95% 1.25-2.39), promotion of smokeless tobacco (OR 2.12 CI 95% 1.20-3.72) and low self-efficacy (OR 7.47 CI 95% 4.45-12.52). CONCLUSION: A comprehensive prevention programme that enforces the prohibition of the promotion of smokeless tobacco and the selling of smokeless tobacco to minors is crucial. Moreover, the prevention programme should enhance adolescents' self-efficacy.

Profiling the phyto-constituents of Punica granatum fruits peel extract and accessing its in-vitro antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory properties.

This context was investigated to assess the in vitro antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition traits of Punica granatum fruits peel extract. Initially, among various extracts tested, aqueous and ethanolic peel extracts depicted the presence of diverse phytoconstituents. In vitro antioxidative properties of peel extracts were determined using standard methodologies. Results showed that aqueous and ethanolic extracts had IC50 values of 471.7 and 509.16 µg/mL, respectively in terms of 1,1,diphenyl 2,2,picrylhydrazyl scavenging. Likewise, IC50 values of aqueous and ethanol extract were obtained as 488.76 and 478.47 µg/mL towards the degradation of hydrogen peroxide. The ethanolic extract exhibited the highest inhibition of α-glucosidase by showing activity of 53.34 ± 2.0 to 15.18 ± 1.4 U/L in a dose dependent manner (100-1000 µg/mL). Ethanolic extract was reported as the most active inhibitor of lipase with an IC50 value of 603.50 µg/mL. Ethanolic extract showed increased inhibition of ACE in a concentration dependent manner (100-1000 µg/mL) with IC50 value of 519.45 µg/mL. Fourier transform-infrared spectrum revealed the availability of various functional groups in the ethanolic extract of peel. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry chromatogram of peel extract illustrated 23 diversified chemical constituents including 1,2,3,4-butanetetrol, Dimethyl sulfone, 9-octadecenamide, and Pentadecanoic acid as predominant compounds. In summary, P. granatum fruits peel extract revealed promising antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, and anti-hypertensive properties.

Short versus standard duration antibiotic therapy for acute streptococcal pharyngitis in children.

BACKGROUND: The standard duration of treatment for acute group A beta hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) pharyngitis with oral penicillin is 10 days. Shorter duration antibiotics may have comparable efficacy. OBJECTIVES: To summarize the evidence regarding the efficacy of two to six days of newer oral antibiotics (short duration) compared to 10 days of oral penicillin (standard duration) in treating children with acute GABHS pharyngitis. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2007, issue 4), which contains the Acute Respiratory Infections Group's Specialized Register; the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE); MEDLINE (1966 to October 2007); OLDMEDLINE (1950 to December 1965); and EMBASE (January 1990 to November 2007). SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing short duration oral antibiotics to standard duration oral penicillin in children aged 1 to 18 years with acute GABHS pharyngitis. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors scanned the titles and abstracts of retrieved citations and applied the inclusion criteria. We retrieved included studies in full and extracted data. Two review authors independently assessed trial quality. MAIN RESULTS: Twenty studies were included with 13,102 cases of acute GABHS pharyngitis. Compared to standard duration treatment, the short duration treatment had shorter periods of fever (mean difference (MD) -0.30 days, 95% CI -0.45 to -0.14) and throat soreness (MD -0.50 days, 95% CI -0.78 to -0.22); lower risk of early clinical treatment failure (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.94); no significant difference in early bacteriological treatment failure (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.20), or late clinical recurrence (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.08). However, the overall risk of late bacteriological recurrence was worse in the short duration treatment (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.48), although no significant differences were found when studies of low dose azithromycin (10mg/kg) were eliminated (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.22). Three studies reported long duration complications with no statistically significant difference (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.17 to 1.64). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Three to six days of oral antibiotics had comparable efficacy compared to the standard duration 10 day oral penicillin in treating children with acute GABHS pharyngitis. In countries with low rates of rheumatic fever, it appears safe and efficacious to treat children with acute GABHS pharyngitis with short duration antibiotics. In areas where the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease is still high, our results must be interpreted with caution.

Depression, anxiety, and stress and their association with khat use: a cross-sectional study among Jazan University students, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Depression, anxiety, and stress levels are considered important indicators for mental health. Khat chewing habit is prevalent among all segments of Jazan population in Saudi Arabia. Few studies have been conducted to evaluate depression, anxiety, and stress among Jazan University students, and information about the correlation between khat use and these disorders is scarce. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress and their correlation with khat chewing and other risk factors among Jazan University students. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 642 students from Jazan University. Multistage sampling was used, with probability proportional to size-sampling technique. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 questionnaire was used to collect the data, which were analyzed using SPSS Version 20.0 software. RESULTS: Moderate depression was prevalent among 53.6% of the sample, anxiety was found among 65.7%, while 34.3% of the students suffered from stress. Female gender was strongly associated with higher mean scores for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, with P-values <0.05 for all. Moreover, anxiety symptoms scores were statistically associated with grade point average and caffeine consumption. Khat use was statistically associated with higher mean scores of anxiety among males and a higher mean score of depression and anxiety among females. CONCLUSION: The results indicate a high rate of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among Jazan University students. Khat use was associated with anxiety, and a higher rate of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress was indicated among female students. Therefore, strategy for the prevention and management of depression, anxiety, and stress is highly recommended to minimize the impact of these serious disorders.

The therapeutic use of endoscopic ultrasonography in pediatric patients is safe: A case series.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Despite the safety and high diagnostic yield of endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration (EUS FNA) for the evaluation of gastrointestinal diseases in adults, literature discussing the therapeutic use of EUS FNA in pediatrics remains limited. This study reports our experience with the use of EUS in children with pancreaticobiliary disorders. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate safety, clinical utility, and impact of therapeutic EUS on the management of children (<18 years) at a tertiary referral center. Data were collected from January 1, 2011, to April 30, 2014. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and EUS procedure data were reviewed. Continuous variables were described using the mean and standard deviation. Categorical variables were described using frequencies and percentages. RESULTS: A total of 6 therapeutic EUS procedures were performed in 5 children (3 F/2 M). The mean age was 13 years (range 6-17) with a mean body mass index of 28.2 (range 18.5-38.8). The indications for EUS procedures were abdominal pain with chronic pancreatitis (3) and management of symptomatic pancreaticobiliary cysts/pseudocysts observed on previous imaging (3). All procedures were performed under general anesthesia. The 6 therapeutic procedures performed were celiac plexus block (3), cyst gastrostomy with stents placement (2), and cyst aspiration using EUS FNA (1). A celiac plexus block effectively relieved abdominal pain in 2 patients with chronic pancreatitis. Cyst gastrostomy successfully resulted in pseudocyst resolution in the follow up imaging of 2 patients (up to 6 months after the procedure). Cyst aspiration with EUS guided FNA resulted in cyst resolution and confirmation of the benign nature of the cyst in 1 patient. All the procedures were successfully completed with no reported complications. CONCLUSION: The therapeutic use of endoscopic ultrasound in the pediatric population is safe and has a high success rate.

Clinical profile of bronchiolitis in infants younger than 90 days in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Bronchiolitis is a self-limiting disease of children caused by viral infections of the small airways with a wide spectrum of illness severity. Search of the literature reveals a need for refinement of criteria for testing for concomitant severe bacterial infections as well as appropriate therapeutic interventions for patients <90-day-old diagnosed with clinical bronchiolitis. We believe that a better understanding of the disease spectrum will help optimize health-care delivery to these patients. AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical profile at presentation, disease course and outcome of bronchiolitis in <3-month-old infants who presented to our Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) during one disease season. SETTINGS: Retrospective chart review during one bronchiolitis season, from November 1, 2011 to April 20, 2012. SUBJECTS: All <90-day-old infants presenting with clinical bronchiolitis presenting to Urban PED of a tertiary care university hospital during one bronchiolitis season. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review based on computer records of all emergency department visits of infants less than 90 days with a clinical diagnosis of bronchiolitis, covering the period between November 1, 2011 and April 30, 2012. RESULTS: Out of the total of 1895 infants <90 days of age, 141 had a clinical diagnosis of bronchiolitis and 35 needed admission to hospital. Blood for culture was obtained from 47 infants, urine for culture was obtained from 46 infants and cerebrospinal fluid for culture was obtained from eight infants. One case of bacteremia was documented, but this was found to be a contaminant. No cases of meningitis occurred among these infants. However, one infant had a positive urine culture consistent with infection (Escherichia coli). CONCLUSION: Based on the results, it can be conclude that the risk of bacteremia or meningitis among infants <90 days of age with fever and bronchiolitis is low. The risk of urinary tract infection in this age group is also low, but it is higher than the risk for meningitis or bacteremia. Our data for admission and treatment guidelines are similar to those published from other countries.

High levels of Zinc-α-2-Glycoprotein among Omani AIDS patients on combined antiretroviral therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the levels of zinc-α-2-glycoprotein (ZAG) among Omani AIDS patients receiving combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). METHODS: A total of 80 Omani AIDS patients (45 males and 35 females), average age of 36 years, who were receiving cART at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH), Muscat, Oman, were tested for the levels of ZAG. In addition, 80 healthy blood donors (46 males and 34 females), average age of 26 years, attending the SQUH Blood Bank, were tested in parallel as a control group. Measurement of the ZAG levels was performed using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. RESULTS: The ZAG levels were found to be significantly higher among AIDS patients compared to the healthy individuals (P=0.033). A total of 56 (70%) of the AIDS patients were found to have higher levels of ZAG and 16 (20%) AIDS patients were found to have high ZAG levels, which are significantly (P>0.031) associated with weight loss. CONCLUSIONS: ZAG levels are high among Omani AIDS patients on cART and this necessitates the measurement of ZAG on routine basis, as it is associated with weight loss.

Fluctuation in the Levels of Immunoglobulin M and Immunoglobulin G Antibodies for Cardiolipin and ß2-Glycoprotein among Healthy Pregnant Women.

OBJECTIVES: Antiphospholipid antibodies fluctuate during a healthy normal pregnancy. This study aimed to investigate the levels of both immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies for cardiolipin and ß2-glycoprotein (ß2GP) among healthy pregnant women. METHODS: This study was conducted between May 2010 and December 2012. A total of 75 healthy Omani pregnant women with no history of autoimmune disease were investigated during their pregnancy and 90 days after delivery at the Armed Forces Hospital in Muscat, Oman. A control group of 75 healthy Omani non-pregnant women were also investigated as a comparison. Levels of IgM and IgG antibodies for both anti-cardiolipin antibodies (ACAs) and ß2GP were measured using a standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The ACA IgM levels were significantly higher in the control group compared to the pregnant women (P <0.001). No significant differences were observed in the ACA IgM levels between the control group and the pregnant women after delivery. In contrast, ACA IgG levels were significantly higher during pregnancy and after delivery compared with those of the healthy control group (P = 0.007 and 0.002, respectively). The levels of ß2GP IgG were significantly higher during pregnancy than after delivery and in the control group (P = 0.001 and <0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: In this study, ACA IgG levels increased during healthy pregnancies and after normal deliveries whereas ß2GP IgG levels increased transiently during the pregnancies. Both phenomena were found to be significantly associated with a transient decline in the levels of IgM specific for these antigens. Therefore, the levels of these antibodies may be regulated during a healthy pregnancy.

Evaluation of anti-resistant activity of Auklandia (Saussurea lappa) root against some human pathogens.

OBJECTIVE: The antimicrobial activity of the ethanol extract of the Auklandia (Saussurea lappa)root plant was investigated to verify its medicinal use in the treatment of microbial infections. METHODS: The antimicrobial activity of the ethanol extract was tested against clinical isolates of some multidrug-resistant bacteria using the agar well diffusion method. Commercial antibiotics were used as positive reference standards to determine the sensitivity of the clinical isolates. RESULTS: The extracts showed significant inhibitory activity against clinical isolates of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactemase, Acinetobacter baumannii. The minimum inhibitory concentration values obtained using the agar dilution test ranged from 2.0 µg/µL-12.0 µg/µL. In the contrary the water extract showed no activity at all against the tested isolates. Furthermore, the results obtained by examining anti-resistant activity of the plant ethanolic extract showed that at higher concentration of the plant extract (12 µg) all tested bacteria isolates were inhibited with variable inhibition zones similar to those obtained when we applied lower extract concentration using the well diffusion assay. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that the crude ethanolic extract of the Auklandia (Saussurea lappa) root plant has a wide spectrum of activity suggesting that it may be useful in the treatment of infections caused by the above clinical isolates (human pathogens).

Synthesis, physical studies and uptake behavior of: copper(II) and lead(II) by Schiff base chelating resins.

Two new chelating resins possessing multiple functional groups capable of coordinating with several metal ions are reported. The resins were synthesized by condensing Schiff bases derived from 2-aminophenol, 2-hydroxy-5-chloroaniline and terephthaldehyde with formaldehyde in an alkaline medium. The effects of pH and contact time of the Cu(2+) and Pb(2+) in aqueous solutions on the uptake behavior of the resins were studied. The metal ion uptake behavior of the resins was investigated by the batch method. Both the uptake and the selectivity of the resins towards the investigated metal ions were related to the structure of the resins, type of the metal ion and the uptake conditions. The resins showed maximum uptake capacity for Cu(2+) and Pb(2+) at pH 10. Cu(2+) was seen to undergo preferential adsorption in separate and mixture solutions of Cu(2+) and Pb(2+). Kinetic studies for the resins using Langmiur equation were also performed. The Schiff base monomers and their formaldehyde resins were characterized by elemental analyses, FTIR and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The thermal stability of the resins was studied using TGA/DTG analysis.